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‘Clash of the Titans’ Is an Entertaining but Forgettable Fantasy Film

‘Clash of the Titans’ Did Not Perform Well With Critics

Ralph Fiennes starred in the epic fantasy film Clash of the Titans nearly 15 years ago. The first of a planned three-movie series, the film was a success at the box office but had a tough go with critics. A host of notable stars and the promise of godly war could do nothing to help the film, which struggles with too many ideas. And while the movie is entertaining, its 27% critical score is terribly low. It is unfortunate, but the film may not deserve anything more.
In Clash of the Titans, Ralph Fiennes plays Hades, ruler of the Underworld. After years of waning human prayers, Hades and the rest of the gods have become weaker as their powers are fed by human attention. This is not just a vainglorious desire, as the gods’ powers are the only thing keeping the dreaded Titans from unleashing their wrath upon the earth. In order to get the humans back to their prayers, Zeus (Liam Neeson) releases his brother Hades to scare the humans back into obedience. But when his actions kill the human family of demi-god Perseus (Sam Worthington), the battle between man and gods finds its fiercest warrior.

Release Date

April 2, 2010

Runtime

1h 46m

‘Clash of the Titans’ Is an Entertaining but Forgettable Fantasy Film

Clash of the Titans is an easy and enjoyable fantasy film. An epic tale of gods and men fighting for supremacy, it is a spanning adventure that dips its toes in the splendor of mythology. With gods and monsters, myths and Medusa, the film is a full-tilt run into silly fun. Sam Worthington as Perseus is a competent lead. Though slightly lacking in charisma this time around, he is an action figure equivalent of a hero: physically dexterous, imposing, and bland. This doesn’t distract from the film, which, in itself, is a condemnation. A shallow journey with no real heart and varying stakes, Clash of the Titans struggles under its own ambitions.

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Though the film is entertaining, it covers too much and offers too little. An assortment of villains come up, only to be dispatched again before they can have any real meaning. The gods, as they were, are nothing more than placeholders for a story arc that never occurs. Their involvement serves only to set up the next step in the story, while their power and threat are limited to empty promises. They hang over the story but offer no real bite, which is a disappointment. Gemma Arterton as Io is serene but not particularly interesting. The band of warriors that join Perseus on his hero’s journey have no character development, which makes them similarly interchangeable.
‘Clash of the Titans’ Did Not Perform Well With Critics

The critical score of Clash of the Titans on Rotten Tomatoes is 27%. Combined with a 40% audience score, the film has a solidly rotten rating. Reviews of the film called it underwhelming, soulless, and a mess. The script was called laughably bad. With a convoluted story that offered no character development, the film was deemed joyless and boring. “Where’s the excitement, thrills, and dizzying nonsense…” Ben McEachen of the Australian Sunday Times queried. Critics decried the film’s poor use of CGI and the ‘lousy’ special effects, especially the last-minute post-production conversion of the 2-D filmed movie into 3-D. Adam Tobias of Watertown Daily said of the film’s attempt at 3-D, “Imagine downing a cold 12-pack in two hours and then trying to walk home. That’s exactly what it feels like.”

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Clash of the Titans was directed by Louis Leterrier and was based on the 1981 film of the same name. Despite the rough reception, the film is currently doing well on streaming. Other stars in the movie include Mads Mikkelsen, Liam Cunningham, Alexa Davalos, and Nicholas Hoult. The film did well enough that the studio (Warner Bros.) felt confident enough to follow it up with 2012’s Wrath of the Titans. The sequel film made twice its budget at the box office but received overwhelmingly negative reviews. The planned third film, Revenge of the Titans (scheduled for a 2013 release), was canceled due to the previous film’s box office performance as well as the series’ overall negative critical reviews.
Although Clash of the Titans is entertaining, the film suffers from many flaws, including a lack of character development, no real stakes, and no engaging characters. Sam Worthington’s emotionless lead is the perfect match for what is a promising, though wasted, endeavor. Any discussion on whether it deserves such a low score is not worth the fight. Clash of the Titans is available to stream on Max.