FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
Zeus (Laurence Olivier) tries to help his mortal son Perseus (Harry Hamlin) save Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker) from the wrath of jealous Thetis (Maggie Smith).

• Fantasy
• Folk Tales, Fairy Tales, and Mythology
• Greece
• Supernatural Powers

Response to Peary’s Review:
This overblown fantasy epic — mixing “Shakespeare [with] Greek and Norse mythology” — is, as Peary notes, both too long and ultimately disappointing. The dialogue is uniformly trite and clichéd (”So little time together… So little time!” Andromeda laments to Perseus); the acting by the two young lovers (especially Hamlin) is simply awful; Bubo the brass owl (an “embarrassing creation”) is a blatant rip-off of R2D2; and Burgess Meredith — playing Perseus’ earthly mentor, Ammon — is annoying rather than wise.

With that said, however, one watches Clash of the Titans either out of a sense of childhood nostalgia (which I’m lacking – I never saw it), or for the reliably stunning stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. Particularly notable are both the enormous Kraken and the battling scorpions (but as impressive as Harryhausen’s snake-haired Medusa is, my vote still goes out to Tony Randall in The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao as the best movie incarnation of this hideous creature!). Equally noteworthy are the make-up and costumes in Titans, particularly those of the three blind Stygian Witches, whose empty eye sockets are truly creepy to behold. Overall, however, this big-budget film is still a major disappointment for those who remember the magic and wonder of Harryhausen’s earlier efforts.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An all-star cast of gods and goddesses (including Olivier, Smith, and Clare Bloom), who occasionally rise above the material they are given
  
• Some fun special effects (naturally) by Harryhausen
  

Must See?
No. While it holds some historical interest as a former blockbuster hit, it’s no longer must-see viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• MRQE (Movie Review Query Engine)
• NY Times Original Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• SF, Fantasy and Horror Review
• Slant Magazine Review
• DVD Verdict Review