Clash of the Titans- Then and Now

THEY ARE NOT TITANS! The Kraken and Medusa are not Titans!.
The Titans consisted of:

Gaia
Uranus
Hyperion
Chronus
Themis
Atlas
Epimetheus
to name a few.

The titans were the parents of the gods. The Titans feared there children as they themselves took power by killing there ancestors. Chronus was the father of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. Chronus had many sons but ate them to try and preserve his power. These three escapes. When the Olympians gained power, they usurped the thrown by killing or imprisoning the Titans in Tartarus. The Olympians then became gods, and divided up there new world and created Man. Man then rose up and took control for themselves.

History lesson over. Kraken was created by Poseidon, the Medusa was a cursed woman. Yes, I am interested in Greek Mythology. But I digress:

Clash of the Titans (1981)

The original from way back when, it is highly regarded as a classic but for what reason. Would it be the special effects or the magical journey? Possibly elements of both but more so the Animation. Even to this very day, I believe the effects stand up. They fit so well into the movie. Yes the movie looks old, and so does the Animation but that is what makes it fit so well onto the screen.

The movie tells the story of the Greek myth of Perseus, and it starts at his birth. The king of Argos (not the shop) locked his daughter away to protect himself from a supposed curse. Zeus fell in love with the girl, and Baby Perseus is born. Fearing for his life and with anger of her betrayal he sentenced the two to death. Angry at the King, Zeus unleashed his rage and destroyed the king along with the City.

Fast forward...

Calibos was son of Goddess Thetis, and was destined to marry Princess Andromeda. Calibos was cruel man and hunted down Zeus' prized animals, causing Zeus to punish him. Angry at Zeus but unable to take any direct action, Thetis put a curse upon Andromedia. The move is Perseus' quest to save the woman he loves after taking one look at her (mmmmm, ok?).

Calibos and Thetis take the villain roles but never really live up to it. One is God, but she amounts to anything, she has no power. Zeus and Poseidon have the real power but seem to be push overs. Come on man! Your King of the Gods!

Perseus on the other hand is a fine hero. He comes across as a likable character, and lives up to the hero roll. A man you want to see win. To bad he didn't have a villain to play of. One downside is that he never really becomes to god or Demi-god he was born to be.

All in all, a good film that features a magical, high fantasy adventure across Ancient Greece with animation that still stands out today by the master, Ray Harryhousen.

Oh, and there was a robot owl.

Clash of the Titans (2010)

What does this version share with the original? Name. That's about it. The characters are different. The story is different. The basic premise is all that remains. Zeus has a kid....

I won't go into to much detail here for Spoiler reasons, but the story DOES manage to keep you interested and lead you onto the next set piece of action. The story in the new incarnation is that Hades (Who wasn't even mentioned in the first) attacks men, as they begin to defie and belittle the Gods. In one such attack, Hades kills Perseus' adopted father but leaves his alive. Zeus is unaware that he has a son aside from Apollo (Not sure where ol' Hercules is). One difference is that Calibos and The King of Argos are the same character in this version. Angry at the defilement, Zeus strikes the king and he becomes Calibos. Wanted revenge against Zeus, he signs ups to Hades evil boot camp of evil people. Zeus is lot more evil and Dictator like now. I felt that the Laurence Olivier Zeus was a kind of push over. This new, Liam Neeson version is allot more calculating and manipulative. This is evident when the king Marches on Mount Olympus itself to over throw the gods. Zeus disguises himself as the King and goes to his wife to make the King suffer the ultimate betrayal.

Saying the animation was good is like saying the Sky is blue...

With the Hades attack, it turns the story into one of revenge and saving the world, as opposed to the a quest to save the one you love. The question I have is: Did the studio just attach the 'Clash' name to bring in viewers, or was the old version really outdated in comparison to today's cinema?

Why so many Changes?

Perseus:


















Notice how heroic 1981 is? He was wrote to be a hero and to be an icon. The shield and sword glimmer as he stares into the distance. 2010 was made to be a soldier. Pure and simple. Even down to the Haircut he was sporting in Avatar. 1981 has the better Perseus for sure.

Zeus:























Lord of the Rings Armour aside, The new Zeus is better. As I have said, 1981 is a bit of a push over when it comes to Thetis, but in 2010 he stands up to Hades and is allot more ruthless. 1981 is more of a father figure, while 2010 can be a loving deity, but if you cross his or any of the gods, he will let you know about it. I prefer the dictator approach when it comes to an Omnipotent being that can create and destroy. And in the end Zeus still has complete control. 2010 wins... wait. Where is the white beard!!!!!!!?????

Villains:

Hades, hands down. Thetis never lives up to anything. She appears, threatens some people then goes. Hades takes an active role, actively manipulating both the gods and the mortals and even getting down to some killing. A real manipulator, while Thetis does what her son asks and orders Poseidon and Zeus to be her bitches.

Animation:
Saving that for Harryhousen essay.

Overall:
Both have there qualities. 1981 has a better Perseus and story, while 2010 has a better Zeus and Hades and Action. 1981 is a magical, fantasy adventure, 2010 is an action romp with swords and the guy from Avatar.
So which do I chose as the better?
Both. Yes I can chose both as its my blog. Get over it :)