Summer Of The Greeks -- Theatre Edition

by David L Reinke

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Clash Of The Titans

Hollywood loves a trend and, generally speaking, follows the herd rather than venturing out on its own into uncharted territory.  This is why every year or so Hollywood gives us a cluster films on the same theme.

In 1989, for example, we were treated not only to the truncated version of James Cameron’s underwater epic, The Abyss, but also Leviathan from MGM and Deep Star Six from Carolco / Tristar.  This trio of underwater adventures made for a wet summer.  In the near future there are the two competing 3 Musketeers films and the dueling 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea projects at Disney and Fox (the latter being produced by the Scott brothers).

This summer Hollywood is once again trolling the depths, though of ancient history not oceans.

The summer season began with a pair of ancient Greek stories (Percy Jackson and Clash Of The Titans) and ends with a pair of Roman Army in ancient Briton films (Centurion and Eagle Of The Ninth).  In-between these fictional bookends we have the somewhat more “historical” Agora, making for a complete summer of ancient adventures from Astronomy to Zeus.

(I should note that although both Centurion and Agora have already opened in Europe, here in the US the former will not un-spool until August and the latter in June.)

Harry Potter Of Olympus

Here in the US the Summer Box Office Sweepstakes started early with the release of Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.  Based upon a popular YA novel of the same name, the film features newcomers in the leading roles backed by well-known veterans as the gods, demi-gods and Percy’s mortal parents. 

Set in modern day America, the film, and the book series from which it is taken, are attempting to ride the wave of popularity generated by the Harry Potter films and books, here using Greek Mythology as the hook.  Generally speaking this conceit works well enough (placing the Lotus Eaters in Las Vegas while obvious is still appropriate) and the film enjoyed if not ecstatic reviews then at least relatively favorable ones.

More importantly, in terms of Box Office returns, Percy has done well enough to insure a sequel. (At a reported production cost of $95 million, total box office to date has been $220+ million and although the traditional break even rule is 3-to-1 box office to costs in this case, with potential DVD sales added in, the profits should motivate the studio to try a sequel in the hopes of creating a new and long running “tent pole” franchise.)

Overall Percy Jackson & The Olympians was entertaining, but nothing special and certainly not a film I would seek out again nor add to my video collection.  On the other hand, as a teacher commented after seeing the film, ‘Anything which gets kids interested in mythology and ancient history is a winner in my book.’  True Enough.

Cash Of The Titans

Following close on the heals of Percy was Clash Of The Titans, a remake of the 1981 film of the same name.  The new Clash was originally slated to bow before Percy but was delayed so the studio could convert Clash into 3D, a move many critics and viewers decried but one that seems to have paid off, and paid off well.   At a reported production cost of $125 Million the film has, to date, brought in $461+ Million worldwide surpassing not only the original but also the Sword & Sandal box officer leader 300.  Grosses like this insure a good DVD market and a sequel.  Indeed, Warner Brothers has announced that they have “Green Lighted” a sequel that they want in theatres by the spring of 2012. Warner’s is also working to juggle schedules as their star, Sam Worthington, is already committed to the Avatar sequel.  Even now they are looking for a new director to lead the original cast – at least all those whose characters survived the first film.

With such stellar box office numbers it may seem somewhat pointless to ask if the film itself is any good or how it compares to the original.  As far as the studio is concerned the numbers speak for themselves.  However, for the rest of us, who have to sit through the film, the question is somewhat more than academic.

I should start by saying, for the sake of full disclosure, that I was never a fan of the original. Even though that film was done by the same team that had produced Jason And The Argonauts, I felt they had failed to recapture the magic of their earlier effort, and although clearly riding the wave of popularity generated by Star Wars, the original Clash seems, particularly in the case of the mechanical owl Bubo, to have indeed been influenced by Star Wars, but in the worst way.

So, for me to say that I enjoyed the new Clash of The Titans more than the old one is not much of a stretch.  Yet it is not an unqualified enjoyment.

A couple of caveats:

Forget history -- this is Ancient Hollywood Greece.

Also, park your Bullfinch's Mythology at the door because it does not apply here.

Mythology has always been used by humans to explain the world around them, and in that tradition the filmmakers are using their own version of mythology to explain the world they have created. Much of this Hollywood Greece is very imaginative (in a good way) while some seems definitely out of place.

There is a long sequence fighting giant scorpions that ends with the band of heroes meeting up with and joining forces with a group of scorpion riders that seem more at home in a film like Dune, or The Lord Of The Rings or The Scorpion King.

The Kraken is now bigger and badder than ever (thanks to CGI) and bears a more than passing resemblance to the Rancor monster from Return Of The Jedi, at least in terms of the facial features. I had actually expected something more along the lines of a giant squid, and although disappointed by that absence, this design works well enough brief though his scene may be.

The central thrust of the story is the idea that man no longer needs the gods and is in fact better off without them. This is not a new story concept by any means and has been used before in many films. This is the crisis that confronts Perseus at every turn -- does he acknowledge his true status as a demi-god and accept the help of the gods, or does he struggle on to certain defeat, satisfied that he has remained true to his mortal nature? Of course he resolves this by having his cake and eating it too. After all, this is Hollywood Greece and all things are possible.

Sam Worthington, who has had a great run in recent action films (Terminator: Salvation, Avatar and now Clash) seems to be channeling Russell Crowe much more so here than in Avatar.  His Perseus is certainly more athletic than Harry Hamlin, but this simply reflects the general “amping up” of Hollywood action films.   The other actors, many veterans with excellent acing credentials, acquit their roles with workman like grace. Likewise the CGI seems well done and certainly fits the needs of the film.

Costumes, in particular armor and weapons have little resemblance to anything known in history and, as in most Hollywood films, armor seems to be worn all the time.  Even the Olympian gods are saddled with armor that looks like it was borrowed from the film Excalibur.

This was also the case in the film Gladiator where the emperor Commodus is seen wearing armor to the Flavian Amphitheatre.  This seems very unlikely just as it does not seem appropriate for the Olympians, other than Aries, to be wearing it. That said, it should also be noted that looking for historical accuracy in a fantasy film like Clash Of The Titans is a fool’s errand of the first order.

The star, Sam Worthington, had no illusions of Clash being authentic to anything but Hollywood.   In an LA Times interview (December 11, 2009) Worthington acknowledged as much:

 “Look at this world,” he said, nodding toward the set of the river Styx. “We’re not exactly going by the book. The armor we wear is very futuristic looking. It’s not dated to a period of time in a history book. This is a story with winged horses, but what we’re doing; we have to have a modern take on it, to make it relevant to our audience. This isn’t like a Ridley Scott kind of thing, where every minute detail has to be an exact replica. We’re making a fun kind of romp.”

Leaving aside the comment about Ridley Scott for another discussion, Clash Of The Titans is, as Worthington promised, a fairly amusing romp through Greece and I certainly do not feel cheated of my $6.   Will I make the effort to watch the sequel?  That remains to be seen.

I must add, and perhaps this is just nostalgia talking, but having now seen both versions of Clash as well as The Lightning Thief, for me the best portrayal of the Olympian gods remains Jason And The Argonauts.  The actors (Niall MacGinnis as Zeus and Honor Blackman as Hera) not only looked the parts, but they had both the arrogance and the irony that seems absolutely right for their characters.  For me at least, in my mind’s eye, Hera will always look like Honor Blackman.  Besides, she goes on to play Pussy Galore in the James Bond film Goldfinger, and anyone who can say that name with a straight face is truly a remarkable actor.

Links of Interest

LA Times Blog: Hero Complex 

See December 11, 2009 For Sam Worthington quote

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/sam-worthington/

Article with early news about the sequel to Clash Of The Titans

http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/wb-planning-clash-titans-sequel-16770