Clash of the Titans 2010

In the past few days, the remake of the Ray Harryhausen SFX film Clash of the Titans (US-1981; dir. Desmond Davis) has jumped up quite a few notches on my attention scale thanks to the release of an extended trailer that takes what was looking pretty good and makes it look spectacularly interesting — to me at least.

clash_of_the_titans_horse_sword_poster

It’s not just the cool giant scorpions:

giant-scorpion

or the Gorgon with the extra-long serpentine body (a nicely traditional approach to a Naga-like creature):

gorgon

gorgon2

or the Del Toroesque soothsayers:

clash_of_the_titans05

or Pegasus or the harpies or even the über-titanic Orga*-like Kraken (though that has rather a lot to do with it):

kraken01

kraken02

There is something about this trailer that excites me in a way that the images and trailers of the critically acclaimed and reputedly excellent James Cameron scifi extravaganza Avatar haven’t managed to do, as interested as I am to see the film. What that something is I’m not sure — and I know it’s a mistake to assume too much from a trailer. But I simply get the impression that Clash of the Titans may be a remake that is totally justified and that director Louis Leterrier [hey, I thought his Incredible Hulk was spot-on] might have done a good job with it. The Harryhausen original has some of the stopmotion master’s best work, yet for me it never held together very well as a film, with a spectacular cast that pretty well does nothing except stand around and talk, and an overly static feel.

This remake is looking as though it might be not only visually excellent, with effectively created and well utilised CGI monsters, but also that it might have a coherent script — an addition that generally (by all indications) had a low priority in the production schedules of many of the blockbuster FX films of recent times. There’s even hint in the trailer of a theme. Of course, I could be wrong — but I can’t wait to find out!

Trailer 2:

If nothing else it gives hope that if rumours regarding a sequel to (or rather a re-boot of) the 1998 US version of Godzilla under the auspices of Legendary Pictures are true, the result may be better than Emmerich’s reasonably effective but Not-At-All-Like-Godzilla effort.

Gallery:

* Note: Orga is the name of the alien monster that Godzilla fights in Gojira ni-sen mireniamu [trans. Godzilla 2000 Millennium; aka Godzilla 2000 (US, 1999), Godzilla vs Orga] (1999; dir. Takao Okawara). Forget the tentacles; compare his head to that of the Kraken:

Orga-1

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7 Responses to Clash of the Titans 2010

  1. Pingback: Tweets that mention Undead Backbrain » Blog Archive » Clash of the Titans 2010 -- Topsy.com

  2. Avery says:

    Ya know a lot of fans of the original are bashing this remake for whatever petty little reasons they can find, but I just gotta say that I’m a pretty big fan of the original too as I grew up with it here being re-run on television all of the time in my youth, and I’m still very impressed and excited by what I’m seeing of this new version so far. I’m anxiously looking forward to catching it on the glorious big screen of the local theater!

  3. G2KM says:

    Just had to squeeze in an Orga/LP Godzilla mention did you? lolz, great write up.

  4. Robert Hood says:

    Thanks, G. And yes, one has to be true to one’s essential nature…

  5. Pingback: Undead Backbrain » Blog Archive » What’s Due to Escape from the Asylum in 2010?

  6. Vadman says:

    All I can say is, this movie makes me happy. I’m kinda a special effects nub, most movies that have crazy SFX and great CGI make me happy enough to sit and watch it once or twice.

    What’s great about THIS is that not only will it be a stunning visual experience…it’s freakin Clash of the Titans! One of my most beloved movies of all time is getting some respect with a fresh new look and update with today’s cinematic wizardry.

    Too many people look at remakes and modernizations as blasphemic abominations that disrespect classic films…and yes some of them are kinda jokes (come on, Catwoman was just sad), but a few -like this one- I like to look at as more of a tribute or an homage. Nothing could be more of an honor than to take something great and bring it to the forefront of awesomeness by putting everything today’s remarkable technological might can muster into it.

    I for one could not be more excited about this movie. Even if it wasn’t much more than a visual effects slideshow, it’d be an enjoyable experience. As it is…it DOES look like it could end up being a lot more than that…which means it has a fair chance of ending up in my Top 20 Fave Movies of All Time.

  7. Pingback: Clash of the Titans (2010) (2010) | All Films Blog

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