Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

‘Clash’ crashes in 3-D

“One day, somebody’s got to make a stand. One day, somebody’s got to say enough.”

That day is now. Enough with the Greek mythology adaptations. It’s not about how true to the story its film remake will be; it is simply a matter of money.

“Clash of the Titans,” the 2010 remake of the 1981 film starring Harry Hamlin, falls into place among historically inaccurate, but highly entertaining action films.

The film focuses on the idea that the gods are angry with the profound lack of love shown by the mortals who serve them. In order to teach them a lesson, the gods have decided to give them 10 days to save themselves before they unleash the kraken to destroy all of Argos.

Of course, what type of remake would the film be if it didn’t at least butcher the story it is based upon?

For those who aren’t Classics scholars, Perseus was sent to kill the Gorgon Medusa as a host gift for the brother of the fisherman who saved him when he was a baby. And, like all heroes, he makes sure to pick up the princess of a neighboring state on his way back home.

However, Director Louis Leterrier thought that this story, which has been passed down thousands of years, was a bit too boring for modern audiences. So, instead of Perseus being a nice guy journeying to get a gift, the character is thrown into a series of most unfortunate events.

Over the course of the movie, Danae, Perseus’ mother, dies due to their adventure at sea, Perseus’ adoptive family drowns, he has to head to the Underworld, decapitate Medusa, petrify the Kraken right before it kills the girl, and then finally live happily ever after, not with Andromeda (the woman for whom he went on this trip to save), but instead with the immortal woman who has been watching him secretly since birth.

For the sake of artistic license, let us pretend for a second that the Kraken was a Greek mythological monster, not the Norse marine beast it actually was.

And having an almighty father is handy in the occasional circumstance that the woman you love is killed minutes before you save the day.

Moving beyond the ridiculous things that these filmmakers inserted (frankly, if the great Greek poets did not even include it, why should these people?), “Clash of the Titans” is quite an enjoyable film that audiences of all ages would enjoy. It is family-friendly, and would certainly be fun for those unfamiliar with Greek mythology – maybe even more so than for those who are familiar with it. The filmmakers made sure to include short explanations of mythological elements in the film that not all members of the audience would recognize in order to clear up any points of confusion.

According to the latest version of “Clash of the Titans,” Perseus was raised by the fisherman Spyros, who discovered him as a baby, cradled in the arms of his dead mother. When tragedy meets his adoptive family, Perseus decides that he must make a stand against the self-centered gods who caused their death.

Yet, Perseus is hesitant to use the unfair advantage that being of divine descent supplies him with. Sam Worthington effectively portrays Perseus as a man struggling to find the right path after being thrown into great adversity. Worthington lacks the plastic, overly-affected air that the majority of action stars now bare. He brings a freshness and sense of reality to the character that an actor like Channing Tatum or Brad Pitt could never hope to achieve.

What makes “Clash of the Titans” a refreshing change is its portrayal of a hero who is not defined by his inhuman strength; rather, Perseus is just the average fisherman whose personal strength and intellect allow him to persevere. Of course, being the son of the King of Gods makes him slightly different from your normal Joe-Schmo, but if you consider his humble origins, Perseus is quite unlike most of the action film stars seen nowadays.

“Clash of the Titans” is your typical action movie, with the nice twist of having a hero you can actually relate to. Seeing the movie in 3-D is unnecessary, so pocket the few extra bucks when you go check it out. Remember, the only thing better than watching a good action movie is watching one that actually has a story.

Nora Drapalski can be reached at [email protected].

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