With the remake of this early 80s classic due next weekend, I thought the original movie was worth reviewing.
From the pages of Greek Mythology 101, Clash of the Titans was the story of Perseus (Harry Hamlin), a human fathered by the King of the Olympians Gods, Zeus (Laurence Olivier). After being able to win the hand of Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker), Perseus finds out he's angered the goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith), who had Andromeda promised to her son Calibos (Neil McCarthy) before Zeus Jr. showed up. What happened to Calibos, you ask? Zeus Ex Machina decided to mess with the guy for being a tool and turned him into a Satan-looking momma's boy. So Perseus is forced to save his bride-to-be when he finds out she's supposed to become the latest sacrifice to a giant sea monster called the Kraken.
One thing everybody remembered from the movie were the stop-motion visual effects. Ray Harryhausen was the man behind many of the mythological creatures, which interact with a lot of the human cast. These remain well detailed designs, but you can't help but wonder how a movie that came out less than five years after Star Wars wouldn't take advantage of these new methods of bringing the fantastic to life. Then again, that's what makes Clash of the Titans stand out all the more.
With that little mention to a galaxy far, far away, I cannot help but bring out one ridiculous and yet hilarious flaw/character to the movie. I can tolerate stop-motion monsters that look like clay. I can tolerate the obvious miniature set designs for scenes involving floods with the characters digitally shrunk to make it appear like a real Greek city. What I could not believe whatsoever, nor prevent myself from bursting out in laughter, was the most unbelievably desperate attempt for what could only have been comic relief, grabbing a child's attention, or both.
Bubo, the robotic owl.
When Athena tells Zeus she won't be parted from her feathered pet, she has the blacksmith god Hephaestus design for Perseus a mechanical bird named Bubo to guide him. It chirps, it flies, it dices your vegetables in 0.3 seconds...it's just the most absurd concept this movie had. Bubo barely has any involvement in the story aside from bouncing around like a used tin can; which is what he's likely to be 50% constructed of.
The rest of the cast though knows where to take their roles. Olivier as the wise and authoritive Zeus is so convincing and Hamlin as Perseus gives us a very Skywalkeresque protagonist, but carries his own sense of ambition and drive. I was glad to see Bowker's role as Andromeda not be your stereotype "damsel tied to the railroad track". Don't worry though guys, she gets a similar scene later on. But for a lot of Perseus' journey, she joins with him and doesn't feel like dragged luggage. Believe me, that role is filled by one wind-up parrot.
Apologies...owl.
RATING: 7/10
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