Somehow the adventures of Perseus passed by my childhood unwatched. If there is at least one good thing about remakes, it’s that it awakens the interest of the originals.
I expected to simply respect Clash, not to have had so much fun. You have to truly appreciate the time and special care that went into the awe inspiring special effects of that day. There are some impressive tricks found within. That being said, how could they have done such a poor job on something as simple as the seagull soaring through the opening credits. They can bring to life Madussa or the Kracken in a still to this day entertaining and convincing fashion but not a simple seagull?
The Medusa sequence is by far my favorite. From the Ferry Man, 2 headed wolves, to the snake haired goddess herself. I could feel the tension. The pacing was perfect. The lack of music uncomfortable. A great sequence.
I also loved the turmoil between Zeus’s son, Perseus, and the rejected and cast down Calibos. Calibos’s SFX marriage between live acting and stop motion was impressive even today (in perspective).
Above all, Clash is an adventure. As a result the viewer should to some degree feel anxious, excited, and hopeful for the character’s success. The viewer should grow more interested in the movie as the hero rises to new challenges and completes new tasks in pursuing his destiny. Despite the aging and limitations of the 80s I feel that Clash of the Titans is still a movie to be enjoyed.
Last but not least, I could not help but think up this campy Entertainment Weekly style actorial equation. Prince Humperdinck (The Princess Bride) + Jeff Wadlow (director of Cry Wolfe, Never Back Down)= Prince Perseus
