Clash of the Titans

It's sad that the first "action" flick I've had a chance to see since starting this blog was a colossal disappointment. Granted there may be some who enjoy(ed) this movie, but let me suggest one thing...it's just as good in 2-D as it is in 3-D.


Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy and Remake
Run time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief sensuality
Starring: Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Alexa Davalos
Synopsis: The ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus is helpless to save his family from Hades, vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.


The classic mythology of Perseus, this movie fell short of my expectations. However, this blog is not about reviewing movies in general, but reviewing them according to Christian standards...so despite my disappointment in this movie, I can, and will, review it through the eyes of a Christian.


Although the story centers around Perseus (Sam Worthington) and his desire for revenge against Hades (who killed his adopted family), I found that there was a sub-theme that was far more powerful. Having been fascinated with Greek mythology in my youth, I found a renewed interest in the study because of the sub-themes I saw within this movie. Besides Perseus (half-human son of Zeus) the two main characters are Zeus (Liam Neeson) and Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and their continuing "family feud." Feeling betrayed by his brother, Hades desires to exact revenge against Zeus, so he orchestrates a plan that will destroy his brother's power and increase his own.


We see the fulfillment of the sub-theme in a very poignant scene near the end where Zeus and Hades meet on Mt. Olympus and Hades plot is revealed. Hades reminds Zeus that he requires the love of humans as a source for his power, while Hades requires their fear, which he is increasing by having the Kraken attack the people of Argos.

I found this scene extremely poignant and impressive in it's parallels to Christianity. The Bible repeatedly says, "God is love" and portrays Satan as preying on the fears of humanity. So, although "Clash of the Titans" is based in Greek mythology, the premise of good vs. evil and love vs. fear is still a portrayal of very basic Christian belief and philosophy.