Vikings Are Striking. Pass On 'Clash'

Last week I learned that our theatre would not be playing Clash of the Titans in 3D. Instead they decided to continue playing How to Train Your Dragon. I thought: "What a stupid move." There is no way this little kiddy movie could be better than a blockbuster sword and sorcery remake. Not only is HtTYD far superior, but I must say that my theatre made the right choice.

How to Train Your Dragon: I expected this to be nothing more than a lazy little throwaway animated project with some cheap slapped on visual effects. To me, Dreamworks animation has always paled in comparison to that of Pixar. It never looks as good and the stories are not nearly as thoughtful or complex. I do happen to love Antz, Kung Fu Panda and the original Shrek, but their last few (Shark Tale, Madagascar, Bee Movie, and Monsters vs. Aliens) I either disliked or ignored. It would figure that after a week of gorgeous weather that it would be a miserable, rainy afternoon on my one day off. With nothing better to do and after reading a suprisingly overwhelming amount of critical praise for this film, I decided to check it out. I'm glad I did. This film might have single-handedly restored my faith in this kind of animation.

How to Train Your Dragon tells the tale of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel). He is something of an outcast and a nuisance amongst his fellow clan of vikings. He is scrawny, tries too hard to fit in, and is no good at doing what his people do best: slaying dragons. He is however quite the inventor and manages to catch a species of dragon unseen by anyone in his tribe. After discovering he is unable to kill the beast he attempts to domesticate it, and slowly discovers that their enemy is not so much evil as they are just misunderstood.

In a lesser movie there would have been an instant trust bond between the hero and the creature. I really admired that HtTYD decides not to rush that angle. There is a good portion where the two need time to warm up to one another the way a lion tamer would work with a jungle cat straight out of the wild. I noticed that once domesticated these animals most closely resemble cats. They purr, chase light, devour fish, roll around in the grass, and love getting their necks scratched.

I also really admired the thunderdome-like training sessions and the opening action sequence (great touch having Astrid, the warrior woman of Hiccup's dreams, douse a small fire only to have the entire background explode into flames as she slowly and seductively walks toward the camera.) The flying sequences are marvelous, and the fact that our heroes don't quite walk away from their ordeal completely unscathed was refreshing. The moral of the story is the tried and true "Be Yourself", and while a little predictable is still a good message for kids.

How to Train Your Dragon is a cute and entertaining film that was a little darker and looked much sharper than what I was expecting. B+

Clash of the Titans: I have been a fan of the original Clash and several other Ray Harryhausen films ever since I was a kid. There is just a certain charm that these movies carry with their unconvincing yet unique from of stop motion animation. I'm glad to see that a film like Fantastic Mr. Fox has in a way carried on this legacy. The remake, while faithful in some respects, came off to me as not much more than a rushed off the assembly line project with expensive yet unconvincing and uninspired special effects.

This version still spins the story of Gods and men and the disagreements between the two. The Gods led by Zeus (Liam Neeson) and enforced by his brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) have grown tired of mankind's defiance towards them and as punishment have decided to unleash a mammoth beast called the Kracken in ten days time to destroy everything. This is where we are introduced to the half God/half man Perseus (Sam Worthington). After his adopted human family is killed by the Gods, Perseus goes on a quest to stop the divine side of his family.

I liked the idea of Perseus not wanting any help from the Gods on his mission. He has decided if he is going to topple heaven that he is determined to do it as a man. The only problem is once in a pinch the character neglects his initial feelings and decides to accept help from above. To me, that is cheating. I also really liked Mads Mikkelsen as Draco. He is the steely cool backup that gives Perseus a few tips on how to fight gigantic scorpions and the evil Medusa. He makes a much more interesting hero than Worthington.

Clash of the Titans is not a terrible film, but it is simple and uninspired. The story is either a dead match up of the original or too lazy to follow through on it's alternate paths. The only people who might end up enjoying this film are people who have never seen the original, or are unnaturally addicted to crappy run-of-the-mill fare like The Mummy Returns or Van Helsing. I'm guessing director Stephen Summers passed on this project, but Louis Leterrier was still determined to make him proud. C

It might be easier for me to accept this whole 3D craze because I for one think that if it is used the right way it can be quite effective. That and I don't have to pay to see it. I would probably boycott it as well if it ever affected my wallet. How to Train Your Dragon benefits from the use of 3D, if you don't mind spending the extra cash. I saw Clash of the Titans in 2D, but have not heard a single good thing about the 3D version from the people who have. I would recommend skipping it in either dimension.