Directed by: | Jonathan Liebesman |
Written by: | Dan Mazeau, David Johnson, Greg Berlanti |
Starring: | Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Edgar Ramirez, Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Danny Huston |
Released: | March 29, 2012 |
Grade: | B- (or 2.5 out of 5) |
Clash Of The Titans (released back in 2010) made $493m at the worldwide box-office. Let’s just pause for a moment and think about that statistic. It gives hope to any budding filmmaker. You can have a weak plot, dreadful dialogue and terrible accents… and yet still make a hugely successful motion picture.
It didn’t have much to improve on but lo and behold, this is one of those rare instances where the sequel is better than the original. It’s not a film I’d recommend too highly but Wrath Of The Titans has enough positive qualities to satisfy those hungry for a slice of big-screen action.
For those that remember, the last film ended with our hero Perseus (Worthington) defeating an evil sea monster known as the Kraken. It’s a fact we’re reminded of several times during this sequel. Instead of going on to bigger and better things, Perseus decided to “retire” from his job as a heroic half-god. He now lives a simple life as a fisherman with his 10-year-old son.
Unfortunately, Perseus' services will be required once again. His father, Zeus (Neeson), has been taken captive by the villainous Hades (Fiennes) who wants to steal his power and provide it to the dangerous Kronos. With the world on the brink of destruction, Perseus joins forces with a few key allies and descends into the depths of hell in search of his father.
The first film got too bogged down in Greek mythology and so they've made the story simpler (perhaps too much so) this time around. For me, the clear highlight was watching our heroes navigate their way through the labyrinth that protects the underworld city of Tartarus. It's a great sequence. They are led there by the almost unrecognisable Bill Nighy (Love Actually) who gives the best performance as a fallen god with a quirky sense of humour.
I should be doing all I can to support home grown talent but Australian Sam Worthington doesn’t feel right in this role. Maybe it’s his accent. Maybe it’s his unattractive mullet. He’s just too “blokey” to be playing such a god-like person and it is painful watching him deliver some of his clichéd lines. Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson and Rosamund Pike won’t be winning any awards either but they appear far more relaxed.
This leads me to the conclusion that Wrath Of The Titans is at its most entertaining when the characters give up on the dull dialogue and simply let the action do the talking. Director Jonathan Liebesman (World Invasion: Battle LA) deserves credit for the well choreographed fight sequences that make good use of both sound and visual effects.
Those who enjoy action? Buy a ticket. Those in search of a captivating story? Look elsewhere.