Time has been kind to Titans -- and not because the stop-motion Ray Harryhausen effects have aged well (they haven't) nor that the story is all that compelling (it isn't). The kitschy Clash of the Titans falls into the 'so bad it's good' category. It wears its heart on its sleeve as it retells the myth of Perseus, the son of Zeus who tames the elusive Pegasus, beheads the dangerous Medusa, and defeats the menacing Kraken to save the beautiful Andromeda. Star-studded would be a misnomer, despite Laurence Olivier leading the gods as Zeus and Burgess Meredith playing the scholar and playwright Ammon, who coaches Perseus like Mickey coached Rocky.
The real star is special effects legend Harryhausen's stop-motion beasts. Though many of the film's effects sequences play out like they were made for an under-funded educational film reel compared to today's computer-powered creations, they hearken back to a golden age of cinema when magic movie moments were created by painstakingly moving a model a fraction of an inch and shooting frame by frame. It gives Clash of the Titans a timeless charm as it marks a point in movie history when that style of effects -- which brought to classics like King Kong and 20 Million Miles to Earth to life -- reached its pinnacle and, subsequently, its breaking point. There's no escaping into the realism of Titans -- it doesn't exist. Instead, sit back, relax, and enjoy the effects' artistry.
It's almost as if director Desmond Davis had the foresight to know that stop-motion would soon be obsolete and dedicated himself to overusing it. When the action is live, Davis combines predictable Hollywood framing with surprising zooms. It's almost Raimi-esque as Davis' lens quickly focuses on Perseus' sword and shield, and it adds to the film's charm. The influences of more successful adventures couldn't be more apparent. For example, the mechanical owl that follows Perseus on his quest does its best R2-D2 impression. Beeping, booping and saving the day, the owl is the ultimate sidekick and one of many memorable, albeit derivative, characters.
If you haven't seen Clash of the Titans, there's a 75 percent chance that you'll like it because it's basically a collection of movies you already like. The other 20 percent is if you're willing to let your mind go, forgive the wear and tear of time and enjoy the adventure. Add 5 percent if you're nursing a thumping hangover headache by watching a mostly shirtless Harry Hamlin go to the ends of the Earth to save a mostly naked Judi Bowker and you're breathing through your mouth.
