By WARREN DAY
If you’ve ever wondered just how bad a big studio movie can be, then “The Wrath of the Titans” provides an excruciating answer: cringe-inducing dialogue, blurry and unimaginative special effects, actions sequences without wit or originality, characters you know little about and about whom you care even less, costumes from Wal-Mart, and acting that would embarrass a small town church pageant. To put it simply and accurately: EEEAAAGH!
For over 3,000 years, Greek mythology has been a rich source of stories and inspiration for some of the world’s greatest literature: “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad” by Homer, the works of Sappho, Euripides, Sophocles, and others of classical antiquity. Along with some other mythologies—notably Norse—it’s also been a life spring for many of the comic book heroes who’ve provided kids of all ages with a modern mythology of their own.
However “Wrath” has about as much to do with Greek mythology as reality TV shows have to do with actual reality.
- Photo: The Wrath of The Titans
It has neither the clever storytelling of myth nor the energized fantasy of comic books. Instead, it’s a kind of second-rate video game version of a movie where the filmmakers mistake people running around for momentum, assuming that if it looks like a lot is going on the audience will think a lot is going on. Not so in this case, where the main character, Perseus, is merely thrown into one chaotic situation after another without any attempt at, or semblance of, coherence. The movie may be in 3D, but its plot and characters are one-dimensional—at best.
“Wrath” is a sequel to the remake of “Clash of the Titans” that came out two years ago. “Clash” made a lot of cash: hence “The Wrath” is upon us. Ten years have passed in the storyline since “Clash,” which provides an excuse to give Perseus a young son to be used as a pawn in the battles between the gods. Sam Worthington returns to play Perseus, although “walks through” is probably a better description than “plays,” because he has none of the humor or self-awareness that made Arnold Schwarzenegger so entertaining in similar roles. Worthington is in danger of being his generation’s version of the promising and attractive actor who gets cast in the leading roles of major films before he’s had a chance to establish true star-quality. Although central to “Avatar” in 2009 as well as 2010’s “Clash of the Titans,” he’s easily over-shadowed by “Wrath’s” constant barrage of special effects.
Liam Neeson returns to the role of Zeus he originated in “Clash:” the 59-year-old Belfast-native seems to be vying with Nicolas Cage for the record of appearing in the most forgettable movies in a row. The color palette in “Wrath” is brown (yes, just brown) and most scenes are filled with dust, which may be the filmmakers’ way of trying to hide just how poorly executed are the movie’s computer generated effects.
The best writer of them all, William Shakespeare, could have been penning the best review of this amateurishlywritten film 500 years ago when he wrote: “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, and signifying nothing.”
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