The new Clash of the Titans would make a great portfolio for a graphic artist. As a movie, it has no soul. Its a 2 hour tech demo, filled with scene after scene of humans fighting off cgi monsters.
Where is the motivation? At what point do the characters pause and just talk? Never. The movie was made for suffers of ADHD. Sam Worthington is a wonderful lead, as he proved in Avatar, but here he is reduced to running around dodging giant scorpions or flying harpies.
In the original Clash, Harry Hamlin played a centered and motivated Perseus. He understood who he was, he had real desires and you felt his urgency at saving Andromeda. The new Perseus doesn't even get to fall in love. He's out for revenge against Hades, a god that was never in the first movie, nor in the specific legend this movie is based on. In addition, mythical Hades was a pretty decent fellow, as the greek pantheon goes. Here, he is also reduced to a satanic figure.
You'll notice that everyone is now two dimensional. The new Zeus just likes to pose dramatically and say "Release the Kraken", instead of having real discussions with his family. The new Andromeda is just... there. She has so few scenes that when she is finally tied up as a sacrifice for the Kraken, we couldn't care less if she gets eaten.
The worst part was Medusa. In the original Clash, the hunt was filled with tension and fear. The soldiers crept through her lair, trying their hardest not to be seen and heard. She was a monstrous enemy, seemingly made of nightmares. The new Medusa is another cgi demo, who laughs and chases Perseus through a lava filled temple. There is no sense of accomplishment when he finally slays her, unlike Hamlin's weary yet triumphant pose when he holds her up to show his godly father.
Is this movie worth it? If you turn off your brain, perhaps. It had so much potential if they just took their time and gave Perseus real motivations. Save your money and rent the original. It is still a great film.



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