Vic’s Review – “Wrath of the Titans”

In this sequel to 2010’s Clash of the Titans, heroic demigod Perseus ventures into Hades itself to take on the ascendant Titans, potent enemies of the gods who have hatched a scheme to imprison Zeus in the depths of the underworld.

Victor –

“Wrath of the Titans”

7 out of 10

I must commend director Jonathan Liebesman for delivering a quick, fun and frivolous mythology based action film that indeed entertains in that weird “I’m not expecting Ben Hur” kind of way. I was actually prepping to write a really ass chewing review for this film. But I must admit (maybe it could have been that I had a belly full of delicious Italian food when I saw this)  I rather enjoyed the movie. I am a fan of the first Charles Schneer “Clash” film and the re-make was kinda “Meh” for me so under that umbrella I had figured it wouldn’t be hard to continue the crapfest they started with the re-make.

“Wrath” suffers from having a bit of a hokey Father/Son premise (Perseus now has a tyke of his own) but it makes up for it in execution, awesome visual effects and action, action, action. Oh and Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes are in it so that is always a plus even when other characters could be dull. The movie overall is very polished, and easy to watch. That works in it’s favor. “Clash” was a bit shaky and over frenetic in it’s action and the CGI was hit or miss. Not so with “Wrath.” The film’s CGI and action set pieces are leaps and bounds better than the first installment. Most notably during the Chimera battle and the resurrection of Cronos.  Be warned though, there are some fast cuts used here and there but they do not detract from the experience. Hades underworld is impressive to behold and the Cyclops sequence is harrowing.

Sam Worthington is believable and better settled in as Perseus even though his delivery at times feels stilted. He excels during the action scenes. He jumps, ducks, rolls and cries aloud with a very capable energy not seen as much anymore with other CGI drenched films. As I mentioned before, Neeson and Fiennes are great to watch and I even enjoyed how they relished the roles. Especially after Zeus exclaims, “Let’s have some fun!”

Rosamund Pike as Andromeda is hardcore in the battles sequences and very sexy in the quieter scenes when she plays the stout leader of her army or against Worthington. Agenor played by Toby Kebbell is the cliched comedy relief but he never goes too way over the top and is quite entertaining and precise. Bill Nighy as Hephaestus steals some scenes away from the rest of the cast. His turn in this film is refreshing.  All in all the cast endures and they make the best with what is given to them.

“Wrath of the Titans” is a quick, explosive and action filled fantasy film that never makes any qualms about it being just a visual treat as opposed to being a Shakespearean play. Enjoy it for what it is, folks and I think you’ll have some fun watching some action packed CGI goofiness.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

In the second installment of the two-part conclusion to the überpopular Harry Potter series, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wizards, Harry discovers a trio of magical objects that endow him with powers to rival Voldemort’s formidable skills.

Brian
Rating: 10 out of 10

I have to give credit to both J.K. Rowling and director David Yates. They were given the almost impossible task of resolving all the plot threads from the first 6 books and 7 movies and make it interesting and fun at the same time. Well, they didn’t just hit a home run but a grand slam. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is not only the best film in the entire Harry Potter series but it’s the best film thus far of 2011. In a way, it’s a bit of a relief considering the first part of Deathly Hallows was such a bore. In many ways, it reminded me of Kill Bill Part 1 and 2 in that the two halves feel like completely different movies. Part 1 had tons of dialogue and superfluous scenes where part 2 does not have one wasted moment. The action, storytelling, direction, acting, and writing are top notch all the way around and the last hour is jaw dropping and powerful. We have watched these characters grow from young kids to young adults and for those that are emotionally invested in the series; you’re the beneficiary of great storytelling. It’s difficult for me to expound without spoilers, so I won’t. All I can say is get to your local theaters and witness fantasy film greatness.

Side note: I saw the film in 3D mainly because of time constraints and it was a complete waste of time visually. I highly recommend a 2D showing if you can see it in that format. It’s cheaper too!

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1

The first installment of the two-part conclusion to the Harry Potter series finds the bespectacled wizard (Daniel Radcliffe) walking away from his last year at Hogwarts to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, putting an end to Voldemort’s bid for immortality. But with Harry‘s beloved Dumbledore dead and Voldemort’s unscrupulous Death Eaters on the loose, the world is more dangerous than ever.

Brian
Rating: 4 out of 10

To call this particular episode the weakest in the series is a drastic understatement. Why is that so?  Is it well directed?  Yes.  Is it well acted? Yes.  Does it have the same high budget polish as the films preceding it?  Definitely.

So, why am I rating this a lowly 4?  Well, I haven’t read the book but this episode is so fucking boring that I’m lead to believe that the only reason this was split into two parts was to line the wallets of the producers.  It starts interesting enough.  After the death of Dumbledore, Voldemort has his group of evil do’ers take over the Ministry of Magic and hunt down Harry Potter.  All of the great characters from the previous films show up to protect Harry and form a rebellion to stop Voldemort and his followers.  Then, about 45 minutes to an hour in, the movie comes to a grinding halt and should have been retitled “Harry Potter and the roasting of marshmallows” because they go camping — yes, camping — for about an hour of the film. What happens during this hour or so of camping?  Almost NOTHING!!  Ron is mad at Harry, Hermione has sexual tension with both of them, Harry reteams with Ron, and blah de blah blah.  When I say nothing happens, I’m not kidding.  Nothing happens!!  What does one do as a viewer for that hour while the three heroes go camping, aside from looking at our watch?  I sat there and tried to think of smart ass titles for the film. “Harry Potter and the tent pitchers” “Harry Potter and the satanic sleeping bag”  “Harry Potter and the struggle to interest the audience.”  You get the idea.  There’s a point where we literally sit and watch Harry think while there’s no dialogue.  Zzzzzzz.  And why did they do this?  Harry Potter’s last book isn’t even the longest one, according to Google.  That honor goes to Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix and they managed to turn that into a very good single film.  So, what are we left with?  A 2 ½ hour film with a couple bright moment marred by a middle section that will induce a coma.  It’s a shame too because I can see a great hour in this flick that could have been paired with the second to create one great film.  According to several Potter fans I know, the producers decided to follow the book almost word for word to create an “ultimate ending” to the franchise.  There is a world of difference between a great book and a great movie.  One is meant to be finished in one sitting and the other is not.