BOTTOM LINE: Buried underneath the mechanical and arbitrary special effects sequences lies some resemblance to a good story, but not even a valiant attempt by an excellent cast can rescue this film from the utter bore that it is.
THE GOOD: The original "Clash Of The Titans" is considered an 80s classic and featured some of the great work of special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen. This modern update of the film seeks to use the latest in digital technology to recreate the Greek myths and in many respects, the visuals are quite stunning, particularly Mount Olympus, the haven of the Gods. Sam Worthington plays Perseus, the son of God Zeus (Liam Neeson), who finds himself on a journey to save the city of Argos from the monster the Kraken before the gods unleash it on humans for their failure to worship the gods. With this somewhat simple setup, director Louis Leterrier cuts loose with the computer work to create some visually impressive scenes. In many respects, these visuals at least transport you to this mythical time. The cast Leterrier has assembled is first rate, with Sam Worthington lending some much needed depth to his character, as does Liam Neeson in the role of Zeus. Ralph Fiennes looks predictably creepy throughout as the lord of the underworld, and ex-James Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen plays a very good soldier supporting Perseus. "Clash Of The Titans" is visually engaging, and has some interesting points to it.
The sequel becomes the first topic of conversation after a movie, especially a super hero film, has great reviews and even greater box office. Such was the case for the first Iron Man movie. Most people weren't expecting such a perfect origin story, incredible acting, outstanding special effects and (most shocking of all) that Robert Downey Jr. became Tony Stark. After such a spectacular beginning, talk started immediately about the second film and when it would appear in the grand scheme of Marvel's plans for an Avenger film. Would it come before all of the other Marvel film or after the Thor and Captain America films were released? Well, that question has been answered after Iron Man 2 was released this past weekend and sets us up perfectly for Iron Man's participation in the Avenger initiative.