If you liked Clash of the Titans, you won’t like this review

 

Editor’s note: Peter Lewis has agreed to use whatever it is you call his writing style to provide some measure of analysis to those folks who still go to a theater to see a movie. Enjoy.

review by Peter Lewis

It is a bit unfair to fault a movie for historical accuracy when the “history” on which it is built is not based in reality.

However, when the overall production is as asinine and disappointing as the latest incarnation of Clash of the Titans, it is both easy and unprejudiced. The film is tripping all over its mythical toga a mere 20 minutes into the film. Much of this can be attributed to the story itself.

While the story of Perseus may not be as widely known as it once was, the name itself still resonates. He serves as that great hope and hero of man, constantly rising to the challenges set before him. The original incarnation of the film, released in 1981, was firmly rooted in mythical veracity (as convoluted as that veracity is).

This latest incarnation, however, starring Sam Worthington as the hero Perseus, suffers from a lack of cohesive drive. One would be forgiven for having a litany of questions coursing through one’s head: Why exactly are the humans revolting against the gods? When did the story of Perseus become a subverted story of class revolution? How exactly do the titular Titans fit into this story? And perhaps most importantly, exactly why did I spend money to suffer through this? Unfortunately, the answers, along with any semblance of enjoyment, never appear.

Clash of the Titans is a perfect storm of banality. Not only is the plot largely nonsensical, but the acting was lackluster throughout. With Neeson as Zeus and Fiennes an almost crippled Hades, this was mildly surprising. Liam Neeson could command an audience by merely sneezing, while Ralph Fiennes has proven himself one of the finest actors of the last few decades time and again in films like “Sunshine,” “The Constant Gardener” and “Schindler’s List.” Yet, even these supporting roles seemed callow and unfulfilling.

Further, casting Worthington as Perseus was uninspired. He is the perfect embodiment of a certain type of actor: a finely sculpted blank slate. Worthington brings nothing to the role beyond a blank stare. With his stone face, one is left wondering whether he too wasn’t a victim of the fabled Medusa. Yet, though his performances in “Terminator: Salvation” and “Avatar” bear out these truths, in conjunction with Titans, they also illustrate just how much the carte blanche of Worthington the actor translates into large amounts of revenue for filmmakers. So while there is certainly something attachable to that emptiness, the simple fact is that he is not compelling on the screen. The events of the film happen around him, rarely is he ever actively engaged in them.

Though one could argue that the failure of Clash of the Titans does revolve around Worthington inability as a leading man, it is hard not to place shared blame for these failures on the creators of the film itself. In addition to the acting failures, the story lacked any semblance of driving tension and there were countless moments of complete and utter inanity. So many moments in fact, that going into detail seems petty and in poor taste. Quite simply, Clash of the Titans was a perfect storm of suck. And no amount of big monsters or special effects can remedy it.

• Clash of the Titans is playing at the Carmike 14 and the Malco Cinema 12 in Fort Smith, and the Malco Van Buren Cinema. Link here for time and ticket info.

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