Movie Review: Clash of The Titans (Blu-ray/DVD)

There isn’t a better way to enjoy a Blu-ray movie than on your PS3. It’s made for the highest quality in picture and sound and you can thank these Titans for the HD remake. Clash of the Titans boasts superb, crisp 1080p visuals but for those expecting a remake from the 1981 classic version you may not find that same originality. But a few friends make a worthwhile cameo.  Yup, even the Golden Owl Bubo.

The original Clash of the Titans exemplified the fantastic work by Ray Harryhausen’s and his legendary stop-motion technique of animating various mythological creatures. It’s what made Medusa and the other characters so unique and at that time and somewhat believable.  Call it claymation but the 1981 film was an instant classic.  In comes Clash Of The Titans 2010 and with the benefits of screenplay technology, many creatures that were limited before can now be truly showcased. And so the 2010 Kraken is born!  But far from a reputable replacement from the original.

Liam Neeson stars as Zeus, the King of the Heavens.  Hades is played by Ralph Fiennes as the king of the underworld in darkness and misery. The gods created man to worship them but the humans grew restless and eventually try to overthrow the gods. Sam Worthington — who I thought was a paraplegic in real life thanks to his excellent role in Avatar — plays the  Demi-god son of Zeus and mother of human Danae raised as part man, part god as the character Perseus.  I also liked the character of Io (Gemma Arterton) – Perseus’s benevolent protector.

As a young boy Perseus understands that his parents aren’t his true parents. He knows he was rescued from within a casket in the middle of the ocean. Famine and frustration towards the Gods grow and the humans are plotting their revenge. Soldiers from Argos initiate the war by destroying the statue of Zeus. Hades sent to eliminate their uprising swoops in and kills off the soldiers and sinks the nearby ship carrying Perseus and his foster family. Perseus escapes but his family does not. This war is far from over.

The special effects are good for a mythological movie but could have been better. Some scenes where Perseus converses with his father show an obvious boat wading on a set rather than an ocean. The shimmering of Zeus armor is a bit on the tacky side.  Where the CGI (computer-generated Imagery) pleases are the battles between Perseus and the giant Scorpions in the desert.  The scale of the Scorpions are massive and the excellent surround sound audio give you feeling that this fight is a highlight of the film and these monsters are not to be taken lightly.  Pegasus also looks amazing and convinces me that maybe there are flying horses out there.  Alas, Io confirms that no man has ever ridden one.

Medussa’s cgi could have been better.  I thought of The Rock’s role in Scorpion King when I saw it.  The human aspect of her face was too computerized.  But she still was a vital part to the movie and her battle with Perseus was excellent.  When I mentioned the “scale” before describing the desert Scorpions, they are nothing compared to the Kraken. This creature is HUGE!  Makes both Godzilla 2000 and Cloverfield look tiny.

Packed with Alternate endings and deleted scenes this Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is full of additional content.  Here’s what’s included in the combo pack.

Video
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1 (less)

Subtitles
English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese (less)

Discs
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (on disc)
DVD copy
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live

Available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand and for Download 7/27! http://bit.ly/atXDs3

Purchase Clash of the Titans (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)