Review of Clash of the Titans (1981) by Sean G — 14 Mar 2010

A standard, pre-CG era adventure film that brings the myth to life.

Perseus (Harry Hamlin), a favoured son of Zeus (Laurence Olivier), is destined for great things. But on the pathway to great accomplishments, there are always perilous obstacles in one's path. Perseus believes he has found his destiny when he lays eyes upon Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker), but in order to live his life with her, Perseus must accomplish what others deem impossible. He must capture the sacred Pegasus, fight the twisted Calibos (Neil McCarthy), defeat the serpentine Medusa, resist the rage of the sea-goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith), and kill a giant, ancient sea-monster known as the Kraken in a battle that will forever be known as the clash of the titans.

It seems that no matter how old a film based on mythology is, it always still captivates a viewer because of the story, despite how old the visual effects are. This version of Clash of the Titans, released in 1981, has a fun adventure story that can still be an entertaining film to watch in the 21st century.

The acting by classical actors such as Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Burgess Meredith, and others, are suited for the 1980s but are cheesy by today's standards. Harry Hamlin, who was considered to have a buff physique for this film, doesn't compare in action-movie physiques by today's standards. All you have to do is compare him to Brad Pitt in Troy and you'll get the picture. Overall, the acting is good but dated and contributes the camp factor of this flick.

The special effects are dated but can still be interesting to watch in a post-Avatar era. Ray Harryhausen was the man who worked on the visual effects for this film by using stop-motion animation. The monsters here all have the classical mythological look to them, and the battle scenes are still fun to watch, especially the Medusa scene.

The music is done by Laurence Rosenthal and this has got to be the part that is the most outdated. It is totally out of place and makes the film feel like it is from 1950s. Yes, Clash of the Titans was released in 1981 but so was Raiders of the Lost Ark and Superman II, so surely they could have come up with a better score for this movie.

The Bottom Line:

This last gasp of stop-motion should be watched by those who are fans of the Clash of the Titans remake or by those who wish to gain a nostalgic feeling from its viewing. Consider buying it if you are fan of the genre or rent it for shits and giggles.