Warring mortals and gods in Clash of the Titans

Clash of the Titans is a remake of the fantasy film of the same name released in 1981. The movie is based on the Greek myth of Perseus – the legendary founder of Mycenae and the Perseid dynasty. Perseus was the Greek hero who killed Medusa and claimed Andromeda. The movie was earlier set for standard release on March 26, 2010, but it was later decided to convert the film to 3D with a release date of April 2.

In 2008, Louis Letterier took the director’s chair for the film’s remake. He studied the original Clash of the Titans and inspired the climax by his previously directed film The Incredible Hulk. Writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi reworked the script which resulted to a PG-13 rating.

The Clash of the Titans remake started filming on April 27, 2009 in London at Shepperton Studios as well as in Wales and Canary Islands in Spain. But the fantastic volcano scenes were shot at the Harriett hole in the Dinorwic Slate Quarry in Wales, the same location used for the movies Willow and Street Fighter.

On the first day of the Clash of the Titans release, it raked in $61.4 million in ticket sales in Northern America alone, besting Why Did I Get Married Too by Lionsgate and How to Train Your Dragon by Dreamworks.

Almost 50 percent of total ticket sales for the movie came from traditional 2D screenings, as more moviegoers preferred to see the movie in cheaper 2D theatres. This may be the result of a shortage of 3D theatres and quite expensive 3D prices, not to mention that fans have become skeptic about the process used to make this film 3D.

Sam Worthington plays the main protagonist Perseus, hero and son of Zeus. An Australian actor whose career is definitely on the rise, he was earlier handpicked by James Cameron to star in the groundbreaking sci-fi 3D epic Avatar.

During a press conference, Sam Worthington talked about the challenges he had to go through while filming the movie. “I didn’t wear sandals. I wore Nikes, and I painted toes on my Nikes. I was sprinting off and doing a lot bigger stunts while they had dirt getting in their sandals and they were tripping all over the place. I was the smart one that thought ahead," he said.

When asked if he could compare the experience of making Clash to making Avatar, Worthington replied, ”I can’t. Avatar is its own juggernaut. It’s its own beast. We’ve seen that at the box office, and I can tell you that by filming it. You can’t compare that movie to anything.”

“I thought that this would be a cake walk. I thought me in a dress, running around would be easy, but it wasn’t because it is fast. There’s a lot of energy on set, running around with three cameras, the whole time. Going to these extreme locations made it tougher than I thought, I must admit,” he added.

He admitted he felt intimidated being alongside Liam Neeson, who played the role of Zeus. “He’s the big boy. When you’re playing with the big boys, you man up and shut up and you listen. Liam acts with such grace. He’s a gentle man and he’s an imposing force on screen. You literally go in there and it’s a learning experience. You observe what he can do on set, and he gives you advice on how to handle all this and the outside world with hopefully some sensitivity.”

Gemma Arterton plays the demi-goddess Io and the love interest of Perseus. This role was not featured in the original film but was given a highly featured exposure in the remake. When asked about her role, “My part is the coolest part. Perseus falls in love with her and then... It’s a really great part,” she said, laughing.

“The script is very different,” she said when asked about the script. “Obviously the story is the story, but it’s much more about Perseus’ mission, and how he deals with being the son of Zeus, and things like that, so it feels a little more about him, and about the issues around that.”

Clash of the Titans gathered mixed reactions from fans and movie critics alike because expectations were too high, especially since the original one was so successful.

According to Henry Fitzherbert, “The new 3-D version of Clash of the Titans is bursting with action and fury and rattles along as if petrified of boring a generation more likely to play a computer game than open a book. It is loud and lusty but once you step away from the fray of battle it is also surprisingly two-dimensional in every other department.”

Carljoe Javier agreed. “Clash of the Titans doesn’t do its action any better. If you were awed by the action scenes in the trailer, well, that’s pretty much it. The movie might have been redeemable if its action was impressive, but even there it fails.”

Javier further noted that the writing was “terrible” and the logic “problematic” but in the comments section, fans disagreed. “People saw the movie to see giant monsters being slain by a hero, and of course it's going to be santized and cut up for easier digestion. But this flaw in the internal logic is a problem of the original film, not this one.”

In this website, the writer lamented the executives' decision to convert the movie into 3D. "As far as 3D goes, Clash of The Titans is the worst looking 3D movie I've ever seen. Despite this being shown in 3D, it does NOT look 3D. Wearing the 3D glasses for the movie only served to make the picture blurrier, fuzzier, darker, and harder to see. This was not an exciting 3D experience that really feels like you can reach out and touch something. The only part of the movie that truly looked 3D was the CG closing credit sequence at the end."

Pinoys had the same criticism in this website. "The trailer was far more interesting and entertaining."

Gelo Gonzales thought so too. "It isn't exactly worth it to pay extra for the 3D version, " he said but he would not discourage the public from watching. “Clash of the Titans is a summer popcorn adventure blockbuster that one shouldn't overanalyze. Enjoy it for what it is.”

But love it or hate it, the movie is expected to be a sure hit. "As a blockbuster, Titans ticks most of the right boxes, offering a reasonably enjoyable ride."

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