Clash of the Titans has many things I love but at the same time causes frustration. The biggest issue is how far the story veers off from the tale of Perseus which has been one of my favorites since childhood. This gets to the point where Greek mythology is such a superficial element it feels wrong calling this an adaptation. There’s Charon, who has a boat and needs a coin, but here he’s a skeleton and does not transport souls to the Underworld. There’s Pegasus who’s a flying horse, but he is not born out of Medusa’s blood etc.
As someone who has always wanted an adaptation of the myth I am disappointed such a great opportunity was lost. Early 80s were the best time for one. Practical effects and actors are perfect, but the plot is not.
As someone who has always wanted an adaptation of the myth I am disappointed such a great opportunity was lost. Early 80s were the best time for one. Practical effects and actors are perfect, but the plot is not.
Out of the main cast the standout performances are Laurence Olivier (naturally) and Burgess Meredith (whom you probably remember from Rocky). Guess it was to be expected that older, more experienced actors did a better job.
On the female side we have great Maggie Smith (probably better known as Ms McGonagall) and Judi Bowker as Andromeda. The latter was attractive enough and managed to pull off a good crying scene. Meanwhile the former could act against Olivier (she was his close friend btw).
Another standout is Neil McCarthy as Calibos. While the character is definitively evil, he is not without a shade of grey and the actor managed to convey that even under all the make-up.
Harry Hamlin is a bit blend as Perseus, but that’s not really his fault since the script didn’t provide much. At least his acting was better than what Arnold would have provided were he cast as the lead.
Also not the best choice of hairstyle which covered Hamlin’s forehead and made the head look asymmetric. Ends up looking goofy at times.
Also not the best choice of hairstyle which covered Hamlin’s forehead and made the head look asymmetric. Ends up looking goofy at times.
Ray Harryhausen’s dynamation is what saved the movie. Can’t even imagine the story without his effects, probably because the man was very involved and many scenes were written purely to showcase his stop-motion talent. Clash was also Harryhausen’s final movie and is deservingly considered his swansong.