Cheese or Not, Go for the Original
A remake of the classic '80s film of the same name. Both were terrible adaptations of the actual Greek tale of Perseus, but I have to go for the original if given a choice.
The Good
Visually, this movie looked pretty good. I watched it on HBO so I can't say how it was on the big screen or 3D (a good friend of mine said the 3D was horrible though). I have to say that Ralph Fiennes stole the show, as per usually. His Hades was chilling and evil and was some of the best acting in the entire movie. Costumes were great too.
The Bad
All in all, this movie moved almost too fast for its own good while still feeling very sluggish. Sam Worthington wasn't exceptionally believable as the vengeance seeking Perseus and at times I found his acting to be rather flat. While I did thoroughly enjoy Ralph Fiennes's performance, it was very similar to how he plays Lord Voldemort (which I also reallly enjoy), even down to the tone of his voice when delivering certain lines. I hate that Hollywood in general tends to portray Hades as being similar to Satan and the Underworld to Hell. In Greek mythology, EVERYBODY who died went to the Underworld (often collectively known as Hades) and then depending on your actions in life would be sorted accordingly.
I also do not get why Medusa was placed in the Underworld in either version of the film, other than to make it a plot point of getting there, which by the way seemed remarkably easy to find considering.
The Verdict
While I'm certainly glad I didn't shell out the cash to see this movie at the theater, it was not the worst film I have ever seen. Trying to compete in the over the top special effects arena possibly meant that plot had to suffer because of it. I will also admit, I am such a great fan of the original mythology that I often get very annoyed when the material strays so far from it (I'm looking at YOU Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) when the source material gives you basically everything you need. Only two stars, but again if you need to pass time on a cold or rainy afternoon and its on TV give it a shot, you may like it better than I did.
