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| Perseus and Io |
A remake of the 1981 Ray Harryhausen movie, Louis Leterrier’s Clash of the Titans is a tale which reaches back to the fantasy epics of old and forward into the digital era of the modern world.
The story rotates around Perseus, a Greek hero and his mission to save a city from the god’s revenge. Perseus’ dilemma, unknown to him until the action begins, is that he is an offspring of a mortal and deity. However he is not the son of just any god, but the all mighty king of gods, Zeus.
Fans of Greek mythology will not doubt be unhappy about the enormous liberties that the filmmakers have taken over the ancient tales.
The various gods, goddesses and demigods depicted here barely resemble their namesakes in either appearance or personality.
In fact one of the key elements of the story, the unleashing of the Kraken, was actually recorded as being done by Poseidon, not Hades.
Raised by humans Perseus feels more at home among the mortals but his godlike powers comes to the rescue when he is faced with a dual clash between gods and men and between Zeus and his revengeful brother, Hades, god of the underworld.
Provoked by humans’ diminishing regard towards the deities Zeus allows Hades to unleash the horrors of the underworld upon humans. Only Perseus can save the city of Argos and Princess Andromeda whose sacrifice is destined to quell the wrath of the gods.
moreThe battle between human warriors, a king-turned-hideous slayer, rampaging giant scorpions and the half-human and half snake Medusa sends shivers up your spine and the action climaxes in Perseus taking on the lethal monster, the Kraken to rid mankind of the tyranny of the cruel and mettlesome gods’ rulership.
The rugged scenery sets off the eerie atmosphere of awaiting doom. There is hardly a single scene which can be called cheerful as a cloud of gloom hangs on the minds of Perseus and his troupe.
The silver lining of the moment appears in the form of Io, a spiritual guide and guardian angel to Perseus.
Some of the action sequences are fun to watch, if not always comprehensible. An early encounter with some giant scorpions is a highlight and the final battle with a winged-horse-on-Kraken combat adds some excitement.
Another commendable aspect is at the closing scenes of the film. Audience expects the hero to be rewarded with the hand of the princess he had rescued and rule over the land he had won. Indeed this aspect is considered but proven wrong when Zeus brings Io back to life after witnessing his son’s courage. This unpredictable ending too is an alteration from the ancient tale which states that Perseus accepted Andromeda’s hand in marriage.
Fresh out of his Avatar success audience would have expected a more hard hitting performance by Sam Worthington as the gallant Perseus but they are sadly disappointed. Worthington’s Perseus seems neither romantic nor does he seem to truly passionate about his mission. His indifference towards the incidents surrounding him leaves us baffled. Other thespians like Gemma Arterton (Io), Liam Neeson (Zeus) and Ralph Fiennes (Hades) add substance to the performance.
The major drawback is that though Clash of the Titans had used 3D animation effects, it barely registers in the audience. With a storyline oozing of supernatural powers and heroic ventures the plot provides opportunities for the filmmakers to add real 3D excitement in virtually every frame. However last minute additions leave movie goers wondering if it is actually worth the extra buck.
Courtesy - Daily News by Ruwini Jayawardana
