Movie Review #6: Clash of the Titans 3D

Before I get into the film itself, let me discuss the new 3D phenomenon. I admit that when Avatar reignited 3D I was very skeptical about the contribution that 3D technology would actually make to the cinematic text of the film. After watching Avatar I concluded that while some moments were breathtaking because they were in 3D, there were at least as many moments that were annoying and distracting. In the end I found that, on the balance, 3D was a wash. I suspect, however, that the only reason it as able to break even was that Avatar was made by James Cameron who is a master craftsman, especially with new, innovative technologies. If Clash of the Titans is any indication, my suspicions are totally confirmed. There were a couple interesting 3D moments but, most of the time, it was distracting and annoying. I don't like wearing the silly glasses with the super thick frames and I don't like having to focus on only one part of the screen. In addition, I noticed something else about 3D this time around. In a normal movie, parts of the frame will be in focus while others are out of focus. This is called depth of field. Often directors use focus to direct your attention. When you add 3D to a film, however, you will still have parts of the frame out of focus. The problem is that in real life, things that are out of focus in my vision come instantly into focus when I direct my attention to them. Not so in a 3D film. They are still out of focus and it bothers my eyes which are used to focusing as they please. In short, I'm not a fan of 3D.

Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of Clash of the Titans either. The 1981 version was no great feat of cinema so I don't think I should have expected as much from this update as I did but, even so, I found this version somewhat lacking. It is clear to me that the director, Louis Letterier, took his cues from the Michael Bay school of directing in which substance and character development are sacrificed in favor of extended action sequences in which the audience never actually sees anything because the editing and camera movements are so frenetic. Overall I found that it lacked significant emotional impact, visual contrast or a satisfying plot.

In Clash of the Titans, we follow Perseus as he is caught up in a cosmic drama of human rebellion against the Greek pantheon and civil war within said pantheon. We learn early that his origins are mysterious and his motive for getting involved in the aforementioned drama is to enact vengeance upon the gods for his family. As the film progressed I found that his motive, which was the core momentum of the film, could apparently be swayed by the batting of some pretty eyelashes. Fortunately the girl behind them insisted he finish the plot, I mean quest.

I'm not sure how intentional it was on the part of the filmmakers but, as someone who is aware of the spiritual atmosphere in our contemporary culture I couldn't help but feel that even though the frustration, anger and rebellion that the human characters in the film felt was directed at the Greek pantheon of gods, the sentiment was intended to be applied to all concepts of God. It seemed that one could easily replace the gods with God and the people would have felt the same about Him. Naturally, I believe that those feelings are based on a misunderstanding of His character. The God of the Bible is not like Zeus. In addition, if the way the gods are portrayed is how the filmmakers view God (though, admittedly, I don't know if it is) then am I to assume that they view those who promote worship of God like the wild, insane street prophet in Argos? No doubt this is how some people view those of us who believe in God and I would be surprised if this movie would convince someone who didn't already think that way to start. It just makes me sad.