Clash of the Titans (1981)

Best movie of this year hands down!

the audience applauded

Simply Perfect

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

I rated this a 9. That's very high. I would have given it a 10, purely to help this version maintain a higher rating than the abysmal and disrespectful 2010 remake. But I couldn't give a 10 to a film that is as flawed as it is - despite my oodles of sentimentality and love where this film is concerned.It isn't a masterpiece. It has dated quite badly. It was a little clunky even when it was new. However...This film has heart. And it has class. Two things that the remake failed to deliver even as a dribble.It also has some of Ray Harryhausen's best work, which although signalling the approaching end of an era, it was a very long and distinguished era which should be respected and appreciated, rather than derided and scorned (as "modern" audiences tend to do).Sadly my generation is the last one that can really appreciate and enjoy films like Clash of the Titans (1981), as we straddle the line between the two eras. We remember the days when CGI hadn't yet been invented; when books, films, and TV shows that were from a bygone era were not viewed as obsolete but merely older - because neither technology nor society had progressed to the point that they were unrecognisable. Old movies were just that: old. But we still grew up watching and enjoying them."Modern" audiences have been raised on a diet of nothing but "new" and have therefore been denied the ability to appreciate and respect anything that predates their own minimal life span. And that is a terrible shame.Clash of the Titans (1981) is a gorgeous, charming, enthralling feast of storytelling and imagination, with some of the best stop-motion characters from the Harryhausen workshop, a stellar cast of humans, and a music score that is as hummable and uplifting as you could wish. It was also inspirational to me personally in a variety of ways.I'm glad that I'm able to love and enjoy fantasy films that predate CGI, because there are so many great ones out there, dating back to the earliest days of cinema. And it doesn't mean I can't also love and enjoy the "modern" ones too. I'm a huge fan of the LOTR franchise, and became totally obsessed with WETA Workshop, WETA Digital, Richard Taylor et al.I grew up watching Harryhausen's films, and the documentaries about their creation (I later got to work with him briefly, which was a real thrill), and as an adult I have been equally enthralled by the ever-evolving digital technology, from Jurassic Park through LOTR and onwards, and the behind-the-scenes documentaries that came with them, which are much better and more detailed than those in Harryhausen's day! I love it all; the whole glorious process of movie-making, in all its infinite variety.For me, old and new are NOT mutually exclusive. But I'm one of the lucky ones.

Fantasy adventure classic that tells the story of the Greek hero Perseus (Harry Hamlin) and features the last film work of legendary stop-motion effects wizard, Ray Harryhausen. In a way, it's a loving tribute to a kind of movie that had died out by 1981. We still have attempts to make these types of movies today (even a remake of this film), but the results are not the same. I'm not saying they aren't sometimes enjoyable in their way but CGI just doesn't have the charm and appeal of old-school special effects. The focus today is on realism, not imagination. Frankly, trying to tell a story that involves gods, winged horses, and Medusa "realistically" makes no sense to me. Embrace the fantasy or just avoid it altogether and make another movie about cops or drug dealers. The cast here is good, even Harry Hamlin. Yes, some of these great older actors appear to be slumming but they all treat the material seriously and refrain from hamming it up. There's a lesson that could be taught to today's cynical thespians, I think. Mini-rants aside, this is a very fun movie for those who enjoy old-fashioned sword & sandal movies and classic special effects. Fans of Greek mythology should have a field day with it, as well.

King Acrisius of Argos sends his daughter and her son Perseus off in a wooden coffin. An angry Zeus (Laurence Olivier) releases the Kraken to destroy Argos. Perseus is saved and grows up in safety. Calibos is the son of sea goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith) engaged to Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker). However Calibos hunted Zeus's sacred flying horses and he is transformed into a monstrous satyr. In revenge, Thetis leaves Perseus (Harry Hamlin) to chance abandoned in Joppa while cursing Andromeda. Perseus is aided by an old poet named Ammon (Burgess Meredith). Zeus sends Perseus a helmet of invisibility from Athena (Susan Fleetwood), a sword from Aphrodite (Ursula Andress), and a shield from Hera (Claire Bloom). He captures Pegasus and answers the riddle of Andromeda breaking her curse. However Thetis is insulted at the wedding and commands that Andromeda be sacrificed to the Kraken.It is the end of Ray Harryhausen's era as stop motion photography fades in light of the new computer technology. It is the last and finest example of his work. This has great old fashion actors doing their best to give this movie substance. The story is a little bit complicated but the expositions do a good job. The movie just works. It's high adventure on a grand scale like old Hollywood.

I was 9 years old when this movie came out. Harry Hamlin's Perseus was another of my childhood heroes. I was awestruck with the magical, mystical overall look and feel of the film. It was larger than life to me.I have re-watched the movie since that time and I still find it to be a great mythological fantasy film! It was top-of-the-line special effects for it's day and still a joy to watch today.If you like mythology, fantasy and adventure films then Clash of the Titans (1981) should be right up your alley.9/10