Before I even begin to review Clash of the Titans, I need to make a few things clear. First off, I've never seen the original Clash of the Titans. Secondly, I'm not very familiar with Greek mythology. Greek mythology isn't really my cup of tea; but if they can shape it into good movie-material, I'm game to at least check it out. Just keep these two things in mind, in case I make any mistakes regarding these.
I was tempted to go see Clash of the Titans when it was in theaters. But I somehow managed to be insanely busy and short on cash, and never got around to it. So naturally, I decided to rent it upon its DVD release yesterday.
This movie is bad in a lot of ways. Everything from the character-development to the pacing to the music was just wrong. There's no arguing that. Granted, this movie was meant to be a summer popcorn flick and nothing more. But I have a soft spot for summer popcorn flicks, and this movie is even disappointing in that category.
But there's something interesting about how and why this movie is so "off". If I hadn't done some previous reading about this movie's production, I might not be able to pinpoint just what this "off" factor was. But thanks to numerous articles, I can pretty safely say exactly what it was that threw this movie off-course.
This movie is not the movie that was supposed to be made. The original script, while mostly the same in story, consisted of much different characters. The biggest difference is in Zeus. Originally, Zeus was going to be a much more nefarious, cold-hearted character. There was no concern for Perseus, no "father-son" type of thing.
Secondly, Perseus was not to fall in love with his "guardian angel" character, Io; he was to fall in love with Andromeda. To what little knowledge I have on this, this is how the original movie and mythological tale went.
Another difference is in the involvement of the other gods. Apollo and Athena were to be the "good guys" of the gods, and they were the ones to help out Perseus instead of Zeus.
It is not uncommon for film scripts to go through a wide variety of revisions before filming, but this case is different. Why? Because this script was changed DURING filming! Some sources claim that the movie was almost done filming when these changes were thrown in. While I've not seen all the deleted scenes on the DVD (thanks, Blockbuster "Rental Copy"!), I've heard that these consist of many of the original scenes, before the massive revisions.
When you take all this into consideration, I think it becomes a lot more clear as to why this movie is "off". It comes across this way, because even the filmmakers didn't really know what they were doing. They started filming one movie, then decided to make it a different film altogether. The odd character development and awkward pacing can probably be explained mostly by this one fact. Characters can't be properly developed when they are completely revamped at the end of the shoot. And pacing is going to be wierd when you decide to re-shoot half of your movie.
Focus on Zeus for a moment. He could have been a very interesting character and a highlight of the movie (he was played by Liam Neeson, for crying out loud!). But a character like that can't be properly developed when the filmmakers can't decide whether to make him a villain or a hero. If you're going to change it up and make him a caring father-figure who wants a relationship with his son, at least have the decency to flesh it out with some decent character development. As it is, Zeus just kinda goes from one extreme to another, without any explanation as to why.
I've spent enough time complaining about this movie, but I do have some positives to point out. For one, the visual effects were very well-done (with the exception of Medusa... that was kinda iffy). The Kraken was awesome. The build-up to the Kraken's appearance was well-executed, and I wasn't disappointed. Props to the VFX team!
I also have to commend whoever was in charge of casting, because I feel like they made two of the best casting moves ever: Liam Neeson as Zeus and Ralph Fiennes as Hades. From a casting perspective, those two choices just exude pure awesomeness! If anyone can play the king of the gods, it's Liam Neeson. And let's face it, Ralph Fiennes just has a way with villains. But to take it a level further, these two actors even look like they could be brothers!
It's just a shame that their talent was wasted on this movie. Especially with Liam Neeson, as his character was one of the most affected by the massive script overhaul. He can play a good villain, and he can play a good father-figure. But changing the game mid-point with no explanation just doesn't work. And that's not Mr. Neeson's fault: it's the filmmaker's.
I'll end my review with that. Ultimately, there's a lesson to be learned from this, and it's a pretty clear, blunt message. Don't overhault your script when shooting is almost done. And if you absolutely must make such huge changes, at least be prepared to compensate for these changes throughout the rest of the movie with the necessary explanations, development, etc.
Just to add a little disclaimer, I don't mean to offend anyone who liked this movie. Cheers to you, and I'm glad you had a good time!
God bless, and I'm off!
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