Clash of the Titans is a remake of the 1981 classic of the same name, and tells the tale of the legendary Greek hero Perseus.

Titans Clash!

[FLOWPLAYER=http://uk.clip-1.filmtrailer.com/3473_10079_a_3.flv,275,180]

After a spectacular CGI filled opening telling us the epic story of the gods and the Titans, we’re introduced to our hero, Perseus. Perseus (Sam Worthington) is the son of Zeus, but he’s been living the life of a fisherman down on Earth, unaware of his divine heritage. Perseus’ adopted family are killed by the evil god Hades and he vows revenge. Hades tells the King of Argos that unless he sacrifices his daughter Andromeda to the gods, the Kraken will destroy the city, so Perseus and a rag-tag bunch of misfits set off on a quest to find three legendary witches who can tell them how to defeat the monster.

The weakest link in this new Clash of the Titans is Sam Worthington as Perseus. Worthington is an actor with all the talent and charisma of a digestive biscuit: he scowls his way through the various events of the film like a grumpy teenager, offering a performance of a mindless action hero worthy of Keanu Reeves himself.

The Perseus Myth for 2010

The other major problem with this film is the characters. There’s too bloody many of them, and we have no idea of their motivation. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes as the gods Zeus and Hades are great, but no one else is really given enough screen time to shine. The Bond girl Gemma Arterton plays the goddess Io: the Hot God Chick. She’s half love-interest, half sidekick to the scowling Perseus. She tells him she’s watched over him since he was born, but we’re never given the motivation behind this bizarre lifestyle choice. Her character exists simply to scamper around in the shortest toga in the ancient world and look ravishing while doing so (and to be fair to Miss Arterton, she does this very well).

Other characters come and go like members of the Sugababes.  Nicholas Hoult (of Skins and About A Boy fame) makes a minor appearance as a young warrior, there’s two comic relief hunters (Ashraf Barhom and Mouloud Achour) who tag along on the journey for about five minutes before buggering off, and the rest of the soldiers are faceless drones anxiously awaiting their turn to be killed.

Bring me the head of Medusa!

To be fair though, this isn’t meant to be a film about plot and character development: It’s a monster-movie pure and simple, and it does monsters spectacularly. The final battle with the Kraken is worth the price of admission alone, and the giant scorpions and Medusa both look awesome. In this Clash of the Titans Medusa not only has snakes for hair, but a deadly serpent tail as well – very cool! In fact the CGI throughout the film is extremely impressive: Clash of the Titans is a visual treat. It’s just a shame it couldn’t have been more. The Lord of the Rings films showed that it’s possible to make an epic fantasy with sustenance as well as spectacle, but Clash of the Titans is an immeasurably less engaging experience.

In summary, Clash of the Titans is an entertaining but flawed film. Go into the cinema expecting Shakespeare and you’ll be disappointed. Go in hoping for a collection of exciting action sequences with huge kick-ass monsters and you’ll have an enjoyable time. Just leave your brain at the door.

What did you think of the new Clash of the Titans? Was it just mindless rubbish, or are you ready and eager for the inevitable Clash of the Titans 2?