Wrath Of The Titans 3D (2012/Warner Blu-ray 3D w/Blu-ray 2D & DVD)

 

3D Picture: B-     Picture: B- & C     Sound: B- & C+     Extras: C-     Film: D

 

 

We are at the point where Hollywood making sequels to remakes, including with very big budgets, is common… too common for its own good.  They rarely work (like the recent Robert Downey Jr. Holmes sequel, but at least that is a legendary character) and some have included the worst films ever made (Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle), so these are big money risks as inane as (hope you’re sitting down) spending the money on an original idea.  Johnathan Liebesman’s horridly entitled Wrath Of The Titans 3D (2012) is the sequel to the hit remake of the 1981 MGM/UA fantasy film that would have done better had Raiders Of The Lost Ark not been released the same weekend.

 

The 2010 Clash Of The Titans 3D got lucky at the box office, but the studios only seem to understand profits and not a one-shot success, as you can gather from our coverage of that Louis Leterrier film starting at this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10548/Cats+&+Dogs+%E2%80%93+The+R

 

 

Sam Worthington did not exactly become a household name since and his choice of films since (Texas Killing Fields, Last Night) did not help, but he is back as Perseus in this sequel that has most of its original cast back (save Rosamund Pike replacing Alexa Davalos as Andromeda and Gemma Arterton replacing Diane Rane as Io, adding to the odd lack of a female factor in these films due to lack of instability, but that’s scheduling for you) as the Titans get free (or we would not have a film) to battle the Gods as they find their own conflict and betrayal affecting their power (or we would not have a film).

 

The point is, there is no good reason here in the screenplay for us to have a film and the fact that Warner could find no writer to come up with a really good idea to have a sequel should tell you how tired, boring and much less energetic than the problematic 2010 film this is.  This starts poorly, never picks up, puts in overdone (and somewhat dated, unrealistic) digital visual effects and loud sound effects to punctuate the boredom and also wastes our time as it wastes actors like the aforementioned plus Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Bill Nighy, Danny Hudson and everyone else down to the extras.

 

Besides some of the weakest, dullest promotion for a big budget film I saw prior to its release, this did not do well because it imagines an audience that is simply not there.  Who is this made for?  I was simply amazed how bad this was and how almost everyone even looked bored just to collect their paycheck.  The action is unimaginative and everything we have seen before and though the digital animation of the creatures had to match the first film, it seems dull and should have been a notable improvement over the last.  Even sound effects seem recycled.

 

Unless you really, really, really liked the first film, Wrath Of The Titans 3D or even in 2D makes the “D” stand for dull!

 

 

The 1.85 X 1, 1080p full HD MVC-encoded 3-D – Full Resolution digital High Definition image on the Blu-ray 3D version has the same problem as the first film, darker than the 2D due to the glasses cutting off light and a conversion job that is obvious and sort of defeats the purpose of 3D.  The film was shot in a combination of Super 35mm and a RED 5K camera along with some last minute 3D additional shooting apparently.  However, it is a mix that never coheres and the 1080p 1.85 X 1 High Definition image transfer on the 2D version is not any better.  Detail and depth are compromised by the styling and the awkwardness of the mix.

 

Director of Photography Ben Davis (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Layer Cake, Kick-Ass) gets some good shots in (especially for this money), but he and his director lose control of the visual aspects and misé-en-scene too all the bells and whistles of digital effects and 3D needs.  Weird.  The anamorphically enhanced 2D DVD is so soft and weak that it is to be skipped and is only here for convenience.

 

The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix has some good soundfield surround moments when the action happens, but the sound for some odd reason can be towards the front speakers and dialogue too much in the center channel and this is a release that was also blown up to IMAX and had to go through 64 speakers, so the overall playback is awkward on both Blu-ray versions.  The lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix on the DVD is weaker, but is the same mix with the same issues.

 

Extras include UltraViolet Copy, Blu-ray only Maximum Movie mode and 11 minutes of Deleted Scenes that should have been all kept in the final cut of the film and for some very, very bad reason, all were cut.  I hope this is the final film and Warner skips the “trilogy” concept, putting their money somewhere else because this is done!

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo