Revisiting Remakes: Clash of the Titans (2010) Movie Review

Clash of the Titans might be my favorite remake since The Mummy. I remember watching the trailer for the 2010 film on repeat. It had a mix of hard rock to evoke the dangerous and epic journey moviegoers were about to endure. I remember watching the 1981 original film for my fifth-grade assignment. We learned about Greek Myths and Perseus in particular. We had to take as many notes and absorb as many details as possible, and we used those notes for a quiz. My classmate looked at me in disappointment noticing my notes were minimal. I thought it was adequate in my defense. I wish I had heeded her warning. 

 I am glad I re-watched it to appreciate the talented Harry Hamlin. His voice conveys Ben Hur’s valor or Shakespeare-esque demeanor and Ray Harryhausen’s genius (R.I.P). This guy has made a mark on Hollywood. I was pumped when the trailer dropped for this modern retelling.

Clash of the Titans (2010) stars Sam Worthington in the lead role as the Greek hero Perseus.

Sam Worthington (Avatar, Hacksaw Ridge, Terminator Salvation, Man on a Ledge) burst onto the scene in 2009. Though Terminator was a great film in my eyes but not received well financially and critically, Worthington had the chance to jump into James Cameron’s world once again. He plays Perseus with such power and infection. Perseus is quite a Greek hero.

There are moments in one’s life where you decide what kind of person you want to be when you grow up. Everyone is searching for their place in the world; who they are and who they are meant to be. In the case of Perseus, his identity will be challenged. He is a demigod, half-god, and half-man. His birth mother died moments after giving birth, and his father is Zeus, the god of thunder. The origins of this are very tragic indeed, but a loving family adopts Perseus, even though his family history seems to haunt him. He is unaware of it and will be thrust into the middle of a war between man and the gods, which is at a breaking point.

What I admire about this film is that Perseus is fearless. He is driven to prove himself despite his new forced alliance with the soldiers of Argos. Danish superstar Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, Hannibal, Rogue One) leads his band of brothers to reluctantly help Perseus save Argos and their princess Andromeda from the dastardly god of the Underworld, Hades. They must trek to stop the massive elemental beast known as the Kraken.

I feel some pirates might know of this name from the land known as Disney ( wink wink).

I love how Perseus stands up to the reluctant soldiers of Argos as they have little faith and trust in him, due to his lineage. Perseus is hell-bent on becoming his own man and not what people deem him as. There is an amazing fight when Mikkelsen’s Draco trains Perseus to use a sword properly. Composer Ramin Djawadi captured this moment with the use of strings with grace and ferocity. Perseus holds his own. Then along comes the most epic scene of the film. The band of brothers track down an agent of Hades but end up fighting scorpions. The remake outshines the original with this sequence. It is action-packed with so much hair-raising suspense, it’s amazing most of the men survived.

Sam Worthington shows his range after stellar performances in Avatar and Terminator Salvation. He shows what he is capable of when Hades tries to inflict fear on Perseus with little success. When Zeus tells Perseus this is a losing battle, Perseus stubbornly chooses perseverance over fear. He eventually gains the trust of the warriors Argos and victory has a chance, It also doesn’t hurt to have a guardian goddess at your side in the form of the stunning Gemma Arterton. Persues’s wits prove useful when he outsmarts the grotesque fortune-telling witches which shows how smart this demigod is. I was on the edge of my seat when the showdown with Medusa and Hades’ henchman reveal Perseus defying the odds. It also shows how much a man can achieve when honor, valor, virtue, and family come first. You know fast the gods of Olympus have little of that. It nearly becomes their undoing in this film and the next. But it also sheds a light on the hypocrisy of leadership and power. Perseus represents a better future.

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Watching this movie is truly cinematic. As the viewer, you accompany Perseus as he searches for self-discovery and courage. He is who he is because of his family history and is told that he must either join his powerful father or embrace his human side. He wants no part in it. Demigods make his skin crawl, and knowing what he knows, I don’t blame him. After surviving near-death from giant scorpions, grotesque fortune-telling witches, a vogue-magazine reject called Medusa, and a power-crazed god named Hades. He is called to be courageous and embrace that you are not defined by who your parents are but how you want to define yourself by the choices you make. The traveling band of heroes from Argos and the beautiful exiled god Io and the majestic Pegasus help him save a doomed city and a caring princess.

I love the music so much. You get the action, mind-blowing visuals, peril, sadness, and hope from this magnificent score by Ramin Djawadi. There is a great alternate ending, but it negates the purpose of the journey. It is truly one of 2010’s popcorn flicks. So many compelling characters mixed with some Greek mythology and an epic quest. I don’t know much about the original myth, but it best pays homage to the original. I love films with an incredible journey from struggle to victory.

Originally posted on Fanatic Media.