Not to be confused with the animated incarnation bearing the same title two years ago, this Wrath Of The Titans follow-up sequel to the 2010 Clash Of The Titans may be said to resume the same epoch, different day running amok romp, and little else. And with the continuing focus on razzle dazzle special effects relegating characters and plot to almost an afterthought, one has to seriously wonder if there’s a secondary victory at work here in addition to the battlefield. And that would be the triumph of technicians over storytellers on the big screen.
Sam Worthington returns in Wrath Of The Titans as single dad and semi-god, Perseus. A determined dropout from the cosmic rat race, Perseus finds himself with no option but to be redeployed into war after his father Zeus (Liam Neeson) is kidnapped and whisked away by the Titan enemy forces.
Among those tagging along with Perseus, is the fetching Warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike). Who mostly waves a bow and arrow around, and as an ultimate reward for sticking with it, receives momentary locked lips from the miniskirt clad, multi-tasking hunk hero. And if there’s anything else more detailed about this convoluted series of narrative kick butt interventions, sorry to say I got lost along the way some time ago.
So with the story pretty much shoved aside amidst all the mythological mayhem, what the audience is treated to beyond the usual self-important speeches that stand in for conversations and Greeks gabbing with British accents, is prehistoric dysfunctional families compounded by surreal sibling rivalry, two headed hairy troublemakers engaging in furious animal on man violence, and a half-god grunt dreaming flashy IMAX nightmares.
Meanwhile, Liam Neeson as the presiding end of world worrywart, spends most of the movie dying slowly. And in extended encounters with bondage and S&M torture sprees, followed by miraculously undergoing an immortal makeover. During which it seems that forever is the new fifty. This, as vertically challenged one eyed warriors with anger management problems wreak havoc, and pitchforks and thunderbolts get wielded about.
A number of the visual effects in Wrath Of The Titans are indeed inspired and breathlessly executed. But there’s so little quiet time in between all the relentlessly noisy chaos and destruction on screen, that the ultimate effect is more like revisiting once again all the shock and awe pounding that Iraq was subjected to by US forces. Rather than some time off escapism from all that sordid reality, over at the plexes.
Warner Bros
Rated PG-13
2 stars