Even after causing the biggest backlash in movie history, Warner Bros. went ahead and greenlit a sequel to 2010’s Clash of the Titans. Does WRATH OF THE TITANS redeem itself with a new director and screenwriters?
The good news is you do NOT have to see the first movie to understand the second one. But here’s some cliff notes of what you missed. In the first Clash of the Titans, Perseus (Worthington) fights with the humans in rebellion against the Greek gods from their lack of benevolence and prevalent egos. He hardly takes a moment to digest the gravity of being told he’s a demi-god and a son of Zeus (Neelson). It doesn’t faze him and he immediately wants no part of their selfishness. His reaction is similar to an angsty teenager shouting, “Screw you, mom and dad” and tries to fight them off “as a human” refusing to use any godly powers or gifts, which is somewhat impossible. I mean, he’s still part God, isn’t he?
As much as Perseus tries to live the quiet life, the Gods are in trouble. They still haven’t changed their ways (which unfortunately, is never addressed) so the humans continue to deprive the Gods of worship and prayer, which the Gods survive on and now their immortality is at stake. “You see, when a human dies, they come here,” Hades (Fiennes) explains gesturing to his underworld, “but when a God dies, they cease to exist.” They turn into stone and crumble. The debris gets swept away by wind leaving no remnants as if they were never there. It isn’t until Hades traps Zeus in the underworld that Perseus’s love for his father comes out. He must save him and fulfill his real destiny, because not only is the fate of the Gods at stake, so is the humans’. Hades makes a deal with the king of the Titans, Kronos, and offers him Zeus’s powers. In exchange, Hades will be sparred (with immortality intact) when Kronos rises to power and releases evil on earth. As Zeus is tied up, he’s shocked by the vengeance in Hades words. Finally recognizing his own initial betrayal long ago as he’s being sacrificed, Zeus looks at Hades sorrowfully and says, “Oh, brother, what have I done to you?”
Christian Themes and the Humanity of the Greek Gods?
Forgiveness becomes a big theme in the movie, following, strangely enough, Christian teachings. Sure we can say, “I forgive you, it wasn’t that big of a deal anyway,” but to receive forgiveness during torture is extreme. Why would you do that? You’ll have to judge for yourself whether it’s genuine. Another example, one character says to an angry God, “I was always told to ‘love thy enemy,” and gets crushed. Wrong religion. The Greek gods don’t preach or care about that. Another theme was having faith in someone who shouldn’t be trusted. Only by watching the film will you see if this goes well or poorly. I found myself surprised at weakness of these Gods. Sure, we all know they’re selfish, conceited, and lacking generally accepted morality, but I’m not talking about that. Of course, these characters were already established in the predecessor, but it doesn’t mean they couldn’t have added some elements. These Gods were not omniscient or omnipresent, making them rather… clueless of the lives of humans. It seems they have the qualities of a wizard or witch rather than great gods. It is as if they look at a “crystal ball” and can see what’s happening only one place at a time. They have their mythological minions who they can set out in a moments notice. They’re stronger than their bodies seem capable of and can release fire, force, and lightening from their hands. When they unleash power it seems that they loose a little bit of it as well. They can hear prayers to them from anywhere, but this seems to be the extent of their powers.
WRATH OF THE TITANS Interview: Filmmakers and Actors Collaborate to Make the Sequel Worth Your Money
The 3D
When watching Wrath of the Titans, I started off as an average critic, analyzing each moment, but as I sat in the first few rows of the stadium seating in the IMAX 3D theater, I found myself immersed. I admit I’ve been part of the 3D backlash, recognizing that past 3D looked more like a pop up book with 2D paper-thin layers in the foreground, middle ground, and background. I was unimpressed and opted for the cheaper tickets. It was not until I saw the dance documentary, Pina, and this film that I realize how far 3D has really come. You feel like you’re really in this world, standing a few feet from the actors and seeing what they’re seeing. As you’re trying to observe the ominous volcano in the distance, subtle moments like fiery ashes flying across your eyes make you blink repeatedly as if to get them out of your face. Worthington continues, “I believe the guys pushed themselves a bit to try to push the 3D. For them it wasn't just kind of tacked on as a moneymaker and I think audiences will notice that.”
I was speaking to another member of the press and we discussed how we were unsure how the film plays in 2D and in a standard theater. The enormous IMAX screen really draws you in. As Perseus and his son walked inside the Temple of the Gods, the grandeur size and architecture made me feel like I was discovering ancient ruins, myself, and staring in awe at the 50-foot statues. Many establishing shots showed our tiny characters walking on the bottom left hand corner like ants in an expansive landscape or structure. I’m sure the movie will still be enjoyable in 2D and in a standard theater or even your TV when it comes out on DVD, but for a more immersive experience, I suggest going all in while you can.
The CG
I’m always skeptical when it comes to CGI (Computer Graphic Images) in live-action films. Of course, if you saw any of these creatures in real life, you would never question if it were fake or not. In fact, the less familiar you are with its texture, shape, or movement, the more shocking it is. But that’s real life. When a creature is created artificially on film, it is easier to be skeptical. But the black Pegasus returns, looking just as perfect as in the previous film. Most of the creatures had believable texture and movements. They looked real and frightening the same. “The biggest challenge was to get them to appear as photorealistic as possible,” recalls Special Effects Supervisor and Second Unit Director, Nick Davis. “Well, as much as a one-eyed, 30-foot monster can be photorealistic.” I went back and forth with the giant Cyclops. They had the bodies and faces of men, but just one eye. I was not completely convinced by the way their faces shaped to make the single eye socket. It looked slightly cartoony. My guess is that a Cyclops would actually have a large, wide eye taking up 3/5 of the face to counteract the distance from the end of an eye to the side of the face giving more of the 207 peripheral visions we experience with two eyes (MSDN Magazine). Otherwise they’re limited by only seeing 180 because of the face. What did convince me was the texture in the rest of his rough and aged skin, his five o’clock shadow, his wrinkles, his unkempt eyebrow, etc. I’m convinced that everything but the placement of the one eye, removal of the other, and minor tweaks is completely the body and face of an actor (with Picasso changes). But when I look up the stunts man and actor, Martin Bayfield, I’m impressed at how young he looks. I imagined the Cyclops actor to be a gruff, forty year old, drunkard. Bayfield looks like an early 30s soccer player. Of course, this is probably the work of an excellent hair and make up artist. Either way, I think it was an overall success.
The Changes Made From the Clash to the Wrath
One surprising and confusing change was the completely different portrayal and actress of Andromeda. In Clash of the Titans, Andromeda (Alex Davalos) is a beautiful, sexy, humble, selfless, and brave woman who allows the villagers to sacrifice her to the monsters, despite her innocence. Davalos is a thin, tall, tan, brunette with exquisite green eyes. Because of scheduling issues, Davalos was unavailable to come back for the sequel (Movieweb). Rosamund Pike took her place in Wrath of the Titans. Her portrayal was a strong, nurturing, strategic, and warm leader, deeming the description of Warrior Queen. Pike seems to be average height and weight, fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. I had to double check that they were playing the same characters. If you notice in my descriptions, Davalos appeared more seductively magnetic, even though she was humble about her physicality. She understood and accepted it, but chose not to focus on it, even though others did. Queen Spyros says, “Look at my daughter.” Princess Andromeda (Davalos) warns, “Don’t!” Spyros continues, “What could be more divine than her face? More beautiful than all of the women of Greece! More beautiful than Aphrodite herself! The Olympians should envy her! We are the gods now!” This is what makes Hades choose Andromeda as the sacrifice in the first film. We want her to be saved, because she is afraid, but willing for the good of her people.
Pike is beautiful as well, but it hardly feels like a poignant part of her character, which I appreciate. She walks around suited up for battle carrying a sword. Costume Designer, Termine, talks about creating Andromeda’s costume as a commander for the new movie, “I had to make her appear strong and capable, without hiding her femininity and beauty.” Sometimes people believe women need to hide those features in order to be powerful, but I don’t believe you have to be a strong man to be a strong woman. “I found it fascinating the way Greeks fashioned the shapes of muscles into their tunics and I thought, ‘Why should a man show the shape of his abs, but a woman not show the outline of her breasts?’” Well, it is called a breastplate after all, so why the hell not? Despite the potential of over sexualizing Andromeda with this costume choice, its fitted just as a breastplate is for men. It does show that she’s a woman, but it also practical and protective for war. It looks like armor should. Both actresses are, honestly, an odd choice physically for Andromeda who, according to mythology, is supposed to be Ethiopian royalty, but this is Hollywood, right? Despite this, I think they both did a great job portraying their own takes on the character. In Wrath, Andromeda is compared to Athena, which I think is pretty awesome and pretty accurate.
Last Thoughts
The movie was immersive and entertaining. No, it was not incredibly insightful, but certainly had more substance than Clash. The fight scenes were great, but who wouldn’t expect that at the very least? Unlike most blockbusters, they had something to prove, the actors and filmmakers worked hard to make your movie ticket worth it.
