Wrath Of The Titans

It is a dubious distinction, but Clash Of The Titans is the movie that started the big 3D backlash many studios have faced over the past couple years. It was the turning point where millions of movie fans started to wonder if it was worth the extra couple of bucks to see a film not originally shot in 3D, which reduces the impact of that effect (this installment also was shot in 2D, then converted to 3D). Is Wrath Of The Titans some attempt at apology and penance?

Sam Worthington is back as Perseus - the demi-god son of Zeus (Liam Neeson) who is well known for defeating The Kraken in the last Titans movie (the beast, not a bottle of the Kraken rum, even I can defeat a bottle of the rum, maybe two if I am in the right mood).

Anyway, Hades (Ralph Fiennes) has lured Poseidon (Danny Huston), Ares (Edgar Ramirez) and Zeus to the underworld at a time when the powers of the gods are waning because people don't pray to them enough (stop giggling).

Now, with the remaining gods trapped down below, it is up to Perseus to get down there, free them and stop Hades and his surprise co-conspirator from taking over the world!

Where's The Kraken?

If you think the plot matters, then you care more about Wrath Of The Titans than director Jonathan Liebesman and writers Dan Mazeau and David Johnson. OK, that might be a bit of a cheap shot because I didn't get the feeling from Clash Of The Titans nor Wrath Of The Titans that either movie was about more than showing you some hideous beasts on screen getting stabbed, slaughtered and sliced by Perseus. In that sense, mission accomplished (but without an awesome line of dialogue like "Release The Kraken!").

Wrath Of The Titans is all action to the detriment of the screenplay, character development and storytelling - those crazy things I usually appreciate in a movie (if you want that stuff, The Hunger Games is playing in the theater next door). The plot follows an extremely simple path with no depth or real surprises. Much like the first movie, this feels more like a video game as Perseus and his crew must go from place to place and defeat the hideous monster in their path in order to advance to the next level.

Attempts to bring in any other characters or items from mythology are wasted. If you are a fan of mythology, it probably hurts your enjoyment of the film as you rage at how the characters' stories really don't have much to do with their tales from mythology.

Agenor might as well be Al from Paramus.

Andromeda might as well be played by a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model who has been trained to use a bow and arrow (and star Rosamund Pike doesn't expose her midriff like Kate Upton would, so we don't even get the cheap thrills of that).

Everyone is incorporated into the movie because the names sound cool (admit it, you totally would try to date a girl named Andromeda just to see what might happen).

The 3D effect is better than in the first installment, and some of the action scenes are cool, but there's nothing more to Wrath Of The Titans, no matter how hard Neeson tries to emote and act. Sadly, I liked Clash Of The Titans more than Wrath Of The Titans because this sequel feels like nothing more than a copy of the first, with a few names changed and the lack of something as iconic as The Kraken.

Wrath Of The Titans is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy violence and action.