Wrath of the Titans: mere blockbuster fodder

This trite sequel furthers the worrying decline in Sam Worthington's output since Avatar.

Sam Worthington as Perseus in Wrath of the Titans.

Director: Johnathan Liebesman
Starring: Sam Worthington, Rosamond Pike, Liam Neeson
**

Set a decade after the first film, Wrath of the Titans sees Worthington return as Perseus, called back to battle when his father Zeus (Neeson) is betrayed by Hades and Ares (Ralph Fiennes and Edgar Ramirez), who release the imprisoned Titans. The Clash of the Titans director Louis Leterrier makes way for the Battle: LA filmmaker Jonathan Liebesman, who unfortunately is as fond of bloated, effects-driven films as his predecessor. The result is a movie frustratingly similar to the first, albeit with minor improvements. The plot is more coherent – instead of leaping from one obstacle to the next, we are (mercifully) treated to some exposition through characters such as Bill Nighy's Hephaestus. In the main, however, it becomes a CGI-engorged, noisy assault on the senses. You get the feeling that far more time has been spent on the headache-inducing set pieces than crafting a story worth telling. Worthington's Perseus is as two dimensional as before (mainly because of the script), while Neeson, Danny Huston and Fiennes all overact in their respective roles. The most credit should be given to Pike, spirited and memorable as Queen Andromeda. There is no disguising the fact that Wrath of the Titans is superficial blockbuster fodder, furthering the worrying decline in Worthington's output since Avatar. One can only hope lessons will finally be learnt for the proposed third movie, but on this evidence, it is unlikely.

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