Clash of the Titans (1981) User Reviews (237)

More Clash...More Titans!

[john-olson · 8/10 · 12 August 2005]

This movie is a wonderful showcase for stop-motion modeling mixed with live-action. By 2005 CGI standards things look a little jerky and unfinished, but this does not distract from drawing the viewer into the world of Greek mythology (commercialized).

The Greek gods are butting their jealous heads together and it is up to the pawn in their game, Perseus, to save the day. This is not a movie that will evoke any sort of overwhelming emotional reactions, but it is a competent damsel-in-distress action flick with handsome heroes and ugly bad guys. The lines between good and evil are distinct and predictable.

The Definitive Harryhausen?

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 9 October 2017]

Perseus must battle both Medusa and the Kraken to save the Princess Andromeda.

Anyone who loves fantasy or classic genre film knows Ray Harryhausen and loves his work. Never will you ever hear, "That Harryhausen! What a rube!" And this film, more than any other, is probably the definitive showcase of his work -- from Pegasus to the owl to Medusa to the kraken... it is just so many iconic figures in one film.

And what a film! Certainly epic in scope, it is possibly the best Greek myth captured on film. I mean, really, what even comes close? Those endless cruddy Hercules movies? Nope "Jason and the Argonauts"? Maybe, but still nope. If there is ONE must-see, this is it.

Pretty Good, All Things Considered

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 13 May 1999]

It's always difficult to review something in 1999 which was made 18 years earlier. The first thing that people do is to criticize the special effects. Does this mean that every movie made before computer graphics should be rejected out of hand. Should we start by throwing out The Wizard of Oz because the flying monkeys used piano wires? It ultimately gets down to whether there is a story worth telling and how well that story is told. Clash of the Titans is not a masterpiece. It does, however, tell a pretty good story. The characters are interesting and the thread of mythology is interesting enough to carry it to its conclusion. The special effects are the stop action kind that were the only thing available at this time. Believe me, they were a lot of fun when the movie first came out.

This tells the story of Perseus who is not as well known in mythology as say Hercules, Theseus, or Jason, but his story is a fun one. The quest for the evil Medusa, the need to figure out a way to defeat her without being turned to stone, the evil Calibos (a complete creation), and, of course, the beautiful Andromenda (Judi Bowker, who is absolutely stunning) is the prize. It is paced nicely and the scenery is pretty breathtaking. The music is also very nice. I enjoyed the creatures. I liked the boatman and the river of death. I liked Pegasus, I liked the sound effects. But I don't mind suspending my disbelief.

The downsides are numerous but I think they have more to do with what the director chose to do. The gods and goddesses are stiff and uninteresting, including Laurence (anything for a buck) Olivier. Some pretty important actors to throw away at these Olympian debriefings. They could have lost the owl. He is a mini version of R2-D2 with his silly metallic bleeps and erratic actions. I'm sure they did this for the kids but it really diminished the integrity of the story. Still, if you allow yourself, you can have a lot of fun with this film.

It is truly great...

[shaman-7 · 9 March 1999]

When most modern people hear the word "myth", they often "translate" it into the word "lies". To my way of thinking, that accounts for the radical differences in how this film has been evaluated by various viewers. Here is my view and I speak as a casual student of psychologist Carl Jung.

The story line is--not surprisingly--mythic. It is a grand story told on a grand scale with the best tools which were available in 1981. Note the differing ways in which Caliban and Perseus handle misfortune--how many ordinary mortals become so sorry for themselves that they much worsen their own condition? To be sure, it is an invented tale, but it is a myth, not a pack of lies.

It is hard not to like Ray Harryhausen's superior special effects. The technology is better today, but Harryhausen was and is unsurpassed at getting his "mythologicals" to act and interact with the cast.

Oddly enough, Laurence Rosenthal's score--which recently became available on CD--isn't given the attention which it deserves. The music which he composed is spirited, unique and utterly supports whatever is happening on the screen--from the seemingly careless destruction of an entire city to Perseus' "love at first sight" when he sees the sleeping Princess Andromeda.

If you have the gift of mythological consciousness, this is a "10" film for sure. If not, I feel sorry for you. Read some Jung.

Olympic Perspective

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 17 June 2007]

Seeing Clash of the Titans took me back to my youth and seeing such Ray Harryhausen films like Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and Jack the Giant Killer. The only difference here is instead of Kerwin Matthews and Torin Thatcher, we've got a cast list headed by none other than Laurence Olivier.

This was the period in Lord Olivier's life where he was just looking for bankable projects to leave a nice nest egg for the kids. He was one guy who really didn't have to prove anything as an artist. And I'm sure it amused him no end to be cast as Zeus, king of all the Deities.

Seeing Olivier trading lines with such folks as Maggie Smith and Ursula Andress and Claire Bloom in the realms of Olympus reminds me a lot of the Irwin Allen film, The Story of Mankind. It was a bad flop, but the scenes in which Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, and Ronald Colman argued about man being good or evil are classic.

With such intervention and such traps as the Olympus crowd puts on earth. young Perseus, son of Zeus and a mortal like Hercules, fulfills his destiny and of course saves the princess Andromeda. Harry Hamlin and Judi Bowker made an attractive pair of young lovers. Certainly Harry Hamlin has gone on to a substantial career.

Burgess Meredith has a very nice role as companion/mentor to Hamlin, almost the same as the Mentor role in and to Captain Marvel. You've got to love that mechanical owl who speaks in bleeps that only Hamlin can understand. Clash of the Titans also was the farewell performance of Flora Robson who played one of the Stygian witches.

And like the dragons and cyclops and huge flying birds that Ray Harryhausen created in my youth, his version of a Kraken is a worthy addition to his gallery of monsters. Might even be better than the Kraken of Pirates of the Caribbean and without computer graphics to do it.

Clash of the Titans is aimed for the juvenile trade. But if it sparks an interest in the classics than the film will be worth the admission.

Imaginative spectacle based on mythological Greek legends spectacularly realized by Desmond Davis

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 9 June 2010]

Exciting fantasy derived from Greek mythology about heroic and handsome Perseus (Harry Hamlin ), the mortal son of God Zeus (Laurence Olivier). By answering a seemingly difficult question , winsome Perseus, the son of Zeus , wins the hand of the gorgeous Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker ,daughter of Cassiopea played by Siam Philips) in marriage . Trouble appears in the shape of monstrous Calibos (Neil McCarthy), the princess's previous love interest, and his mother, the Goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith). In order that the horrible Kraken not be released, virginal Andromeda has to be sacrificed . Then Perseus fights Dioskilos, Bubo , Charon and searches for the three Stygian witches (Flora Robson, Manahan, Freda Jackson) , confronts the snake-haired Gorgon and slays her ; her head is the only mean that can defeat the sea giant called Kraken . Perseus attempts to rescue the beautiful maid from the terrifying massive monster freed by Poseidon .

Overwhelming fantasy based on Greek legends with breathtaking special effects from pioneer Ray Harryhausen , his assistant Jim Danforth and make-up artist Colin Arthur . Extraordinary support cast playing the Mount Olympus Gods as Zeus -Laurence Olivier- , Hera- Claire Bloom- , Athena -Susan Fleetwood- , Afrodita - Ursula Andress - , Poseidon -Jack Gwillin- . However , everyone are overshadowed pretty much by the spectacular special effects created by that maestro of the great illusion Ray Harryhausen . He made cyclops in ¨ Simbad and the princess ¨ , moving skeletons in ¨ Jason and the Argonauts ¨ and cowboys against dinosaurs in the ¨ Valley of Gwangi ¨ and several others . Here Harryhausen brings to life mythological monsters as the ferryman , vulture , Pegasus , the two-headed dog called Dioskilos , giant scorpions , a silly mechanical golden owl imitating Star wars robots and many others . Well filmed at Pinewood Studios , London England and on location in Spain , Italy and Malta in co-operation with Mediterranean film facilities . Mind-numbing musical score by Laurence Rosenthal is performed by The London Symphony Orchestra and colorful cinematography by Ted Moore. It's recently filmed a remake by Louis Leterrier with Sam Worthington , Alexa Davalos and Liam Neeson.

A Parting Gift from Ray Harryhausen

[badact · 10/10 · 10 October 2001]

I ignored this film when it first came out in 1981. There were just too many cool films to see that year. Friends who saw it told me it was a laughable hoot. Despite it's august cast and attempt to cash in on the mythic quest themes of Star Wars, it rapidly sunk from sight. In 1995, looking for a film appropriate for my 7 year old daughter, I pulled this film out of the 'family' section of my local library. The critics are right. The F/X are clunky, even by 1981 standards.Harry Hamlin is wooden. Judy Bowker is forgettable, and Laurence Olivier hams it up shamelessly...and yet...IT ALL WORKS! The sets and lighting perfectly capture our deepest feellings of mythic Greece. There isn't a drop of contemporary forays into irony & cynicism. It is unalloyed GOOD vs EVIL lovingly given to us by the effects wizard Harryhausen. His monsters have a childlike beauty that makes them 'scary' without trying to gross you out. It's the myth, the quest, and finally the theme that love does conquer all. No need for smart-alecky, eye-winking protaganists. Just a good old fashioned story told straight and true. My now 14yr. old daughter, wife and I just saw it again last night. See it with the child in your life, or the child in you.

Thank you Mr. Harryhausen, for this and all your wonderful films.

Entertaining Fantasy For Younger Audience !

[cshep · 7/10 · 29 November 2004]

Ray Harryhausen's swan song to the big screen. In what was an INCREDIBLE career. Ray Harryhausen chooses Greek Mythology to pull down the curtain."Clash of the Titans " still has a lot of technical skill and interesting characters, but lacks the charm of earlier works. Ray always thought that big screen names would increase the credibility of his work, but Olivier and Maggie Smith do little to advance the story.

A good story, interesting characters, terrific animation, and a lot of hard work , were the secrets to his success.

The story centers around Harry Hamlin(Perseus), and Judi Bowker(Princess Andromeda). The Gods, Zeus and Thetis play havoc with Perseus, who strives to win the hand of Princess Andromeda, who is being held captive spiritually, by the set down and transformed Calibos. Not only does Perseus have to answer an impossible riddle, but he has to tackle Medusa to save the day. Along the way Calibos tries to get revenge by upsetting the applecart. Only Burgess Meredth adds the needed punch to the emotional turmoil Perseus has to deal with.

The mystery of mythology is well handled by the special effects, and a fitting testimony of the master of Dynamation, Ray Harryhausen.

Loved...and still Love it!

[bobbywell · 9/10 · 31 December 2018]

One of the all time great sword-n-scorcery movies. All star cast. And to top it all off Ray Harryhausen effects.

Fantasy Classic!

[gwnightscream · 7/10 · 14 March 2012]

Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Judi Bowker, Neil McCarthy and Burgess Meredith star in this 1981 fantasy. A God, Zeus (Olivier) plans to send his favored mortal son, Perseus (Hamlin) on a quest. Perseus is a young man who was raised by his mother until she passed away and took care of himself. He's magically taken to a city and meets Ammon, (Meredith) a playwright who befriends him. Perseus also finds love with Princess Andromeda (Bowker) and must save her from Calibos (McCarthy), the man she was supposed to marry, but became a hideous beast by Zeus. His mother plots revenge by sentencing Andromeda to death in 30 days by sea monster, the Kraken. To defeat the Kraken, Perseus must get the head of gorgon, Medusa. Zeus sends him weapons and other gifts from the gods to help him on his quest. Perseus soon embarks on his journey and defeats Calibos along the way. I've always liked this film and Ray Harryhausen did a terrific job on the myths. I recommend this fantasy classic.

Clash of the Titans

[jboothmillard · 5/10 · 11 July 2005]

I remember watching this film a few times when I was younger, but as I grew up, I could only remember the most obvious parts, so I'm glad when I watched it again as an adult to get a proper opinion of it. Basically, King Acrisius of Argos (Donald Houston) banishes his daughter Danaë (Vida Taylor) and his new-born grandson Perseus to sea. It is revealed that Perseus is the son of Zeus (Laurence Olivier), king of the gods. In retribution, Zeus orders Poseidon (Jack Gwillim) to release the last of the Titans, a gigantic sea monster called the Kraken, to destroy Argos, and Acrisius is killed in the destruction. Danaë and Perseus safely float to the island of Seriphos, where Perseus (Harry Hamlin) grows to adulthood. Calibos (Neil McCarthy), the spoiled and rebellious son of the sea goddess Thetis (Dame Maggie Smith), is betrothed to Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker), daughter of Queen Cassiopeia of Joppa (Siân Phillips). But for committing several atrocities against Zeus, Zeus transforms Calibos into a deformed monstrous satyr-like creature. In revenge, Thetis transports Perseus from Seriphos to an abandoned amphitheatre in Joppa. There he befriends elderly poet named Ammon (Batman's Burgess Meredith) and soldier Thallo (Tim Pigott-Smith). Perseus learns that Andromeda is under a curse and cannot marry unless her suitor, who faces execution if he fails, successfully answers a riddle concocted by Calibos. Zeus realises that his son has been sent to a dangerous region of the world and sends a helmet from Athena (Susan Fleetwood) which makes its wearer invisible, a magical sword from Aphrodite (Dr. No's Ursula Andress), and a shield with a reflective underside from Hera (Claire Bloom). Wearing the helmet, Perseus captures Pegasus, the only remaining sacred flying horse of Zeus; the others were destroyed by Calibos. He follows Calibos's giant vulture carrying a cage which Andromeda's spirit enters as she sleeps to learn the next riddle. Perseus is discovered and nearly killed by Calibos, but he severs one of Calibos's hands, losing his helmet in the process. The next morning, Perseus meets Andromeda as her husband-to-be and correctly answers the riddle, winning Andromeda's hand in marriage. With Thetis unable to act against Perseus, Calibos demands that she take vengeance on Joppa. At the wedding in Thetis' temple, an earthquake shakes the temple, causing the head of the statue of Thetis to break off, and Thetis speaks through it, demanding Andromeda be sacrificed to the Kraken on pain of Joppa's destruction. Perseus seeks a way to defeat the Kraken, but Pegasus is captured by Calibos and his men. Zeus commands Athena to send her owl Bubo as a replacement for the lost helmet, but instead she orders Hephaestus (Pat Roach) to build a mechanical replica of Bubo as an aid for Perseus. Bubo finds Perseus and leads him, Andromeda, Ammon, Thallo and some soldiers to the Stygian Witches. The three cannibalistic witches (Flora Robson, Anna Manahan, and Freda Jackson) share a magical glass orb which they use as an eye. Perseus steals the eye and forces the witches to reveal that the only way to defeat the Kraken. They tell him that he must use the head of the Medusa, whose gaze can turn any living thing into stone. Medusa lives on an island in the River Styx at the edge of the Underworld. The next day, the group continue their journey without Andromeda and Ammon, who return to Joppa. On the Gorgon's island, most of the men are killed, and Perseus fights and kills Medusa's guardian, a large two-headed dog named Dioskilos. Perseus and two other soldiers enter Medusa's lair, where the Gorgon kills the other two men, one with an arrow in the back, the other with her gaze turning him to stone. Perseus uses the reflective underside of his shield to deceive Medusa, and when she approaches him, he decapitates her, and collect her head; but the shield is dissolved by her corrosive blood. Perseus and the remaining men form a camp for the night. Calibos arrives and punctures the cloak carrying Medusa's head, causing her blood to spill and spawn three giant scorpions. Perseus's remaining escorts, including Thallo, are killed by the scorpions. Perseus defeats the scorpions, then finds and kills Calibos. Perseus sends Bubo to rescue Pegasus from Calibos's henchmen and, weakened and exhausted, he collapses in the amphitheatre in Joppa. Andromeda is shackled to the sea cliffs outside Joppa, and the Kraken is summoned. Bubo diverts the Kraken's attention, until Perseus appears on Pegasus. Perseus petrifies the Kraken with Medusa's head, causing it to turn to stone and crumble to pieces into the sea. He then tosses the head into the sea, frees Andromeda, and marries her. The gods predict that Perseus and Andromeda will live happily, rule wisely, and produce children, and Zeus forbids the other gods to pursue vengeance against them. Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus, and Cassiopeia are honoured in the constellations. Hamlin looks the part as the hero, and the star-studded cast including Olivier and Smith all do well, but the performances that steal the show are that of the stop-motion creatures created by the genius of Ray Harryhausen, especially the nasty snake-haired Medusa. The mythological story is just about easy to follow, the special effects are entertaining, and there is a good score by Laurence Rosenthal, it is cheesy and slow at times, but overall, it is something the whole family can enjoy, a fun fantasy adventure. Worth watching!

The original - stick with it

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 1 June 2020]

So yes the remake may have had a bigger budget and gone with CGI (you judge if it fares better), but I'd urge you to stick with this. This is the original and Harryhausen is the man, when it comes to effects (stop motion and others). Now there are cliches and I understand if some may feel this is somehow dated ... but than you let your inner kid chained. Let it free, let it enjoy this.

Also the Owl! How could the Remake snub the Owl!?! One of the funnest things here, even if it was an obvious stab or rather nod to Star Wars and R2-D2. Still this is a fun thing to have and a very useful one. So maybe the mythology is not entirely rooted in "facts" or what I've learned about Greek mythology at least, but creative freedom is ok in that regard in my book. Nice story and well told.

Just another example of good nostalgic fun!

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 30 May 2010]

I loved this film as a kid, watching it again it isn't as good as I remembered it but it is very entertaining.

Admittedly the story structure is very story-book like, and some of the acting is not that great, Laurence Olivier looks the part but overacts and while Harry Hamlin looks all heroic as Perseus, his more "touching" scenes with Judi Bowker are somewhat anaemic. And the script is not the best either, it has its moments but some of it is cheesy. But there is still plenty to enjoy.

First and foremost, the stop-motion special effects are absolutely incredible! Ray Harryhausen creates some truly memorable monsters especially, to this day I am still absolutely terrified of the Gorgon Medussa and the Kraken is also amazing to look at. The scenery, architecture, cinematography and costumes are also fabulous, and the music is superb. The pacing is fine and the direction is efficient. Claire Bloom, Ursula Andress and Maggie Smith give welcome support among the star-studded cast too.

Overall, this is just an entertaining nostalgic ride, flawed yes, terrible, no. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Nothing impressive and no excuse I could think of

[cat-that-goes-by-himself · 3/10 · 6 September 2006]

It may have looked OK in an alternate reality where Star Wars and Alien did not happen, but 3 or 4 years after episode IV and 2 years after the 8th passenger, these jerky stop-motion scenes were not an excuse for a movie anymore. Plus you can find movies of the same era with far, far better effects stop motion scenes: krull, the dark crystal, never-ending story. Even the saber-toting robots of starcrash :) - not even speaking of the snow creatures in star wars V.

I don't blame the special effect guys, rather the script writer who obviously failed to take into account - or thought he could cope with - the technical limitations. Look at Krull for instance, they did use stop motion with a spider in its web, and the result was very good. Now try the same with flying horses or vultures and you get nothing but jerky puppets unable to blend with the background as a result. Back in 1963 it was a revolution in special effect when they blended actors and puppets into the same pictures in Jason and the argonauts. Looks like 20 years were not enough to solve the gamma correction problem, and frankly better show the puppets and the actors in different frames than have a brightly lit guy over a blue screen blend with a jerky two-headed wolf that looks like it was filmed under the moonlight.

Now for the plot. Unfortunately the movie is built around the special effects. Would it have had some decent story to tell, I wouldn't have minded so much the poor visuals. I could even have forgiven the blatant R2D2 rip-off for the owl (I wonder if Lucas sued them for that?). Mythology-wise, they seemingly picked their way through a reader's digest selection of various myths, with the Macbeth witches and the kraken as guest stars.

OK, so we've got bad pictures and a bad plot so far. The actors maybe? Well this bunch of pretty famous people sure must have had a lot of bills to pay, for judging from the heart they put into their roles it's not out of love for the script they played in this movie. At least Andromeda is quite pretty, including when she cries - a good thing since she does that a lot. But was the showing of her breasts and buttocks an attempt to make the movie worth viewing for teenagers?

To sum it up, this movie was a complete disappointment. I give it a 3 for the Andromeda cutie and the funny old geezer that accompanies the rather bland hero through this uninspiring quest. I would advise to watch the original Jason and the argonauts instead, it is far better.

CGI is for cowards!

[scorpio-x · 29 July 2003]

This movie has been a favorite of mine since i was a kid--i was very into Greek mythology during grade school, so i loved this film, even though i've seen it about two dozen times (it continues to be a Sunday-afternoon staple on TV). There are a number of mythological inaccuracies in this film (the Kraken wasn't a mythological monster; Perseus didn't have Pegasus, but actually borrowed Hermes' winged sandals, etc.), but it's still a good kids' introduction to ancient mythology. While the actors playing the "mortals" are definitely inferior to those playing the Gods, i suppose it works in the sense of their being the Olympians' puppets and, well, a little limpness in the thespian department is somewhat de rigeur (as is the wise/comic sidekick of Burgess Meredith and the 'little and cute' factor of the mechanical owl) for the kind of classic matinee swashbuckler that "Clash of the Titans" is.

But all these complaints that the Harryhausen effects are crap and it would be so much better done with CGI... well, that's pure craziness. Sure, the monsters don't look convincing, but they look a hell of a lot more convincing then they would as cheap computer animation--can you honestly imagine the Medusa sequence being done any better with some cartoon computer program? (Why? So it could look like the crap in "Phantom Menace"?) I've always felt that Harryhausen's stop-motion technique and the resultant odd way in which the monsters moved added to the sense of their mythic status, their unreality, the sense that these are creatures from another world, another plane. (The recent Asian fantasy/action film "Onmyoji" paid tribute to the master by having a CGI demon army move in Harryhausen stop-motion style and damn me if they didn't look scarier, more unearthly for it.) In my opinion, CGI looks even less "real," more like a painted-on cartoon. There's a depth and detail to creatures that have actually been created in the three-dimensional real world that those who have only existed on a computer screen don't have. Also, no matter how good an actor is, there's a difference between someone who's in the same room with the monster he's fighting, or who at least knows what it looks like, and someone who's just trying to "act scared" in the general direction where something will be inserted later. (Imagine the "Alien" movies made with a hyped-up animated creature: you know that even motionless and plastic squeezed between light stands, that giant H.R. Geiger monster gave everyone on set the creeps.) Maybe people like CGI because they feel safer with obviously fake monsters, things that never even existed as a three-foot high model next to the ham sandwich in someone's shop.

fun to watch but may cause Classical Studies professors to have a stroke

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 16 March 2006]

BEWARE--do NOT let Classical Studies professors or anyone obsessed with Greek Mythology watch this film! They will either have a stroke or spend the entire movie complaining how almost NONE of the plot is really taken from classical mythology but is a lot of hooey. Plus, it's got some really dopey moments (such as the mechanical owl--what a dreary character). BUT, if you don't care that it isn't really based on real myths and just turn off your brain, it's actually pretty good. In fact of all the Ray Harryhausen-created special effect movies about the Greeks, it's probably the best (though his all-time best film has got to be EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS). Watch it and enjoy the action. Just don't try to think too much--it will probably make your head hurt!

Mytholigical Greek Adventure+Harryhausen=Fun

[daoldiges · 7/10 · 8 June 2018]

I saw this film during its original release and recently saw it again. It wasn't quit as transporting for me now as when I was back in high school but it is still lots of fun. Greek mythology along with the handiwork of the great Ray Harryhausen resulted in some wonderful characters coming to life. The Medusa sequence is still as great today as when I originally saw it. A solid cast with the lone weak link being the princess, who was about as bland and uninteresting as they come. It's clearly not for everyone but if you enjoy stop-animation and a fantastical story based on Greek mythology then you should definitely check this out.

Before CGI, there were the talents of Harryhausen!

[aslenodsnud · 9/10 · 26 August 2018]

This film is one of the reasons for my being a student of the classical world! After being spoiled by the talents of Harryhausen, I just do not get excited about today's CGI effects... Not quite accurate portrayal of Perseus, but that just doesn't affect the enjoyment of this film. Fantastic film, fantastic cast!

Harryhausen presents Harry Hamlin

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 27 September 2011]

In mythological Greece, Godly leader Laurence Olivier (as Zeus) mates with a royal mortal, producing handsome, muscular adult Harry Hamlin (as Perseus). With some help from Burgess Meredith (as Ammon), Mr. Hamlin sets out to win the hand of attractive Judi Bowker (as Andromeda), but Maggie Smith (as Thetis) wants Mr. Bowker to mate with her much uglier son. Hamlin must battle all creatures great and greater, as envisioned by special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen, in his last feature film...

Hamlin is a perfect Perseus, but the all-star supporting cast adds surprisingly little. Arguably the only one really earning his paycheck is Mr. Meredith. Of course, it helps that Meredith is given the least dull supporting role; others have precious little to make an impression with. The Gods are a bore. Behind his sex symbol looks, Hamlin was sometimes undervalued as a serious actor. Much later, playing a scene with him was difficult; so he keenly and generously went over the lines and motivations, making it easy. Watching Hamlin and Meredith is fun, Ms. Bowker is nakedly beautiful, and the visual effects keep it lively.

******* Clash of the Titans (6/12/81) Desmond Davis ~ Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Laurence Olivier

Classic Fantasy

[gigan-92 · 9/10 · 7 January 2011]

one of my all time favorite fantasy films, released for all of us to enjoy long before the advent of CGI that runs amok in today's cinema. This is raw Ray Harryhausen gold at his finest and I'm glad to finally have bought this on DVD. Anybody who critiques this movie is thinking too hard. Simply sit back and enjoy the ride would you? The only weak aspect of this movie I could point out would be the B movie acting, but that's to be expected and really shouldn't deter what most and I myself consider a classic. Everything else in this film is superb. The story flows fluently and never drags and the characters, no matter how badly acted they maybe to you, are interesting and plot driven. If you look at it with the right perspective you could find this a very ideological piece, concerning the frailty of a man compared to a deity and how a man can truly over come the crushing binds of over-tyrannical religion. But hey, that's me, you might view it as just another Harryhausen flick.

Regardless, the movie delivers on that aspect as well. The stop motion is life like, the pinnacle of its day and more than enough to stand against the over blown CGI-fest of today. There are so many visual feats in this movie, its hard to pick one that was truly my favorite. The amount of detail on each one is extraordinary. Overall, I'd say the Kraken is undoubtedly my favorite of them all, but my favorite scene all together is the battle with Sedusa. Just from the eerie start of the sequence with the boat ride across the foggy river to the dark and gloomy innards of her temple, all leading to a very intense fight. Not only does the cinematography always capture the tension and bold atmosphere of the film throughout. And the score by Laurence Rosenthal was just astonishing and sharpened every moment of the film beautifully. Whether it be the terror of Sedusa, or the majestic emergence of the Kraken, or rather the silence of the score as Perseus and his men battle the deadly scorpions.

"Clash of the Titans" is a classic by all means, even in the wake of its remake I believe the original is far superior.

A classic Harryhausen cheesfest

[mullac777 · 7/10 · 19 September 2012]

Clash of the Titans! A story of daring adventurers, on the spot romance and cheesy dialogue can be considered a classic but is very much flawed both for better and worse.The setting of Greek mythology opens up a gateway to a whole cast of "epic" stop-motion creatures which is Ray Harryhausen's specialty but if you've never tried stop-motion before it may be harder to appreciate his great work which is the best part of this film As for the films weaknesses, it has many. However my biggest complaint is just how dated it feels. It looks and sounds like a film from the 1960's, like another Hausen picture "Jason and the Argonauts". The characters are fairly 2-dimensional and the romance sub-plot is a bit confusing with just how silly it is but at the same time it works to the films advantage. Its silly but entertaining, sometimes you'll be laughing your arse off but in a good way. The film doesn't exactly take its self seriously. When it comes down to it the films at its best when there's monsters on the screen, especially one fight with a medusa which blew me away but I won't spoil it, but besides that its not particularly strong in the other categories. I give a strong recommendation nonetheless for just how entertaining it is. If you see it in a shop, don't hesitate to pick it up.

Enjoyable, slightly childish fantasy based on the Greek myth of Perseus and Andromeda.

[barnabyrudge · 5/10 · 14 July 2007]

Greek mythology is full of stories of extraordinary heroism and romance, thrilling danger, and weird and wonderful creatures. It is hardly surprising that movie-makers are able to find interesting potential for big screen fantasy films from such material. Indeed, the only surprise is how few Greek myths have actually been adapted into movies over the years. The Hercules story has been done to death, admittedly, and who could forget Jason And The Argonauts? But many of the other well-known Greek myths haven't yet been seized upon by producers, writers and directors. Clash Of The Titans is a reasonably enjoyable, somewhat over-acted entry in the mythology/fantasy stakes which takes its inspiration from the myth of Perseus and Andromeda. The film tells its story with almost childish simplicity, but there's certainly a level of innocent fun to be gleaned from viewing it.

Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker) is promised as the future wife of Calibos (Neil McCarthy). Calibos is the son of the Goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith) who lives on Mount Olympus with all the other deities. When Thetis falls out with the supreme God, Zeus (Laurence Olivier), the latter transforms Calibos into a fearsomely ugly and deformed monster. Angered at this, Thetis threatens to unleash a terrible beast called the Kraken upon the world unless Andromeda is offered as a sacrifice to the creature. A young hero named Perseus (Harry Hamlin) - spared death by Zeus when he was just a baby - is called upon to rescue the princess. His quest is virtually impossible, and involves him surviving various tests and challenges if he is to succeed. Amongst other things, he must capture the flying horse Pegasus; solve an impossible riddle set by Andromeda's mother Cassiopeia (Sian Phillips); face the terrifying Stygian witches; sever the head of the hideous gorgon Medusa without getting himself turned to stone; fight against the monstrous Calibos; and somehow defeat the gigantic Kraken before it devours poor Andromeda. With great courage, Perseus sets about completing the many tasks appointed to him - but every moment he loses completing the challenges brings Andromeda closer to her horrible sacrifice. Will Perseus be able to reach her in time?

Clash Of The Titans is one of those films that bears a degree of nostalgic value for anyone who saw it as a child. If your first viewing of the film is as an adult, it is unlikely to make much of an impression; but there is something appealing about its plasticine monsters and diverse adventures for the younger crowd. Hamlin is remarkable stilted as Perseus, but Bowker looks appropriately virginal as Andromeda - the supporting characters are portrayed by a roster of big stars in extended cameos, ranging from the deliciously hammy Olivier (as Zeus) to the charismatic Burgess Meredith (as a wise playwright who gives Perseus a helping hand). The likes of Ursula Andress, Claire Bloom, Flora Robson, Maggie Smith and Jack Gwillim provide amusing performances as various gods, goddesses and monsters. Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion creature effects are entertaining as always, even if they seem a little jerky for a film made in 1981 (the post-Star Wars years, where the nature of special effects had changed considerably). Photographically the film is a bit murky, and director Desmond Davis presents it all in a rather by-the-numbers fashion. However, Clash Of The Titans is a passable fantasy flick on the whole, and definitely a good choice if you need to keep the kids quiet.

Classic!

[franko1998 · 10/10 · 29 December 2002]

This movie is imaginative and enthralling, made even more charming by the use of stop motion effects. Movies, especially fantasy movies, really shouldn't look 100% real. That's why it's myth/fantasy. The monsters are excellent, especially Medusa. Honestly, I wouldn't want to see them done with today's special effects. The old ones make the film much cooler.

As far as the acting, there are no real problems. Harry Hamlin and Judi Bowker are kind of lifeless, but it almost seems appropriate for the characters. The gods are all portrayed in a way that reflects the actual myths. In actuality, there is no blatantly bad acting present here.

"Clash of the Titans" only loosely follows the actual myth of Perseus, but that doesn't detract from the overall quality of the film. If you are a person who watches movies for FUN, they way they were meant to be watched, you'll probably love this movie!

Not quite that faithful to the myth

[The-Sarkologist · 7/10 · 21 January 2012]

This movie was released a lot later than I had originally thought. For some reason I believed that it was made in the 60s, however as you watch the movie, noting that the special effects aren't as wonderful as, say, movies made these days, you still get the feel that the effects are somewhat more sophisticated than the average movies one would encounter in the 60s. However, we must remember that making this movie would have been a difficult endeavour in any case because, as mentioned, computer enhanced special effects did not exist back then, but rather clever manipulation with film and models.

This movie is based loosely on the Ancient Greek myth of the hero Perseus and alternates between the events on Earth, and the political maneuverings in Olympus. Unfortunately, though, I would hardly call this movie one full of political intrigue. While the idea is ripe for a story of political intrigue in the halls of Olympus, it simply turns out to be a minor tussle between Thetis, Goddess of the Sea, and Zeus. Zeus is portrayed as an autocrat, who is also quite a sleaze (which is what he was in Mythology) and when the lesser gods disagree with him, they tend to mutter in secret. However, I note that a lot of Christian rhetoric about justice and mercy is spurted from the mouth of Zeus, which in the ancient world, simply was not the way of the Gods.

As for the story itself, I could pick a number of holes in it, but I will chose not to. In many ways it is similar to the later movie (which was based on this film). However, it is noteworthy that Perseus was not sent on his quest from the city of Joppa (and I do not believe he ever actually went to Joppa in the legend) but rather was sent on his quest from Argos, at the machinations of the reigning king (who had a prophecy saying that Perseus would slay him). He meets Andromeda on his journey, but she was chained to a rock in Ethiopia. She was somebody whom he picked up on his return journey, rather than the center of his quest.

This was an okay film, but it had enough that my year 11 history teacher decided to show it in history class once. However, while it is based on the myth, it does not follow it closely. Perseus did not travel with an entourage to find the gorgons, rather he had been given a gift of flying shoes. After he had slain Medusa, the Pegasus appeared, and he then flew back home on it. However, despite the flaws, it is still an entertaining film.

Classical Gas Pass

[slokes · 2/10 · 24 January 2006]

Stodgy, overlong, and muddy, "Clash Of The Titans" exists and is celebrated by its admirers as the last cinematic platform for special-effects wizard Ray Harryhausen. Such loyalty doesn't obscure the fact, more commonly noted in today's CGI age but true in 1981, too, that special effects need to serve an interesting story to be worth seeing at all.

"Clash" isn't interesting. It isn't even coherent. An angry Greek guy stands on a coastline, waves splashing extras as he chews the scenery and exposes his fillings while decrying his daughter's pregnant condition. To bury his shame, he sticks her and her son in a coffin and throws them into the ocean, which carries them to a magical isle where the boy, Perseus, grows into future "L.A. Law" star Harry Hamlin in his early beefcake days. Meanwhile, in an all-white space meant to be Olympus but more like a dentist's waiting room, a cross Zeus played by Lawrence Olivier decides to punish the father's murderous crime by, well, by destroying the father's city and murdering his subjects.

"Release the crappin'!" Zeus cries out.

Actually, that's kraken, a sea creature not part of Greek lore but an early chance for Harryhausen to strut his stuff.

Some movies live on because they are good. "Clash Of The Titans" seems to survive instead on nostalgia, for the Harryhausen aesthetic of Sinbad and Jason and claymation stop-action fight scenes with skeletons when such effects had to be earned with something more than a press of a button. It probably helps to have been young and impressionable when the film came out, geared as it is to a juvenile audience with a robotic owl clearly modeled on that classic Greek demigod R2-D2.

But the action scenes are not terribly gripping; even the Medusa scene praised by many here plays too choppy and inert. There's no interest in the characters; though Hamlin and co-star Judi Bowker are pretty to look at, they are given no more to do than recite threadbare lines with minimal emotion. The gods bicker and utter various profundities, with Olivier looking like he's being filmed between proctology exams and most of the other Olympians standing around looking concerned. Like Jamie Farr in "Scrooged" and Phil Silvers in "The Cheap Detective" Ursula Andress as Aphrodite has star billing and one line of dialogue. Maggie Smith pines for a mutant goat boy while Claire Bloom pines for the days she and Sir Larry worked on "Richard III."

Either director Desmond Davis and screenwriter Beverley Cross were inept, or else they were under strict orders from producer Harryhausen not to do anything interesting that would distract from his effects work. The sets are bare, the outfits plain (togas over jogging shorts), and the secondary characters exist largely to be killed off by Harryhausen's monsters or else cheer when the heroes do something we are supposed to be excited by. Burgess Meredith plays up his wizened-but-puckish persona as a playwright who helps Perseus capture the winged horse Pegasus, then both coot and steed melt into the background.

Greek myth stories have a lot of potential to entertain. They are the oldest surviving form of Western story, after all, and have been passed on a couple dozen centuries already at least, however updated and distorted. "Clash Of The Titans" could have been a nice popcorn return to civilization's colorfully chaotic roots; instead it dodders and pontificates, giving us a few peaks here and there at something greater behind its limp façade, but never coming close to delivering anything worthwhile.