Le Choc des Titans

Rois divins, habitant des intérieurs semblables à ceux d'un film porno bon marché, envoient deux personnages "effrayants" - un robot Steamer et une méduse en CGI avec le visage d'un mannequin - pour arrêter la version moderne de Chuck Worthington Norris lors de l'interférence d'un dîner Krakenesque façon King Kong. Si Leterrier est vraiment un fan de l'original de 1981 et le porte dans sa tête et son cœur, il devrait au moins envisager une greffe de cerveau. (14/04/2010)

Dumb, but not dumb enough to be at least be funny. Several video game levels with legendary Greek monsters that could be described as follows: I’m going somewhere → I kill a monster → I get some clues → I carry on. The monsters look pretty nice and so do the settings (you can see the budget), but the filler and the dialogues are lethal, with Perseus et al. constantly philosophising about their semi-godly nature, almighty Zeus almost breaking a branch under his own weight, Bubo rolling somewhere in junk and Andromeda pragmatically letting herself be eaten. That’s almost all of it. Worthington has nothing to work with, his Perseus is mentally a teenager and not a hero to whose hands I’d be willing to entrust my destiny. The gods shine weirdly, which instead of divine looks cheap, and certainly doesn’t give the impression that they lord over the world. The climax never had a chance to save the film and the last scene actually buries it. 45% (15/04/2010)

You won't find a better on-screen adventure for miles, but the bad thing is that this is a remake of a cult classic that definitely didn't deserve this level of editing. Leterrier likes action, which is decently underscored by Djawadi's aggressive bass, but unfortunately, he layers it into a completely nonsensical and UNINTERESTING whole that relies on visuals from The Lord of the Rings and a frantic pace that simply BORES with its perpetual asking of logical questions! Without the badasses Mikkelsen and Cunningham and the beautiful Arterton, there would be absolutely nothing to see here. (27/04/2010)

More than a remake of Clash of the Titans, this is more an abortive attempt at adaptation of the computer fight game Titan Quest. P.S.: It is very telling that the only (yes, the only!) bright moment was thanks to the weakest link of the original (yes, the owl). (13/04/2010)

When the remake of Clash of the Titans was announced some time ago, a large part of the audience rejoiced that in the new version, Perseus' story would be more than just a fairy tale embellished mainly by nostalgia. It would be visually attractive, adequately action-packed, or refreshingly adventurous. But when the remake came to theaters, the original film suddenly became an untouchable Hollywood legend, and the tricks that seemed inappropriate in childhood memories became a pleasantly old-fashioned spectacle. For me, the original will remain a pleasant reminder of bygone years, but Leterrier's version, that's a different story. Perseus as a vengeful and determined warrior, his companions more than just an anonymous group of helpers, the beautiful Io, and above all, the entire second half of the film that doesn't give you a moment to breathe, turning attractive popcorn into an unforgettable journey through Greek mythology. Although this battle with the gods is far from flawless (I was getting into the pace very slowly until Perseus sets off from Argos), I am very willing and happy to watch adventure blockbusters, just like Greek myths. (21/04/2010)

After the trailer massage, I couldn’t wait to see it, the negative responses took my expectations down to the deepest depths and the end result is somewhere in between. Well not completely in between because the positives outweigh the negatives. The beginning was like hurry up let’s get it over with, so the adventure can begin, reeling off some cool lines and killing some monsters, but as soon as we get to the adventure part everything is gonna be alright. It’s the fault of the screenplay which is a rough-and-tumble patchwork of the worst kind with a couple of good ideas. Leterrier is still not good enough director to be able to hide this, but thanks to him the Titans are brimming over with unbelievable kinetics. There are sweeping shots of everything imaginable, impressive special effect and a very good cast. Sam’s acting style is more or less classic, the role of Perseus doesn’t need anything more than that, but Mads Mikkelsen literally shines like a star. Liam Neeson was a pretty good Zeus and Gemma Arterton… well… I can’t bring myself to say a single word against her. She is a beauty and she really can act. It’s a shame that the Kraken stayed a little dormant, but it could be expected in terms of speeding up the plot. I was surprised to see such low marks and so I decided to give it more stars. I look forward to watching it again sometime. (26/06/2010)

I'd be happier if this version wasn't so sure of its position as a remake (see the owl scene). As a standalone film, it might be more acceptable, but the additional fact that it's supposed to be the first part of a new trilogy is just another load of crap. In terms of the formal aspects, the film is a strange mix of almost TV-like scenes, supplemented here and there by effective (kitschy) shots of landscapes or sunsets. The dreaded monsters are more disgusting than scary, and the gods forgot their glow back in the 1980s, which isn't exactly great either. The acting is unfortunately completely lacking. Hans Matheson and Polly Walker are not the worst of the bunch, but they also only have miniscule roles. The same goes for Mads Mikkelsen or Luke Evans, but I didn't even notice them until much later. I'm really not an uncritical admirer of the original film, but this film is hopeless, where the only good thing is the few minutes spent with Medusa. (30/11/2011)

Honestly, better than I expected, with decent fights and excellent visual effects. Incomparable to the original, but I'm glad nobody even tried. A likeable summer blockbuster. Mads Mikkelsen is the best of the lot, and Gemma Arterton is possibly the hottest babe in Hollywood right now. (30/04/2010)

A much lesser evil after a second viewing. The biggest flaws (Leterrier's botched direction of everything, rip-offs at every turn, the absolutely plankish Worthington, the terrible music) remain, but once you're sort of prepared for what you'll see it gets a lot more digestible. Two and a half stars. (20/04/2010)

This remake of a famous fantasy adventure can’t even hold a candle to its 30 year older predecessor. The film is packed with action, but everything seems too fast, without emotion, without thought and, most importantly, without suspense. Those who were looking forward to the thrilling duels with Medusa and the Kraken will be disappointed, because this duo, who managed to create so much tension in the original version, are not much more than a blink in the story and you don't even get to enjoy them properly. Also, Sam Worthington, with his charisma, is unable to fulfil the role of the fearless and valiant son of the ruler of the gods and please the female part of the audience. In short, everything is bad... 35%. (13/07/2011)

It’s not too long ago that I re-watched the original and, frankly, this remake doesn't even come close. The original story may not have been masterfully written, but it was still a story. What I witnessed here was just a string of action scenes glued together very poorly. In fact, the British writers decided to do this American-style, clad the Olympian gods in full armor, put several Afro-Argosians into the streets of Argos, and agreed with the rest of the crew on an inverse proportion: the weaker the script, the bigger the CGI mess. That is probably why their scorpions got so enormous. Well, I tried to find something positive to praise, but apart from the presence of Gemma Arterton, I couldn't think of anything. And as for Gemma Arterton, I was really only pleased with her presence. Io, who was obviously there to replace Bubo, didn’t impress me much. And something I remembered? Definitely this: "Our daughter, the missionary." WTF?!?! / Lesson learned: A clear example of the fact that sometimes less truly is more. (01/10/2022)

I was really looking forward to this movie because I am one of those who love the original film, mainly because of Ray Harryhausen's amazing tricks. But Hollywood once again showed that it cares more about calculation and money than any kind of tribute, so this film turned into a poor modern special effects fairytale that lacks any magic of the original movie. And even within the story, there was no shift that could be considered beneficial. (06/02/2014)