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CLASH OF THE TITANS

"Better Get Kraken"

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What You Need To Know:

CLASH OF THE TITANS is a fantasy story of Perseus who leads a revolt against the gods, though he himself is the son of the god Zeus and a mortal woman. Zeus is upset that the mortals don’t pray to him like they used to do. Zeus dispatches his brother Hades, god of the underworld, to change their minds. Hades declares that in 10 days time, unless the king of Argon sacrifices his own daughter as an appeasement to Zeus, Hades will release the Kraken, a horrific monster. Perseus and a band of followers begin a journey deep into the underworld, where they end up beheading Medusa and using her powers to kill the Kraken.

Sam Worthington as Perseus gives a strong tough guy performance and is the one bright spot amid many lackluster characters. The movie’s worldview is based on the false god myths of Greece. In this world, the gods created people to worship them. There also is a strong humanist element as mankind yearns to throw off the yoke of the gods and revolt against them. The movie’s graphic violence, scary moments, and pagan worldview warrant extreme caution.

Headline: ** Better Get Kraken **

Title: CLASH OF THE TITANS 2010

Quality: * * * Acceptability: -2

SUBTITLES: None

WARNING CODES:

Language: L

Violence: VVV

Sex: None

Nudity: None

RATING: PG-13

RELEASE: April 2, 2010

TIME: 118 minutes

STARRING: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Gemma Arterton, Alexa Davalos, and Tine Stapelfeldt

DIRECTOR: Louis Leterrier

PRODUCERS: Basil Iwanyk and Kevin De La Noy

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Richard D. Zanuck, Thomas Tull, Jan Jashni, and William Fay

WRITERS: Travis Beacham, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi

BASED ON THE 1981 MOVIE BY: Desmond Davis and Beverley Cross

DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. Pictures/Time Warner

CONTENT: (PaPaPa, HH, FRFR, B, L, VVV, M) Very strong, mixed pagan worldview with strong humanist elements mixed with strong false religion and light moral elements; two mild obscenities and no profanities; much violence throughout, often scary, includes multiple stabbings, one beheading, getting arrows in the chest, and men fight scary monsters; no sexual content; no nudity; no drinking of alcohol; no smoking or drug use; and lying, deception, and pride.

GENRE: Adventure Fantasy

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Older children and adults

REVIEWER: Jeff Holder

REVIEW: CLASH OF THE TITANS is a 3D, fantasy story of Perseus, who leads a revolt against the gods, though he himself is the son of the god Zeus and a mortal woman. Perseus was found at sea by a humble fisherman who raised him to fulfill his destiny. Perseus is clearly foreshadowed to be the man who would revolt against the capricious gods of Zeus, Hades and others.

Meanwhile, Zeus is upset that the mortals don’t pray to him like they used to do. His brother Hades, god of the underworld, is dispatched to change their minds. Perseus’ parents are killed, and he gets enlisted to help the city of Argon.

Hades declares that in 10 days time, unless the king of Argon sacrifices his own daughter as an appeasement to Zeus, Hades will release the Kraken, a horrific monster.

Perseus and a band of followers begin a journey deep into the underworld where they first encounter blind witches who tell Perseus that the only way to kill the Kraken is if he is able to use Medusa to turn the beast to stone. However, the only way to get Medusa’s aid is if Perseus is able to chop off her head and use the decapitated head to turn the Kraken to stone.

The band of warriors makes its way to Medusa and beheads her. Only Perseus survives the ordeal, however. Now, armed with a magical sword and the flying horse Pegasus, he heads off to kill the Kraken before the princess is sacrificed.

THE CLASH OF THE TITANS is very long on effects and very short on characters and even story. There is much exposition given in a prologue to give more screen time to monsters. CLASH is loosely based on the Perseus Greek legend. For those familiar with the Greek mythology, the characters have a rich history, but those exposed to the story for the first time will only find an action hero story.

Perseus and his men fight giant scorpions and other beasts with the help of a Jin, a magical creature. The monster effects are impressive but, without the context of caring for characters, the action becomes tedious towards the end.

The movie seems to climax with the death of Medusa while the saving of the city and the princess seem like an afterthought. The “rules” of the plot were if the princess isn’t sacrificed in 10 days, the Kraken would be released to destroy the city. But, the Kraken is released ahead of time. And, rather than just killing the princess, the movie makes a big deal out of presenting her to the Kraken to kill. This was a more dramatic way to accomplish it from a cinematic standpoint, but it remains a story hole.

Sam Worthington as hero Perseus gives a strong tough guy performance and is the bright spot. Liam Neeson as Zeus with a shimmering armor vest tends to look more like a Bee Gee than the god of the universe.

At times, the dialogue in CLASH OF THE TITANS is forced and a bit corny. Perseus suddenly leans very close to the woman Io, his beautiful guardian. There is also a moment where Perseus is attracted to her, and she replies, “Calm your storm.” Perseus then closes his eyes for a moment, and then they continue on their quest.

The movie’s worldview is based on the false god myths of Greece. In this world, the gods (specifically Zeus) created people to worship him. But, Zeus and the gods are fickle and bring bad as well as good to the people. There is also a strong humanist element as mankind yearns to throw off the yoke of the gods and to revolt. Perseus is the savior destined to do that, and, in this movie, he sends Hades away and stops Hades from killing Zeus. However, in the end, he makes up with his father Zeus.

From the viewpoint of a Christ follower, it is hard not to see the emptiness of pagan god belief. Zeus even says to his son Perseus about the humans, “I wanted their worship but I didn’t want it to cost me a son.” The pagan “god” does not have the heart of the Heavenly Father who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice.

Fans of fantasy monster movies may find CLASH OF THE TITANS worth the 3D experience. If you are expecting a LORD OF THE RINGS type epic, however, you probably will be disappointed. The movie does however, provide opportunity to discuss spiritual matters and contrast the pagan gods with the one true Creator God.

The movie’s graphic violence and scary images, as well as its worldview, warrant extreme caution and discernment. Moviegoers looking for a more rewarding time at the movie theater may wish to see some of the other current movies for the first time or even again. Please see our other reviews of current movies on www.movieguide.org to help you make wise choices.

Please address your comments to:

Jeffrey L. Bewkes, CEO, Time Warner

Barry M. Meyer, Chairman/CEO

Alan Horn, President/COO

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

4000 Warner Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91522-0001

Phone: (818) 954-6000

Website: www.movies.warnerbros.com

SUMMARY: CLASH OF THE TITANS is a 3D fantasy story of Perseus who leads a revolt against the gods, though he himself is the son of the god Zeus and a mortal woman. With a lackluster story but impressive special effects and a good male lead, CLASH OF THE TITANS contains many scary scenes, much violence, and a decidedly pagan worldview.

IN BRIEF:

CLASH OF THE TITANS is a fantasy story of Perseus who leads a revolt against the gods, though he himself is the son of the god Zeus and a mortal woman. Zeus is upset that the mortals don’t pray to him like they used to do. Zeus dispatches his brother Hades, god of the underworld, to change their minds. Hades declares that in 10 days time, unless the king of Argon sacrifices his own daughter as an appeasement to Zeus, Hades will release the Kraken, a horrific monster. Perseus and a band of followers begin a journey deep into the underworld, where they end up beheading Medusa and using her powers to kill the Kraken.

Sam Worthington as Perseus gives a strong tough guy performance and is the one bright spot amid many lackluster characters. The movie’s worldview is based on the false god myths of Greece. In this world, the gods created people to worship them. There also is a strong humanist element as mankind yearns to throw off the yoke of the gods and revolt against them. The movie’s graphic violence, scary moments, and pagan worldview warrant extreme caution.

Content:

(PaPaPa, HH, FRFR, B, L, VVV, M) Very strong, mixed pagan worldview with strong humanist elements mixed with strong false religion and light moral elements; two mild obscenities and no profanities; much violence throughout, often scary, includes multiple stabbings, one beheading, getting arrows in the chest, and men fight scary monsters; no sexual content; no nudity; no drinking of alcohol; no smoking or drug use; and lying, deception, and pride.

More Detail:

CLASH OF THE TITANS is a 3D, fantasy story of Perseus, who leads a revolt against the gods, though he himself is the son of the god Zeus and a mortal woman. Perseus was found at sea by a humble fisherman who raised him to fulfill his destiny. Perseus is clearly foreshadowed to be the man who would revolt against the capricious gods of Zeus, Hades and others.

Meanwhile, Zeus is upset that the mortals don’t pray to him like they used to do. His brother Hades, god of the underworld, is dispatched to change their minds. Perseus’ parents are killed, and he gets enlisted to help the city of Argon.

Hades declares that in 10 days time, unless the king of Argon sacrifices his own daughter as an appeasement to Zeus, Hades will release the Kraken, a horrific monster.

Perseus and a band of followers begin a journey deep into the underworld where they first encounter blind witches who tell Perseus that the only way to kill the Kraken is if he is able to use Medusa to turn the beast to stone. However, the only way to get Medusa’s aid is if Perseus is able to chop off her head and use the decapitated head to turn the Kraken to stone.

The band of warriors makes its way to Medusa and beheads her. Only Perseus survives the ordeal, however. Now, armed with a magical sword and the flying horse Pegasus, he heads off to kill the Kraken before the princess is sacrificed.

THE CLASH OF THE TITANS is very long on effects and very short on characters and even story. There is much exposition given in a prologue to give more screen time to monsters. CLASH is loosely based on the Perseus Greek legend. For those familiar with the Greek mythology, the characters have a rich history, but those exposed to the story for the first time will only find an action hero story.

Perseus and his men fight giant scorpions and other beasts with the help of a Jin, a magical creature. The monster effects are impressive but, without the context of caring for characters, the action becomes tedious towards the end.

The movie seems to climax with the death of Medusa while the saving of the city and the princess seem like an afterthought. The “rules” of the plot were if the princess isn’t sacrificed in 10 days, the Kraken would be released to destroy the city. But, the Kraken is released ahead of time. And, rather than just killing the princess, the movie makes a big deal out of presenting her to the Kraken to kill. This was a more dramatic way to accomplish it from a cinematic standpoint, but it remains a story hole.

Sam Worthington as hero Perseus gives a strong tough guy performance and is the bright spot. Liam Neeson as Zeus with a shimmering armor vest tends to look more like a Bee Gee than the god of the universe.

At times, the dialogue in CLASH OF THE TITANS is forced and a bit corny. Perseus suddenly leans very close to the woman Io, his beautiful guardian. There is also a moment where Perseus is attracted to her, and she replies, “Calm your storm.” Perseus then closes his eyes for a moment, and then they continue on their quest.

The movie’s worldview is based on the false god myths of Greece. In this world, the gods (specifically Zeus) created people to worship him. But, Zeus and the gods are fickle and bring bad as well as good to the people. There is also a strong humanist element as mankind yearns to throw off the yoke of the gods and to revolt. Perseus is the savior destined to do that, and, in this movie, he sends Hades away and stops Hades from killing Zeus. However, in the end, he makes up with his father Zeus.

From the viewpoint of a Christ follower, it is hard not to see the emptiness of pagan god belief. Zeus even says to his son Perseus about the humans, “I wanted their worship but I didn’t want it to cost me a son.” The pagan “god” does not have the heart of the Heavenly Father who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice.

Fans of fantasy monster movies may find CLASH OF THE TITANS worth the 3D experience. If you are expecting a LORD OF THE RINGS type epic, however, you probably will be disappointed. The movie does however, provide opportunity to discuss spiritual matters and contrast the pagan gods with the one true Creator God.

The movie’s graphic violence and scary images, as well as its worldview, warrant extreme caution and discernment. Moviegoers looking for a more rewarding time at the movie theater may wish to see some of the other current movies for the first time or even again. Please see our other reviews of current movies on www.movieguide.org to help you make wise choices.