Wrath Of The Titans, the direct sequel to the 2010 remake of Clash Of The Titans is a bit of a mixed bags of treasures when compared to its predecessor. Some elements are reliably the same; the script is dire, the dialogue weak and simplistic, the production design impressive, the tone gritty and the effects for the most part are pretty stunning. From then on it's a case of swings and roundabouts.
On the upside, star Sam Worthington is allowed to be himself a little more with a gruffer warrior persona, a rougher round the edges, shaggier look, a welcome twinkle in the eye and most thankfully a notable lack of effort to hide the Australian accent. I stand by my opinion that Worthington is not A-list leading man material but the decision to let Worthington be Worthington at least allows for a more badass hero. Director Jonathan (Battle Los Angeles) Liebesman delivers a more raw and rugged film with more hand held camera work injected into proceedings. This allows for a more realistic and immediate feeling fantasy film rather than the blander style which accompanied the bulk of the first film. Toby Kebbell, the lovely Rosamund Pike and a hilarious Bill Nighy (recalling Oliver Reed's fine work in The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen) make up for the loss of the larger ensemble in Clash, while Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Danny Huston get more time in the plot to deliver their particular brand of gravitas than last time around.
The script, while shallow and predictable, is at least more streamlined this time round, with a greater emphasis on the weight of events on Neeson and Worthington. There's also a stronger Shakespearean subtext to the script about the importance of family, especially father/son bonds as shown between Zeus and his sons Ares and Perseus and Perseus and his son Helius, which adds a further emphasis on character. The stripped down story (no fannying around in throne rooms here) means there's less time put aside for terrible dialogue and more time for scrapping with monsters and baddies. Talking of which, the action is much more effective than in Clash. Liebesman's camera work gives the action a much needed edginess and he's wise enough not to over cut the frenetic fighting sequences, with an early confrontation with a Chimera being particularly well handled.
Of course there's a negative side to all this. The grittier, more dour design and photography ethic make Wrath look very cheap looking, despite the massive $150 million budget. Kebbell and Nighy aside, Wrath is remarkably humourless and the story as a whole is completely lacking in tension being a predictable A to B to C quest plot.
Viewed with the right mindset (this is a big budget bullshit action movie, plain and simple) Wrath is throughly enjoyable fluff. Big on spectacle and stuffed with action, this feels like what Ghost Rider 2 is to the first Ghost Rider...just without the 99 tons of crazy. If you plan on seeing Wrath Of The Titans, please remember to remove your brain at the kiosk stand to ensur a fun time, otherwise avoid.
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