Wrath of the Titans

After the huge success of Avatar, many studios immediately decided to quickly convert some of their upcoming attractions from 2D to lucrative 3D. The remake of Clash of the Titans was one of the first of these frantically converted to three dimensions - and the results were more than sobering. Not only was the fantasy spectacle itself rather weak, the 3D effects were also a real disaster at times. However, this did not stop moviegoers from buying tickets en masse, resulting in worldwide box office takings of almost 500 million dollars and the imminent announcement of a sequel. This is now in the starting blocks and lets hope that this time at least the 3D effects can convince.

Wrath of the Titans is set ten years after the events of the first part. Demigod Perseus (Sam Worthington) leads a secluded life as a fisherman with his son after the death of his wife. But his divine origins soon catch up with him again when his father Zeus (Liam Neeson) shows up and asks Perseus for his help. For as humans have stopped praying to the gods, they are losing their power, causing the Titans imprisoned in the underworld, and especially Kronos, the father of Zeus, Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston), to regain power. Perseus is supposed to help Zeus convince his brothers to fight the Titans. But the demigod wants nothing to do with this war, he only wants to be there for his son. But when Hades and Ares (Édgar Ramírez), the divine son of Zeus, ally with Kronos and capture Zeus, it soon becomes clear that a reign of Kronos would also mean the end of mankind. And Perseus, of course, cannot let that happen. With the help of the warrior queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), the demigod Argenor (Toby Kebbell), son of Poseidon, and the fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), he sets out into the underworld to free his father. But the hatred Ares feels toward his half-brother and his father make the endeavor just as dangerous as the power of the titan Kronos, which grows stronger by the second.

No question, Wrath of the Titans is leaps and bounds better than its predecessor in many ways. The special effects are much more impressive and even the 3D visuals, a major shortcoming of the first part, can really be seen in some scenes, although overall they seem rather unnecessary. In addition, it is positively noticeable that director Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles) spices the action again and again with a little self-mockery and loose humor, which increases the fun factor immensely. Especially the characters Argenor and Hephaestus, played by the wonderful Bill Nighy, provide some pretty good laughs.

But otherwise, you shouldn't expect particularly high cinematography here either. The dialogues are sometimes a run away, the dramaturgy is dominated by sultry pathos and the acting of great actors like Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Édgar Ramírez (Carlos - The Jackal) or Danny Huston is rather wooden or overdone. And yet it seems that the makers have taken the criticism of the first film to heart and have tried to do at least some things better. For example, the gods, who played a rather minor role in Clash of the Titans, have a much more central function. There is a nice little reference to the popular 80s film adaptation of Clash of the Titans and appearances of some well-known creatures of Greek mythology, such as the Cyclops or the Minotaur.

Sure, at some moments the action sequences are cut a bit too fast, some scenes are again way too dark especially in 3D and the finale is arguably pathetic and some shots then seem to be very obviously borrowed from other movies. But that doesn't change the fact that Wrath of the Titans is much more entertaining than its predecessor, has higher show values and therefore offers the viewers who liked the first movie exactly what they expected from the sequel. Artistically, it may not be a great film, but for an entertaining trip to the movies with mind numbing popcorn fantasy action, this sequel is the perfect fodder. And it doesn't always have to be caviar, after all. Worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp