Clash of the Titans was released in 1981 and is considered by many to be the legendary stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen's finest work. I remember seeing this film in the theater and being blown away by it's grandeur and special effects. I was 10 years old at the time. I recently saw it again and unfortunately have to say that my semi-educated adult mind found it to be lacking in many areas. While it still is a good film and one that I do recommend, Clash of the Titans hasn't aged as well as many other other films from that period. Why?? I'll delve into that a little later.

For those of you who haven't heard of or seen this film, Clash of the Titans is essentially a retelling of the story of Perseus played adequately here by a very young Harry Hamlin. Perseus is the mortal son of the god Zeus who, after overcoming insurmountable odds, goes on to become a king. If you remember anything about your high school Greek mythology, you will likely find it somehow incorporated into this film. Many of the more famous Greek mythological creatures are present and accounted for. Most notable are Medusa, Pegasus, Dioskilos (the two-headed dog), and the large and fearsome Kraken. While campy by today's standards Clash of the Titans is still an entertaining film that is worth seeing at least once as it is probably the best Greek mythology adaptation brought to the big screen.

The film opens on the mist shrouded shores of the Aegean sea. The tyrannical King Acrisius places an infant Perseus and his mother Danae inside a large coffin and sets them adrift as punishment for her becoming illegitimately pregnant. But unknown to Acrisius, the father is Zeus who doesn't take kindly to the fact that his one-time lover and infant son have been sentenced to death. As a result, Zeus (Lawrence Olivier) orders that the Kraken be released to destroy Acrisius' kingdom. He then sets Danae and Perseus down on a warm, friendly island where Perseus grows into a strong young man.

But there is trouble on Mount Olympus. It seems that Zeus is unhappy with the mortal man Calibos who is the son of the goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith). Calibos is set to marry the Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker) and rule the Kingdom of Joppa but he is a cruel and heartless man. As punishment for his wicked ways, Zeus transforms Calibos into a hideous man/devil type creature played by Neil McCarthy. In retaliation, Thetis transports Perseus to Joppa where she sets him down penniless and alone.

Perseus soon meets Ammon (Burgess Meredith) who becomes a sort of mentor and informs Perseus that since Calibos' was transformed, the kingdom of Joppa has been under a curse which will remain until a suitor is able to marry Andromeda. But to marry her, the would-be suitor has to solve an impossible riddle created by Calibos. If he fails to solve it, the suitor is burned alive at the stake.

With the help of the winged horse Pegasus and some magical equipment furnished by the gods, Perseus is able to solve the riddle and win Andromeda's hand. But as Andromeda's mother, Queen Cassiopeia (Sian Phillips), announces their upcoming marriage, she foolishly boasts that Andromeda's beauty surpasses that of Thetis herself. The angered goddess appears and demands that as punishment for Cassiopeia's transgression, Andromeda is to be sacrificed to the Kraken in 30 days or else she will have the Kraken destroy Joppa. And so Perseus sets out on a quest to find a way to destroy the seemingly invincible Kraken.

Clash of the Titans remains a nostalgic piece of movie history. While certainly not the most intelligent film ever made, it is chock full of memorable scenes many of which I distinctly remember from my childhood. And no I'm not talking about the shot of Andromeda's bare a*s as she gets out of the bath....although now that I think of it, that was a pretty nice shot. Anyway, who can forget the battle in Medusa's lair or the overly dramatic dialogue from the Stygian Witches (Flora Robson, Anna Manahan, Freda Jackson)?? Great stuff. As one would expect, action abounds throughout the film. Most of it involving Perseus and allies battling the hideous creatures from Greek mythology. In addition to the ones mentioned above we have giant scorpions, a giant vulture, the ever present Calibos, and unforgettable Bubo, the mechanical owl.

The biggest drawback to this film are the special effects. Even taking into account that this film is nearing 25 years old, the effects leave much to be desired. There are grainy matte plates and obvious cuts between live action and models. What surprises me is that this film was made in the post Star Wars era. In fact, it was released after The Empire Strikes Back which used stop-motion techniques that were far superior. As such, you would think that Clash of the Titans would have incorporated more of George Lucas' ground breaking effects work. I guess Ray Harryhausen didn't want to deviate from his tried and true stop-motion techniques. While admirable on one level, it was foolish on another. After, Star Wars, audiences didn't want to see 50's effects used anymore. They wanted something better. But they didn't get it here. Clash of the Titans was a box office success but it could have been so much more if Harryhausen would have embraced the new technologies that were available. As it stands, this was Harryhausen's last film and although it is not his best work, I felt it a fitting swan song for the man who brought us such classics as Jason and the Argonauts, One Million Years B.C., and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.

The acting could also have used a little sprucing up. While as a whole not too bad, most of it has an undeniably campy flair with over the top performances. Hamlin's portrayal of Perseus is just the opposite. He is as stiff as Ahab's wooden leg. Despite the fact he lived all of his life on a small protected island, Perseus shows no signs of surprise or emotion when battling creatures that would curl a normal person's hair. The one exception being his battle with Medusa which is the most intense scene in the film. The film's big budget (15 million) allowed for some rather big names to be brought in although most are for show on the marquee as they have next to no dialogue. For example Ursula Andress' character of Aphrodite has around 2 lines. Rounding out the cast is Claire Bloom as the goddess Hera, Tim Pigott-Smith as Thallo (Perseus' right hand man), Susan Fleetwood as goddess Athena, and Jack Gwillim as god Poseidon.

In many ways Clash of the Titans is a sub-standard film yet I still found that I enjoyed watching it the other day. Despite the dated special effects and questionable acting, it remains a decent, if not totally accurate, take on Greek mythology. If you can push aside it's shortcomings, I think you'll find Clash of the Titans to be a good action/fantasy film. Children under the age of 10 will almost certainly love it. The tagline for this film was An Epic Entertainment Spectacular. Would I go that far?? I don't think so. But this one is worth your time if only for the nostalgia value so go ahead....give it a shot.





Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8