So I meant to go see The Avengers the other night, but instead saw Wrath of the Titans due to it having been in the theatre long enough to probably be making an exit soon, and I still wanted to see it on the big screen. Plus, The Avengers crowd was huuuuuuuuuuuge, and I couldn't get in to see the 3D IMAX like I wanted because of conflicting scheduling. So, Wrath of the Titans was a happy substitute.
I really do appreciate a great film, but I don't think I'm much of a film snob. I can enjoy a good, dumb movie for the sake of being entertained (but if it's dumb, I at least better be entertained!!) Sure, not TOO dumb...I do prefer there to be some semblance of plot/motive/character development and resolution...
Anyway, Wrath of the Titans, like it's predecessor re-make, Clash of the Titans, was just another "dumb" Greek myth themed action movie. Speaking of Clash of the Titans, I actually preferred the story of the original more than that of the re-make, and was sorely disappointed with Clash of the Titans re-make because I was expecting to see a better story, instead of what was mostly just an action movie with under-developed characters.....but that being said, I at least knew what I was in for this time in seeing Wrath of the Titans. I was not to expect much depth, and this was to mainly be pure action and special effects entertainment.
And this proved to be right.
But! I was surprised by some interesting and unexpected character development! And this actually made me enjoy Wrath of the Titans a good deal more than the Clash of the Titans re-make.
The movie essentially has two themes - the bonds between brothers (in this case, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades and also Perseus and Ares who were half-brothers) and the bonds between fathers and sons (Cronos and his divine children, Zeus and his sons Ares and Perseus, and Perseus and his son Helius). While not exploring these themes too deeply to distract from the fast-paced action, they engage them enough to give some texture to the characters and make things a bit more intriguing. You also have an older Perseus finally coming to terms with who he is - the son of a God. That's an interesting piece of development as well.
The other thing I liked about the movie was the epic scale of it all. Gods turn to ash and die. Titans come to life and destroy - and you get to see exactly what is so titanic about the Titans. They are really fun to watch. Big, bad, elemental forces that are near unstoppable except...by Gods.
It's interesting to think about how the Greek Gods are the offspring of a Titan like Cronos (shown above)...how Cronos tried to devour his children, and is this uncontrollable elemental force of power, rage and destruction...yet his children are beautiful, ordered Gods who behave in a civilized way for the most part...are subject to human passions, yet capable of fighting them and containing them. It's intriguing to think of the metaphor contained in the ancient myths of these divine, civilized Gods fighting to contain the elemental power of the Titans. It seems to say something about civilization as well as human beings in general.
Anyway - as a "dumb" movie, part of me would be tempted to give it 2.5 out of 5 stars, but because I personally was entertained and the movie pleasantly surprised me, I think I'll give it 3 out of 5 stars, which in my book is an average, enjoyable movie for the purposes of entertainment. And the special effects really make it fun to watch on the big screen.
I still think there's room for a third installment, considering the possibilities left open at the ending. But I won't spoil it for you. It's still in theatres if you're interested!
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