CLASH OF THE TITANS / WRATH OF THE TITANS [2010 / 2012] [2 Film Collection] [3D Blu-ray + 2D Blu-ray + Digital ULTRAVIOLET] [UK Release] The Clash Begins in 3D! Feel The Wrath in 3D!
In ‘CLASH OF THE TITANS,’ the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus [Sam Worthington] is helpless to save his family from Hades [Ralph Fiennes], vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus [Liam Neeson] and unleash hell on earth. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, Perseus and his warriors will only survive if Perseus accepts his power as a god defies fate and creates his own destiny.
FILM FACT: ‘CLASH OF THE TITANS’ filming began on the 27th April, 2009, near London, at Shepperton Studios, and also at Pinewood Studios and at Longcross Studios, near Chertsey, in Surrey. Filming also took place in Wales, the Canary Islands (Spain) (primarily at the World Heritage Site, Teide National Park in Tenerife), Maspalomas Dunes, Gran Canaria, and Timanfaya National Park in Lanzarote. Aerial photography was conducted in Iceland and Ethiopia. Filming of volcano scenes at the Harriet hole in Dinorwic Slate Quarry in Wales wrapped at the end of July. This slate quarry has also been used for locations for the films ‘Willow’ and ‘Street Fighter.’ Bubo, Athena's mechanical owl in the original 1981 film, makes a cameo appearance in this remake and its sequel.
Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Gemma Arterton, Alexa Davalos, Tine Stapelfeldt, Mads Mikkelsen, Luke Evans, Izabella Miko, Liam Cunningham, Hans Matheson, Ashraf Barhom, Mouloud Achour, Ian Whyte, Nicholas Hoult, Vincent Regan, Polly Walker, Katherine Loeppky, Luke Treadaway, Pete Postlethwaite, Elizabeth McGovern, Sinead Michael, Ross Mullan, Robin Berry, Graham Hughes, Martin McCann, Rory McCann, Kaya Scodelario, Alexander Siddig, Tamer Hassan, Danny Huston, William Houston, Jamie Sives, Phil McKee, Geoffrey Beevers, Michael Grady-Hall, Laura Kachergus, Adrian Bouchet, David Kennedy, Nina Young, Jane March, Nathalie Cox, Agyness Deyn, Paul Kynman, Natalia Vodianova, Charlotte Comer, Stephen Armourae (uncredited), Gioacchino Jim Cuffaro (uncredited), Sarah-Jane De Crespigny (uncredited), Ramzy El Huraiby (uncredited), Otto Farrant (uncredited), Sean Francis George (uncredited), Eric Geynes (uncredited), Salem Hanna (uncredited), Amy Hendrick (uncredited), John Hiorns (uncredited), Jimi James (uncredited), Yezid Jimenez (uncredited), Eman Kazemi (uncredited), Maximilian Law (uncredited), Louis Leterrier (uncredited), Sonu Louis (uncredited), Dani Medina (uncredited), João Costa Menezes (uncredited), Tony Montalbano (uncredited), Rana Morrison (uncredited), Mark Mottram (uncredited), Deanna St Omer (uncredited), David Orpheus (uncredited), Gino Picciano (uncredited), Dennis Santucci (uncredited), Landon Sweeney (uncredited), Katrina Vasilieva (uncredited) and Paul Warren (uncredited)
Director: Louis Leterrier
Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Brenda Berrisford, Guy Wilson, Jon Jashni, Karl McMillan, Kevin de la Noy, Richard D. Zanuck, Thomas Tull and William Fay
Screenplay: Beverley Cross (1981 screenplay), Matt Manfredi (screenplay), Phil Hay (screenplay) and Matt Manfredi (screenplay)
Composer: Ramin Djawadi
Cinematography: Peter Menzies Jr., A.C.S. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 2.0 Audio Descriptive
Spanish [Castilian]: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Italian: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
German: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
French: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Dutch, Danish, French, Finnish, German SDH, Italian SDH, Norwegian, Português, Castilian Spanish, Swedish and Icelandic
* * * * *
‘WRATH OF THE TITANS,’ it is now a decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus [Sam Worthington] the demigod son of Zeus [Liam Neeson] is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius [John Bell]. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity's lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos. Betrayed by Hades, Zeus is captured and brought to the Underworld, and Perseus must once again become a hero in order to find Zeus and end the Titans' struggle to rule the earth.
FILM FACT: Principal photography for the film ‘WRATH OF THE TITANS’ began on the 23rd March, 2011. Filming took place in studios outside London and later shot on location in Surrey, South Wales and in the Canary Islands on the island of Tenerife and Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia.
Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Edgar Ramírez, Toby Kebbell, Rosamund Pike, Bill Nighy, Danny Huston, John Bell, Lily James, Alejandro Naranjo, Freddy Drabble, Kathryn Carpenter, Matt Milne, Kett Turton, Sinéad Cusack, Spencer Wilding, Juan Reyes, Jorge Guimerá, Asier Macazaga, Daniel Galindo Rojas, Lamberto Guerra, George Blagden, Killian Burke, Alastair Cording, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Martin Bayfield, Lasco Atkins (uncredited), Richard Burman (uncredited), Luke Davies (uncredited), Domingo de Luis (uncredited), Morgan Delle Piane (uncredited), Richard Goss (uncredited), Matthew Hobbs (uncredited), Tim Howard (uncredited), Alex Klaus (uncredited), Dion Lloyd (uncredited), Nick Massey (uncredited), Jimmy Pethrus (uncredited), Dean Pritchard (uncredited), James Michael Rankin (uncredited), Tony Reddington (uncredited), Jd Roth-round (uncredited), Steve Saunders (uncredited) Paul Warren (uncredited)
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Callum McDougall Jon Jashni, Kevin de la Noy, Louis Leterrier Polly Johnsen and Louis Leterrier
Screenplay: Beverley Cross (1981 screenplay), David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (screenplay/story), Dan Mazeau (story) and Greg Berlanti (story)
Composer: Javier Navarrete
Cinematography: Benjamin V. Davis (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 5.1 Audio Descriptive
Spanish [Castilian]: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Italian: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
German: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
French: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Dutch, Danish, French, Finnish, German SDH, Italian SDH, Norwegian, Spanish [Castilian], Swedish and Icelandic
* * * * *
Running Time: 205 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 4
Studio: Warner Home Video
Andrew’s 3D Blu-ray Review: ‘CLASH OF THE TITANS’ [2010] is a remake of the charming 1981 film that told the story of Perseus and how he was able to save the helpless Princess Andromeda from the Kraken. This updated version of the movie may share the same title, as well as some of the characters like Zeus, Perseus, Princess Andromeda, Medusa, and of course the evil sea monster the Kraken, but that's pretty much all they have in common.
‘CLASH OF THE TITANS’ tells the story of Perseus [Sam Worthington], who does not know he is the son of Zeus [Liam Neeson]. Perseus and his family are caught in the middle of a battle between the soldiers of Argos and the gods. When the soldiers destroy the statue of Zeus, knocking it into the ocean, it causes the lord of the underworld Hades [Ralph Fiennes] to rise. Hades kills Perseus' family, leaving Perseus as the only survivor. Once back in Argos, Queen Cassiopeia [Polly Walker] commits the ultimate no-no by claiming that her daughter is more divine than any god. Hades appears when she says this and gives everyone an ultimatum. In 10 days, while the sun is eclipsed, they will either sacrifice Princess Andromeda [Alexa Davalos] to the Kraken, or the Kraken will destroy the city.
I would have been totally fine with a nearly shot for shot remake of the original film, because let's be honest, while it's classic Ray Harryhausen, those special effects are pretty outdated, albeit in a very charming way. This film failed in part because Perseus was really only out for revenge. In the original, Perseus won the love of Andromeda by answering a riddle correctly. Then he had to learn how to stop the Kraken to save her life. The major motivation was not revenge, but love, which is a much more compelling reason to set on such a dangerous quest. That's just one example of what's wrong with this movie. The charm and reasoning behind everything in the original is lost in this remake, but despite this I suspect they felt they could do much more with the CGI special effects which do add some ambience to the film. What we're left with is 100 minutes of nonstop action pack action and fighting. If this was your first experience with ‘CLASH OF THE TITANS’ do yourself a favour and check out the classic 1981 version, the story is better and you'll likely get a kick out of the old time special effects, but despite this, I still like this version and especially watching it in the stunning 3D.
* * * * *
3D Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘CLASH OF THE TITANS’ Blu-ray, and claims a few milestones in the process. This is the first live-action movie to hit the format, as well as the first day and date release of a 3D film to arrive the same day as the 2D version. Aside from the 3D, this transfer suffers from some of the same problems as the 2D transfer. There were numerous instances of edge enhancement and frequent lens flares and halos. There was also a complete lack of grain and noise. Some people may enjoy an unnaturally clean digital picture, but I prefer the feel you get with the occasional appearance of these elements. Overall I was still pleasantly surprised with this transfer. Clearly Warner Brothers put some work into updating this 3D conversion. Many problems seen in the theatrical run seem to have been fixed, and numerous improvements appear to have been made. Unfortunately, the overall quality is greatly dragged down by the nauseating effect created in fast camera movement sequences and the lack of texture displayed throughout the film. The true test of this transfer will come when we finally get a 3D Blu-ray release of a live-action film shot in 3D, then we'll have some material to stack this up against. But despite this, 'Clash of the Titans' is a good effort.
3D Blu-ray Audio Quality – ‘CLASH OF THE TITANS’ Blu-ray features the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio experience is excellent. If you're a fan of explosion after explosion, with the occasional addition of cheesy dialogue, this is the audio mix for you. Your rear speakers and bass are going to get a great workout from scenes like the final battle with the Kraken or the destruction of the statue of Zeus. Both scenes feature excellent examples of water splashing all around you and sounds ranging across the spectrum. Dialogue is crystal clear and is never overtaken by the bass or surround effects. Aside from the sound effects and clear speech, I think the score for this film was one of the most underwhelming I have heard in some time. Nothing about it came across as memorable and I never got the feeling that the music represented an epic journey. The film may be nothing to write home about, but this soundtrack sure does deliver a solid punch!
* * * * *
'CLASH OF THE TITANS’ 2D Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Deleted Scenes [2010] [1080p] [1.78:1] [19:00] As with the USA release of ‘CLASH OF THE TITANS’ this special feature is the only DVD feature carried over to this UK 3D Blu-ray release is this collection of deleted scenes. Most of the scenes include some very rough footage, with half completed special effects. The result can be funny at times. Check out the extended scene where Hades first appears to the meeting of the gods. Without a digitally enhanced voice and glowing effects added, he looks and sounds utterly ridiculous. The only other clip worth noting is an alternate scene with Apollo and Perseus. This scene was replaced with the scene in the final cut where Zeus gives Perseus the coin before he enters the underworld. The alternate scene is basically the same, but substitutes Apollo for Zeus.
Special Feature: Maximum Movie Mode: This is a pop-up picture in picture window that will appear from time to time while watching the film. Material includes interviews with the cast and crew, the visual effects department, and hair and makeup. There are numerous clips of pre- production design, on set walkthroughs/rehearsal, stunt training, and loads more. In addition, you can also access focus point videos throughout the movie when prompted. This track gets old after about 30 minutes since all they talk about is what a "great job" they did pulling this film off.
Special Feature: Focus Points [2010] [1080p] [1.78:1] [35:00] The focus points featured in the Maximum Movie Mode is also available individually on the main menu. There are ten videos in total and includes: “Sam Worthington is Perseus,” “Zeus: Father of Gods and Men,” “Enter the World of Hades,” “Calibos: The Man Behind the Monster,” “Tenerife: A Continent on an Island,” “Scorpioch,” “Actors and their Stunts,” “Wales: A Beautiful Scarred Landscape,” “Bringing Medusa to Life” and “Prepare for the Kraken."
Special Feature: Sam Worthington: An Action Hero for the Ages [2010] [1080p] [1.78:1] [8:00] A short video dedicated to the work Sam Worthington put into this film. Shows mostly footage of Sam Worthington practicing stunts and performing those stunts on the set.
Special Feature: Alternate Ending [2010] [1080p] [1,78:1] [5:00] An alternate ending is included exclusively on the Blu-ray release of this film. Perseus confronts Zeus on the top of Mount Olympus.
Special Feature: Digital Copy: A digital copy download code is included with this movie. No physical disc is included for the digital copy.
Special Feature: BD-Live: BD-Live is available.
* * * * *
Andrew’s 3D Blu-ray Review: It's rare to find a sequel that surpasses its predecessor, let alone matches it in terms of entertainment value. Of course, when that predecessor is to be the ‘Clash of the Titans’ [2010], a remake of the 1981 favourite, it's not really much of a challenge to do slightly better. Its follow-up, ‘WRATH OF THE TITANS’ [2012] fixes all that, starting with a more menacing title and a story from a trio of writers which lives up to its promise.
Part of the problem with the first film is the general lack of interest. The filmmakers of ‘WRATH OF THE TITANS’ correct this by jumping into the CGI spectacle sooner, as in the chimera scene, and moving into the heart of the plot with a more energetic pace. In the first few minutes, Zeus [Liam Neeson] and Poseidon [Danny Huston] are betrayed by their brother Hades [Ralph Fiennes] and Zeus's son Ares [Édgar Ramírez]. Don't get me wrong, the dialogue is still pretty stupid and shallow, but South African director Jonathan Liebesman has us overlooking the script's banality by hastily moving from one plot point to the next yet slowing down for a staggeringly splendid clash against the mightiest Titan of them all: Kronos.
During this rather amusingly entertaining battle, a human army readies in the side-lines, mouths agape at the magnificence of an erupting volcano and seeing a gargantuan god spew lava and ash everywhere. They are led by the lovely Rosamund Pike, who looks absolutely stunning no matter how much dirt and mud they fling at her face. Ms. Pike replaces Alexa Davalos as the princess now turned Queen Andromeda who was meant as sacrifice to the Kraken in the comparatively boring remake. This time around, the monarch joins Perseus's adventure into the underworld in hopes of rescuing Zeus from captivity and stopping granddad from escaping his eternal prison inside Tartarus.
The other problem with ‘WRATH OF THE TITANS’ is that we are never in doubt of Perseus's abilities to defeat the Kraken, especially when the answer for the monster's destruction is literally spelled out to him. In ‘WRATH OF THE TITANS’ the hero still comes out on top, but the exact details for arriving at that conclusion are fairly unpredictable, which is refreshing. As the story develops, the chances of a happy outcome look gloomy and the fight against Kronos actually grows dire. The whole thing is satisfying enough though a bit clunky in a couple spots, but the subplot with Hades and Zeus helps to some extent in making this fantasy adventure more tolerable, or at least give Ralf Fiennes and Liam Neeson a few moments to shine together. This isn't great cinema and is the furthest from the best film we've seen so far this year or likely the rest, but it makes a decently good time killer and it's certainly an improvement over its predecessor.
* * * * *
3D Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘WRATH OF THE TITANS’ brings the chaos to 3D Blu-ray with a mostly good but highly-detailed 1080p encoded image. Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio and in spite of the darken glasses, the picturesque cinematography of Ben Davis comes through and looks spectacular. Fine lines around foliage and the stone houses are sharply defined while threading and the smallest smudge remains distinct and unmistakable, revealing lifelike textures on the faces of actors. Like its predecessor, this sequel was originally shot in 2D and later converted to 3D during post-production. But unlike the first film, the presentation is much improved with a greater sense of depth and dimensionality throughout. Several areas unfortunately don't benefit from the technology, looking somewhat flat. This tends to happen most in dialogue scenes. Once the action picks up, the video is suddenly deeply layered with an admirable impression of distance and good separation between objects. The best sequences taking advantage of the added depth are inside Tartarus, making the cave prison more spacious and immense than before, which 3D enthusiasts are sure to enjoy.
3D Blu-ray Audio Quality – ‘WRATH OF THE TITANS’ continues with an exceptional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack that fills the room with the chaos of battle and the wailing winds of Tartarus. The front soundstage is wide and expansive with random off-screen noises, generating a mostly consistent wall of sound that's very engaging. Dialogue, whether spoken softly or screamed at each other, is precise and intelligible, revealing the slightest changes in the emotions of characters. Dynamic range is sharply detailed and crystal clear in the upper frequencies, so we don't miss out on every clang and clink of metal upon metal or the fiery swoosh of Kronos' arm flinging lava everywhere. The low-end provides an authoritative, wall-rattling presence that's very thrilling and often digs deep during scenes when Kronos breathes or attempts to speak. Rear activity is also amazing with several discrete effects which expand the sound field and immerse the listener. A couple times, such effects do come off rather gimmicky, like the forest booby-traps of the Cyclops where noises are easy to localize. But this isn't a serious issue, just a very mild distraction that's ultimately a personal nit-pick. In fact, several sequences employ the surrounds to excellent, enveloping effect, such as when Perseus and gang find their way inside Tartarus. Another outstanding moment is the final battle against Kronos, bloated with flawless pans, objects flying all around and discrete directionality, making this otherwise average fantasy actioner all the more bearable.
* * * * *
‘WRATH OF THE TITANS’ 2D Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Maximum Movie Mode: Viewers can choose between two separate modes, both of which switch over to new screens with separate video feed. "Path of the Gods" offers fairly-good background information on the Titans, Olympians and other creatures seen throughout the film. "Path of Men" comes with a variety of Behind-the-Scenes footage and tons of interviews of cast and crew on the production design and the work done in creating specific scenes. Users are also given the option to switch back and forth between the two modes while watching the movie.
Special Feature: Focus Points [2012] [1080p] [1.78:1] The same collection of Behind-the-Scene footage and interviews as seen in “Path of the Gods” [21:00] and “Path of Men” [12:00]. They can either be watched all together or separately.
Special Feature: Deleted Scenes [2012] [1080p] [1.78:1] [11:00] Here we get to via three incomplete sequences are included here, all with the potential to hinder the running time of the film.
Finally, ‘CLASH OF THE TITANS’ might be superfluous, but the same can be said of any number of films, remake or not, special effects-laden or not, all-star cast or not. Director Louis Leterrier's picture boasts all those things, and it's a solid effort that never oversteps its bounds and delivers only what it promises; it's a big, sweeping tale of classic adventure amped up for the 21st century audiences and with no desire to be anything more or anything less. There's something to be said for a picture that exists within its means and seems perfectly content to do so; `Clash of the Titans' is one such picture, and the film is all the better for it. This Blu-ray 3D release still sports a 2D version of the film found on a second Blu-ray disc, especially if the 3D presentation isn't to your liking. But what is brilliant is Warner Home Video massive soundtrack that packs a punch, as is the brilliant assortment of extras. ‘WRATH OF THE TITANS’ is still quite entertaining, and it manages to surpass its predecessor on numerous levels. Offering better writing, special effects, and an engaging development between Hades and Zeus, the sequel is the better movie for killing some time. The Blu-ray arrives with near-reference audio, a surprisingly decent 3D presentation, but sadly a very small collection of special features, despite this, the overall package worth the purchase for fans for everyone else. Despite a lot of critical negativity towards these two Blu-ray discs, well I really liked them and people should not take these films too seriously, as it is just good CGI entertainment and I am really pleased that I now have these 2 Film Collection in my Blu-ray Collection and it is good to now and again to just sit back, get the popcorn in and just enjoy a double bill of rollercoaster tour de force action packed films. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
