Greek mythology seems to be perfect Hollywood fodder; a world based on strict rules where adventure is commonplace and damsels-in-distress lie around every corner. With all of these elements, a movie based in mythology would seem to be a no-brainer, a surefire hit… right? Let’s examine two recent releases, one that pulls the formula off correctly and manages to be fun, whimsical, and exciting; and one that is just a pile of cheap CG. Those two movies are Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and Clash of the Titans.
Ok, let’s begin with the bad news: Clash of the Titans starring Sam Worthington, whom I happen to love, is a mess. A remake of the 1981 film of the same name, Clash was a film I had been looking forward to for a while before its release. I mean, what wasn’t to like? You had the statuesque Sam Worthington battling gigantic scorpions in a desert with a sword. How fucking cool is that? Oh, and let’s not forget to mention Liam Neeson unleashing a towering behemoth of a Kraken on the world. So, where does Clash go wrong? To put it bluntly, almost everywhere. The acting is abysmal, the script incoherent, the ending brief, and the CG poor. The movie also tries to stay serious to a fault; and, in a movie featuring two-story scorpions, you need to be self-aware enough to laugh at yourself. Also, as another slap in the face, money-grubbing Hollywood producers chose to convert the film to 3D in post-production. Now, let me be clear, I haven’t seen the 3D version. However, in 2D the CG already looks outdated, often losing focus and containing dull colors. These are two problems that 3D exacerbates, and I can’t help but cringe at the thought of seeing this in 3D. Good news though, I somehow still love Sam Worthington. I don’t know why, but he just seems to epitomize everything I want out of an action hero. Now, hopefully someone will put him in a good movie.
After watching Clash, Dave and I needed more of a mythology fix and moved on to Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. This movie, despite its lackluster reviews, proved to be the perfect lime-wedge to Clash’s tequila. Let’s be fair, Percy Jackson is by no means a perfect movie. However, it has the perfect combination of light-heartedness and adventure to make it a very enjoyable movie. Many people will rightly compare it to Harry Potter and I’m one of those people. Let me put it this way, Percy Jackson is more enjoyable than most Potter films I’ve seen. Chris Columbus, the films director, keeps the movie light and self-aware. The film seamlessly blends past and present, reimagining mythology in the modern world: from Medusa wearing sunglasses to the Lotus Eaters inhabiting a Vegas casino. While not a perfect movie, Percy Jackson manages to improve upon all of the faults of Clash and provides a more thoroughly enjoyable retelling of mythology.
Overall though, these films don’t simply demonstrate a thesis on how to approach mythology in film, but even more broadly they show one of Hollywood’s more recent fatal flaws: its focus on bigger as better; an approach that takes the heart out of the movies they are producing. In an age of ever-increasing costs, films are becoming more and more formulaic. From top to bottom it seems as if there are few people in the industry willing to step up and take a risk; to make people feel a childish nostalgia when entering the dark of the theater. Why must films – especially those based in fantasy – take themselves so seriously when they are meant to be escapist fares? Perhaps others won’t see the comparison, but its one I can feel when watching these two movies.
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