Clash of the Titans (1981): B+

Does it go without saying that I’d forgotten this film almost completely? The one scene I remember vividly- Perseus’ battle with Medusa- is a classic scene of terror and excitment, but otherwise, wow is all I have to say.

Watching it for the first time in what’s probably a couple of decades, this adventure of Greek mythology revisionism immediately engaged me, in the narrative of a young hero cast out on the winds of chance by the Greek Gods, who see no issue with playing with human life on their most tedious whims.

Yes, the film has such main actors as Harry Hamlin (as Perseus), Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith, and Sir Laurence Olivier as Zeus (in a particularly delightful performance), but the real star of the film is Ray Harryhausen, the stop-motion animation master who inspired a generation of filmmakers (from Spielberg, Lucas and Jackson to Pixar and ILM) and crowned a career with the work we see in this film. From the vulture who takes the soul of Andromeda to Calibos at night to the Kraken of the sea to, well, pretty much every creature of fantasy in the film, the great filmmaker’s work is just as exciting as it’s ever been.

And campy, but in a delightful way (why has RiffTrax not done this yet?). Like his ‘60s classic “Jason and the Argonauts, the effects stand the test of time not because of their realism but because of the awe they inspire because of their obviousness as effects. More realistic effects would not work so well (although hey, I am looking forward to the remake on Friday), especially when a mechanical owl (yes, you read that right) comes to lead Perseus on his quest.

Here’s a film that finds the right notes between camp and seriousness- let’s face it, you can hardly play this straight with the type of Godly chicanery at work- and works well as an old-school adventure in the Joseph Campbell sense of the word. Beautiful women to save (and Judi Bowker as Andromeda is a hottie), young heroes who find themselves in bigger-than-life situations (and Hamlin does work well in the role), and wise old mentors who know the ways of the world. But is it just me, or has 29 years revealed something Monty Python-esque in this film? I know I couldn’t help but think of the Britain bad boys of comedy (and their quest for the Holy Grail) a few times watching the film. Still, when people say they don’t make ‘em like they used to, they’re talking about films like this.

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