★★ Clash of the Titans (2010)

[Gino: 2.0]

Gino says: 'If you already know that this movie is not supposed to be very good but still want to see it, I won't dissuade you. For me, it was for a little escapism to fill a train commute, and served that purpose.

It is basically an updating of the 'classic' of my childhood, with appropriate special effects upgrades. Won't say I hated it, but I have a couple spoilerish beefs:

If I recall in the 1981 version, Andromeda and Perseus have some relationship, no? So you have some vested interest in her surviving the human sacrifice, right? This is a traditional way to tell a story, no? In the 2010 version they have no relationship. For all I know, that might be mythically-correct, but it makes for a weakened movie. Instead we have hot babe #1 who will be sacrificed to the Kraken if Perseus doesn't save the day, but the only thing going for her is that she is apparently kind-hearted compared to the rest of the ruling class. And we instead insert hot babe #2 to follow the guys through the whole movie because she is the only one who knows how to get anywhere! It's the kind of film where everything has to be explained by a character saying it when he/she wouldn't in real life, because that's easier than writing a better script.

Secondly, the whole point is to stop the Kraken from destroying Argos. While they do defeat the Kraken, seems to me it destroys half the city anyway.

Finally, the gods depicted here are kinda ridiculous-looking. And please, for my Greek friends, don't criticize me for absorbing this abomination of your ancient culture -- I have already erased it from my memory. '