JC De La Torre.com

So over the Easter weekend, the wife and I got a chance to go see the new Clash of the Titans movie. Let me just say, visually, this movie is stunning.

With fantastic special effects that weren't over the top, plenty of action and a pretty good plot, the movie should have been one of the best of the year.

However, for me, there was something missing.

Perhaps with my research and knowledge of Greek mythology because of my Rise of the Ancients saga, I have big expectations for movies with Zeus and  company.

After all, when you've written about gods and Atlantis, you like to imagine those creations on the big screen.

I don't know if I'll ever get that opportunity with the Rise of the Ancients series, but the I do know that when it comes to the gods, they won't be just spectators like they were in this iteration of Clash of the Titans.

Don't get me wrong, both Zeus and Hades figure prominently in the film, but the other gods are barely even mentioned.

When I watched Percy Jackson and the Olympians, that movie had a great story, the gods were intimately involved all throughout the narrative and if you've never read the terrific series by Rick Riordan, the story was fresh.

That is the problem when Hollywood goes into the remake business. The story isn't new, you've seen it before. They just slapped some new fancy gizmos on it, and new actors and voila, you have a "new" movie.

Alas, the only thing the new Clash of the Titans movie and the 1981 classic was a cameo by Bubo, the golden owl. Unfortunately, as Bubo was cast aside by the new Perseus, so was the heart of the movie.

In the original, Perseus fought to save his lady love, Andromeda from being sacrificed to the Kraken to appease the angry gods. This Perseus fought for revenge against Hades for killing his adopted family.

Where is the heart in that?

Sam Worthington gave a decent account as Perseus and I have to admit, the movie is a visual orgasm of sights. I particularly loved the beautiful interpretation of Olympus, with the gods peering down at their chess pieces like folks staring at fish through a bottomless glass boat.

Ralph Fiennes was great as the diabolical Hades, who sought revenge against his brother for banishing him to the underworld.

See what I mean? Everyone is out for revenge. Zeus is out to get the mortals for daring to defy him. Hades is out to get Zeus. Perseus is out to get Hades. The people of Argos are out to get all the gods. There's a lot of revenge going on.

They did try to provide ole Perseus with a love interest with sexy Gemma Arterton as the cursed immortal Io. Still, you never really felt the spark between the two.

Of course, this is Clash of the Titans, not All You Need is Love. It should be about the action, the battle against good and evil, right?

I get that but I still don't get why Perseus was fighting so hard to get his revenge. Yes, Hades killed his family...Hades killed a lot of people indiscriminately. So does Zeus and all the other gods. You can't kill a god (unless, you know, you become one).

Perseus had no desire to join his father on Olympus, thus the entire journey, from the streets of Argos to Medusa's lair in the underworld. was folly. He had no chance at his ultimate goal.

In closing I'd say Clash of the Titans 2010 will definitely be worth a rent in Blu Ray but it's not a keeper and it certainly will not be on my shelf next to the 1981 original.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it about a 7.

JC De La Torre

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