Clash of the Titans Review

The last two decades has seen a new trend in the prevalence of computer-generated graphics in television and film. The 1980's gave us relatively primitive computer effects with charming classics like Tron and The Last Starfighter, whereas the 90's gave us more complex effects; even films or shows created entirely using computer-generated graphics. As the 2000's come to a close, we have seen computer graphics grow in both complexity and frequency, from wall-crawlers to city-destroyers, and even robots in disguise. However, I want to take you back to a time before computers ruled the earth, a time when films had a different sensibility, a different viewing audience, and when they had one thing that can never be replaced: Ray Harryhausen. For decades, Harryhausen created fantastic creatures on the big screen with the use of stop-motion animation, special-effects that seemed wondrous in olden days, yet seems childish compared to the computerized creatures of today's films. Despite the massive gap in technology, there is a certain inexplainable quality about these older films which still manages to capture the imagination, and nowhere is this quality more evident than in one of Harryhausen's last films, the classic early 80's Greek mythological extravaganza called Clash of the Titans. Clash of the Titans retells the story of the Greek hero Perseus and his adventures, including his encounter with a giant sea-beast, his battle against the Gorgon Medusa, and his taming of the winged steed Pegasus (which the movie incorrectly attributes to him rather than Bellerophon, but it's best not to pull out D'aulaire's for this one). The cast is replete with some familiar and talented faces, including Lawrence Olivier as the god Zeus, Burgess Meredith as Ammon, a playwright, and Ursula Andress as Aphrodite. The story takes many liberties with its mythological roots, but this is easily overlooked for the film's other endearing qualities. Harryhausen's hand is evident in nearly every scene from the subtle (watching as the shadow of an individual changes and sprouts horns) to the dramatic (such as Calibos, the horned man in question as he skulks about the screen, a perpetual evil sneer affixed to his face). Even today, the sight of the mighty Kraken as it emerges from the sea is still a powerful and imposing image. It is an enduring testament to the pre-digital age of films, and proof of why those films are still so much fun to watch.