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The Clash of the Titans Sequel Somehow Looks Worse


Last year’s Clash of the Titans wasn’t just another unnecessary and artless remake. No, it was downright obnoxious about it. Lacking the appeal of the original 1981 film and Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion effects, the 2010 Clash of the Titans dumped out a grab-bag of Greek myths and stomped them into bland CG-processed paste. But it also made 164 million damn dollars in the U.S. alone, and you can’t argue with that when someone’s trying to bankroll a sequel called Wrath of the Titans.

All right, let’s try to be nice. Wrath of the Titans is about Perseus taking sides in a war among the gods: specifically, the reigning Greek deities and the older Titans that they kicked out a long time ago. That’s not an idea without potential (after all, it helped God of War players forget that they were guiding an unlikable turd of a hero). Secondly, the trailer shows a blonde (and recast) Andromeda, who was basically in the first film to be rescued, following Perseus into battle. She’s probably a more interesting character for it. Thirdly…uh, you can squint at the trailer from a distance and pretend it’s based on Kid Icarus. <P>

OK, there’s not much to suggest that Wrath will win you over if you hated Clash of the Titans. The trailer’s even lacking in decent monsters. Aside from a half-impressive multi-armed warrior, the movie apparently borrowed a Balrog, a generic dragon, and Jack the Giant Killer’s main creature. At least the first film had Medusa and giant scorpions. And to top that, the trailer’s closing hook is a bland, puzzling exchange about Perseus sweating.