{"id":2261,"date":"2012-04-05T13:35:08","date_gmt":"2012-04-05T19:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bmovienation.com\/?p=2261"},"modified":"2012-04-05T13:35:08","modified_gmt":"2012-04-05T19:35:08","slug":"feel-the-wrath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bmovienation.com\/?p=2261","title":{"rendered":"Feel The Wrath"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stop-motion monsters, robotic owls and beefy, blue-eyed heroes of yore.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s cheesy as feta, but 1981\u2019s \u201cClash of the Titans\u201d is B-movie fun, rightfully holding a fond place in the hearts of fans who\u2019ve watched it since childhood and beyond.<\/p>\n

2010\u2019s \u201cClash of the Titans\u201d remake sought to recapture that lighthearted fun, as if it\u2019d somehow escaped. While \u2013 like most of today\u2019s remakes, reboots, retreads and what have you \u2013 this revisiting was completely unnecessary, director Louis Leterrier (\u201cThe Incredible Hulk\u201d) refused to let the film take itself too seriously.<\/p>\n

The result was a modern B-movie, heavy-handed on so-so special effects, gleefully over-the-top with its action and surprisingly entertaining \u2013 just unnecessary in almost every respect.<\/p>\n

However, considering \u201cClash\u2019s\u201d dismal reception, its sequel, \u201cWrath of the Titans,\u201d seems almost like an apology gone awry. Director Jonathan Liebesman overcompensates, bringing the frenetic and humorless style that soiled his previous effort, \u201cBattle: Los Angeles,\u201d to the sword and sandals genre.<\/p>\n

Like \u201cBattle,\u201d \u201cWrath\u201d takes itself too seriously. A weak screenplay and a void of character drains whatever fun there may have been, making the end result mind-numbingly dull. And a movie about the son of a Greek god who wields a magic trident while riding a flying horse to fight a giant lava monster should not be boring.<\/p>\n

Sam Worthington (\u201cMan on a Ledge\u201d) returns as Perseus, defeater of Medusa, slayer of the Kraken and, more recently, wearer of a demi-mullet (a nod to its 1980s predecessor, hopefully). Since the death of his wife, he, like the rest of his people, has turned his back on the gods, preferring life as a fisherman and determined to raise his son in peace.<\/p>\n

But this religious apathy has its cost. Without prayer, the gods are losing power, and Perseus\u2019 father, Zeus (Liam Neeson, \u201cThe Grey\u201d) tells him as much. As their energy dwindles, their creations and devices weaken, including Mt. Tartarus, where the once-powerful titans \u2013 the fathers of the gods \u2013 are imprisoned.<\/p>\n

As the binds loosen, all hell starts breaking loose in Greece, and only Perseus \u2013 being half-human \u2013 can help. He\u2019s reluctant, of course, and doesn\u2019t truly realize the peril until his village is attacked by a two-headed, fire-breathing beastie.<\/p>\n

To make matters worse, Hades (Ralph Fiennes, \u201cIn Bruges\u201d) and Ares (Edgar Ramirez, \u201cChe: Part One\u201d) have joined forces with Kronos, leader of the titans, imprisoning Zeus and hoping for the best. Or worst.<\/p>\n

To rescue his father, Perseus, fellow demi-god Agenor (Toby Kebbell, \u201cThe Sorcerer\u2019s Apprentice\u201d) and battle-savvy Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike, \u201cDie Another Day\u201d) embark on a magical quest that brings them face-to-face with all sorts of peril.<\/p>\n

Along their journey through Greek mythology, they encounter cyclopes (yes, there is a plural for \u201ccyclops\u201d), fight a minotaur, navigate a labyrinth and finally face down Kronos himself, though calling it \u201chim\u201d seems somewhat of a stretch, as this depiction is merely a giant, groaning lava monster.
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