I quite enjoyed 2010′s Clash Of The Titans when I saw it on BluRay. Possibly that was because I hadn’t had to endure the awful 3D version that plagued the cinemas. But with rumours that Wrath of the Titans was even better than the poorly reviewed Clash, I decided it was worth a watch, even though I was going to have to see it in 3D.
Now I’m not the biggest fan of 3D, and I haven’t seen to two films that people say are worthy of the 3D treatment (Avatar and Hugo), which may just mean that I’ve only seen crap 3D films, but I have to say that the 3D in Wrath was so bad in places that it ended up being a major distraction.
The other major distraction was Sam Worthington, whose Aussie accent seemed out of place for the setting, and whose acting chops (or lack of) are not up to the lead role, give such a two dimensional performance that a carboad cutout would have more depth.
In fact, the only acting highlight was that of Bill Nighy, whose mad-as-a-hatter performance added some much needed humour to a bland and uninspiring film. The only other highlight was that of Rosamund Pike, not so much for her acting though, just that it gave the male audience something to focus on.
The story itself was quite epic, with Worthington’s Perseus having to man up and accept his role as half-god and go on a world saving adventure. It was quite literally the end of the world if Perseus didn’t bring the goods, but it felt less important that watching paint dry. There was just no spark of passion, no excitement, and no one to really care about if they got killed.
By the time the special effects masterpiece, Kronos, the fiery demon of the deep appeared in all his CGI glory, I was just watching the clock waiting for the film to be over. I will admit he was quite spectacular, but the set pieces on the ground seemed a little lacking by comparison, and the all ended up feeling like bits and pieces of rubbish stuck together in an attempt to make a work of art.
A sad sequel to a not too bad film.
FILMGUIDE rating:
Reviewed by: Jonathan Read
