The original Clash of
the Titans wasn't that great of a film. It's mostly remembered for the
stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. At least, it is remembered. The 2010 remake is remembered more as a cautionary example against hasty 3D conversion
and a catchphrase ("Release the
Kraken!") that tired quickly. Still, Clash made a ton of money, which is enough justification to
greenlight a sequel, Wrath of the Titans.
Ten years after the events of the previous movie, Perseus
(Sam Worthington) lives the quiet life of a fisherman with his son, Helius
(John Bell). He is once again dragged into the world of myths and legends when his
father, Zeus (Liam Neeson), asks for his aid against HIS father, Kronos the
Titan. Yes, there are actual Titans this time around.
Mankind's faith in the gods have further eroded their powers
leaving Zeus vulnerable against the combined forces of Hades (Ralph Fiennes)
and Ares (Edgar Ramirez), the god of war. The treacherous twosome mean to steal
Zeus's remaining strength to free Kronos. To stop them, Perseus must gather the
weapons of the gods; Zeus's lightning bolt, Poseidon's trident, and Hades'
pitchfork. Perseus is joined by Agenor (Toby Kebbell), the son of Poseidon
(Danny Huston), Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), the forger of the gods, and the
warrior princess Andromeda (Rosamund Pike, replacing Alexa Davalos).
While Clash
followed the formula of the traditional hero's journey, Wrath is more of a standard hero's quest. The screenplay is mapped
out just like a video game with Perseus searching for various items and
defeating mid-level boss characters before facing the primary villain. Jonathan
Liebesman, who previously directed Battle: Los Angeles, handles the CGI intensive action sequences well with Perseus
pitted against mythological beasts such as the Chimera, Cyclopes, and the Minotaur
deep within a shifting labyrinth. In contrast to Immortals, the Titans here are formidable foes with Kronos
portrayed as a colossus of smoldering rock and molten lava.
There isn't much of a difference between Sam Worthington in Clash and Sam Worthington in Wrath, aside from a fuller head of curly
hair. Kebbell and Nighy provide levity while Pike is striking in her Xena garb
though their characters are never fully formed. As for the gods, it's hard not
to enjoy any scenes featuring Neeson and Fiennes, no matter how corny the
dialogue. Poor Danny Huston gets the short end of the stick. The god of the
seas only had one line in the last movie and he gets maybe a handful of scenes
in the sequel.
Just as Athena sprung from the brow of Zeus upon birth, Wrath of the Titans seems to have sprung
from the mind of an avid God of War
gamer. Wrath is a streamlined action
pic that runs at a brisk pace. Released at the end of March, it was a nice appetizer for the summer blockbuster season that was to come.
Rating: ** (*****)
No comments:
Post a Comment