In selecting a film to review, I wanted one that I had heard of and that I thought might be entertaining to watch. Clash of the Titans sounded fun, so I selected it for review. The 2010 film is actually a remake of a movie by the same title from the 1980s. That 1980s film was loosely based on Greek mythology, and the 2010 film was loosely based on it—so it was really not much of a surprise that the film’s characters bore little resemblance to the actual characters from classical mythology. Still, I was a bit disappointed that the writers failed to take even a passing interest in representing the stories of the Titans more accurately. What proceeds in the film is a loose—very loose—re-telling of Greek mythology from a bunch of people in Hollywood who seem more interested in reaching for any excuse to see a man in armor battling various monsters and foes.
My view of mythology is that it is important for explaining a people’s history and origins and worldview. Greek mythology is most important in the sense that it conveys the idea that the gods are involved in the lives of mortals and that they do care about what happens to human beings. I enjoyed reading about the Trojans and the Greeks in Homer’s Iliad and I found it to be very human and compelling. It was easy to identify with these characters and their feelings. The wrath of Achilles made total sense, as did the stubbornness of Agamemnon. The nobility of Hector and the humility of Priam, willing to beg Achilles for his son’s body back—it all resonated deeply with me. Thus, while I did not hold out much hope that Clash of the Titans would reflect many of these human themes, I did want it to have some depth to it. However, it was all spectacle and special effects, with very little in the way of character development. Perseus should have seemed more likeable—but in the film he does not do much to make one want to identify with him.

Still, the film does connect for me in my own life because it is ultimately about a person figuring out his identity and role in the world. Identity vs. role confusion is a major conflict that most people experience as they grow up. It is often the subject of coming of age tales....…choices.

The main reason I would probably not recommend the film, however, is that there would not be any point in doing so for it bears very little connection to Greek mythology or to the mythology of our modern world. I think that the mythology of our modern world is better represented by technology and science-fiction than by fantasy. The idea of gods and goddesses seems completely over the top for modern sensibilities. Yet modern mythology is completely enamored of technology and what people can create. It is as though everyone alive today were secretly a Victor Frankenstein dabbling in the black arts of technology, with artificial intelligence or something of the sort. We are driven by this desire to be like gods—but to see gods and demigods on the screen is something of a let-down, as it does not really temper the desire or approach the darker side of that desire. The film is more of a mindless bit of entertainment, and it connects mythology to our modern world by turning it all into empty spectacle—and that is not what Homer or the Iliad is about at all. I would rather recommend the Iliad to someone interested in mythology.