Clash of the Titans (A or 4/4 stars)
'Clash of the Titans' (directed by Desmond Davis, written by Beverley Cross) is a 1981 Greek mythological adventure epic filled with lavish sets, sorrowful heroes, beautiful heroines, horrific monsters & dangerous duels. Because the god Zeus (the great Laurence Olivier) impregnated a mortal princess named Danae down on Earth, her unforgiving father, King Acrisius, sends her & his illegitimate baby grandson Perseus to the sea in a wooden coffin. In rageful retribution from his throne up in Mount Olympus, Zeus kills Acrisius & orders Poseidon (Jack Gwillim) to release a gargantuan sea monster, the Kraken, to destroy his city of Argos. Meanwhile, Danae & Perseus safely float to the desert isle of Seriphos, where he grows into manhood.
Over in the grand city of Joppa, Calibos (Neil McCarthy), son of the goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith), is a man engaged to the fair Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker), the daughter of Queen Cassiopeia (Sian Phillips) & heir to their kingdom. But Calibos has destroyed most of Zeus' sacred flying horses; only Pegasus remains. So to punish Calibos, Zeus transforms him into a hideously deformed creature & exiles him to a faraway swamp. In revenge, Thetis transports dashing Perseus (now a spirited Harry Hamlin) from his peaceful desert isle home to Joppa, where he learns that Andromeda can't marry unless her suitor successfully answers a cryptic riddle. Perseus captures Pegasus & follows the entrancing Andromeda - wearing an invisible cloak given to him by the Gods - to save her from Calibos' clutches & solve the riddle. Perseus then presents himself to Queen Cassiopeia as Andromeda's suitor & correctly answers the riddle; winning Andromeda's hand in marriage.
Enraged that her deformed son lost Andromeda, the goddess Thetis takes vengeance on Cassiopeia; demanding that Andromeda is to be sacrificed to the Kraken sea monster in 30 days. And so, to save Andromeda & restore order to Joppa, Perseus heads-out on a perilous journey to find a way to defeat the Kraken. With some brave men (including Tim Pigott-Smith) & Andromeda in tow, Perseus gets guidance from Bubo {a mechanical owl sent from an ally God} & ventures to see the 3 cannibalistic Stygian witches (Flora Robson, Freda Jackson, Anna Manahan) to gain intel on how to defeat the Kraken. The answer: attain the head of Medusa; a reptile-like monster who - dead or alive - that can turn any living being into stone just by looking at her. With the flying horse Pegasus & Bubo the owl used as a diversion, Perseus hopes to save Andromeda before it is too late.
You know, given that this is an action/adventure movie based on mythological lore, parts of it will be undeniably silly for more discerning viewers. That said, I think 'Clash ...' is a splendidly entertaining & gloriously executed all-time epic. And it is blessed with an incredible cast of thespians who find their way past all the monsters & the heroic dialogue to get us involved in their engaging characters. Harry Hamlin is a perfect Perseus; striking, solemn, & hell bent on completing his mission. The sweet, destiny-fueled love & undying devotion between him & Judy Bowker's Andromeda is also palpable. Burgess Meredith is great as Perseus' cunning old playwright/poet companion, Ammon. Maggie Smith is regal, terrifying {in one head-roller of a scene!}, but also fragile & vulnerable in matters concerning her son, Calibos. And Laurence Olivier is just as you imagine Zeus would be: imperious, omnipotent, contemptuous & a carnal fan of his ever-present goddesses (Claire Bloom, Ursula Andress, Susan Fleetwood).
Ray Harryhausen's effects are a huge star of the film, as well. He uses combinations of stop-animation & miniatures to put humans into the same frames as the mythological creatures, & most of them look pretty damn convincing. Harryhausen's credits include Jason & the Argonauts and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, and the effects in Clash are just as effective. Among his inspired set pieces: the beautiful moonlit scene where Perseus tames Pegasus; the flight of the gigantic prehistoric vulture; the anxious exchanges with the Stygian witches; the TENSE battle in Medusa's creepy lair {her hair writhing with snakes}; a great battle with giant scorpions; the Kraken, who explodes from the sea & causes tidal waves that levels the city of Argos; and the creation of little Bubo, the golden mechanical owl sent by the goddess Athena to help Perseus. He's adorable - if not a part of the source legend.
'Clash of the Titans' has everything you'd expect in a big, gorgeous action/adventure/fantasy epic. It's got enticing legends/myths, valiant heroes, powerful gods, bestial witches, blood, gore, thunder, storms, magic swords, invisibility cloaks, enchanted shields, flying beasts, romance ... all presented with enormous gusto & style thanks to some slick editing, beautifully tactile cinematography, magnificent sets, & a memorable music score. Even though the movie isn't completely faithful to Greek lore, it still has faith in that brand of old-fashioned storytelling that almost seems forgotten, nowadays.
Over in the grand city of Joppa, Calibos (Neil McCarthy), son of the goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith), is a man engaged to the fair Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker), the daughter of Queen Cassiopeia (Sian Phillips) & heir to their kingdom. But Calibos has destroyed most of Zeus' sacred flying horses; only Pegasus remains. So to punish Calibos, Zeus transforms him into a hideously deformed creature & exiles him to a faraway swamp. In revenge, Thetis transports dashing Perseus (now a spirited Harry Hamlin) from his peaceful desert isle home to Joppa, where he learns that Andromeda can't marry unless her suitor successfully answers a cryptic riddle. Perseus captures Pegasus & follows the entrancing Andromeda - wearing an invisible cloak given to him by the Gods - to save her from Calibos' clutches & solve the riddle. Perseus then presents himself to Queen Cassiopeia as Andromeda's suitor & correctly answers the riddle; winning Andromeda's hand in marriage.
Enraged that her deformed son lost Andromeda, the goddess Thetis takes vengeance on Cassiopeia; demanding that Andromeda is to be sacrificed to the Kraken sea monster in 30 days. And so, to save Andromeda & restore order to Joppa, Perseus heads-out on a perilous journey to find a way to defeat the Kraken. With some brave men (including Tim Pigott-Smith) & Andromeda in tow, Perseus gets guidance from Bubo {a mechanical owl sent from an ally God} & ventures to see the 3 cannibalistic Stygian witches (Flora Robson, Freda Jackson, Anna Manahan) to gain intel on how to defeat the Kraken. The answer: attain the head of Medusa; a reptile-like monster who - dead or alive - that can turn any living being into stone just by looking at her. With the flying horse Pegasus & Bubo the owl used as a diversion, Perseus hopes to save Andromeda before it is too late.
You know, given that this is an action/adventure movie based on mythological lore, parts of it will be undeniably silly for more discerning viewers. That said, I think 'Clash ...' is a splendidly entertaining & gloriously executed all-time epic. And it is blessed with an incredible cast of thespians who find their way past all the monsters & the heroic dialogue to get us involved in their engaging characters. Harry Hamlin is a perfect Perseus; striking, solemn, & hell bent on completing his mission. The sweet, destiny-fueled love & undying devotion between him & Judy Bowker's Andromeda is also palpable. Burgess Meredith is great as Perseus' cunning old playwright/poet companion, Ammon. Maggie Smith is regal, terrifying {in one head-roller of a scene!}, but also fragile & vulnerable in matters concerning her son, Calibos. And Laurence Olivier is just as you imagine Zeus would be: imperious, omnipotent, contemptuous & a carnal fan of his ever-present goddesses (Claire Bloom, Ursula Andress, Susan Fleetwood).
Ray Harryhausen's effects are a huge star of the film, as well. He uses combinations of stop-animation & miniatures to put humans into the same frames as the mythological creatures, & most of them look pretty damn convincing. Harryhausen's credits include Jason & the Argonauts and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, and the effects in Clash are just as effective. Among his inspired set pieces: the beautiful moonlit scene where Perseus tames Pegasus; the flight of the gigantic prehistoric vulture; the anxious exchanges with the Stygian witches; the TENSE battle in Medusa's creepy lair {her hair writhing with snakes}; a great battle with giant scorpions; the Kraken, who explodes from the sea & causes tidal waves that levels the city of Argos; and the creation of little Bubo, the golden mechanical owl sent by the goddess Athena to help Perseus. He's adorable - if not a part of the source legend.
'Clash of the Titans' has everything you'd expect in a big, gorgeous action/adventure/fantasy epic. It's got enticing legends/myths, valiant heroes, powerful gods, bestial witches, blood, gore, thunder, storms, magic swords, invisibility cloaks, enchanted shields, flying beasts, romance ... all presented with enormous gusto & style thanks to some slick editing, beautifully tactile cinematography, magnificent sets, & a memorable music score. Even though the movie isn't completely faithful to Greek lore, it still has faith in that brand of old-fashioned storytelling that almost seems forgotten, nowadays.