Exhilarating eye candy in Wrath Of The Titans

This enjoyable sequel to the successful remake of Clash Of The Titans pits ordinary men against great gods and divine deities against potent mystical entities.

It's brutal strength clashing head-on with sensational spectacle, bringing the battle back to the mythical land of gods and monsters in a fight of cataclysmic proportions, bigger and bolder than ever before.

Nothing is spared in its quest to satisfy the appetite of ardent sci-fi and fantasy adventure seekers, providing ultimate entertainment.

The visual impact of South African-born director Jonathan Liebesman's visual flair (which he showcased in Battle Los Angeles) is well supported by a rich narrative, scripted by Dan Mazeau (his first credited screenplay) and David Leslie Johnson (who wrote the fantasy thriller Red Riding Hood and the superb horror film Orphan).

It's got it all

It is understandable why Greek mythology is so timeless. Filled with classic archetypes, as well as tragedy, comedy, betrayal, revenge, it's got it all and it is part of our collective culture, plus everyone knows Zeus and Hades and what the Underworld is.

Sam Worthington returns at full force as Perseus, the brave and gallant demigod son of Zeus. Having survived his first encounter with the Underworld in Medusa's lair 10 years earlier, Perseus has tried to forget the demons of the past and live a tranquil fisherman's life with his son. But he's given no choice when the war comes to him and despite trying to hide his demigod identity for years, he can no longer deny his birthright, or his place on the battlefield in Wrath Of The Titans.

Worthington boldly shows what action heroes are made of and takes a savage beating as he bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the Underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

Spectacle beyond the imagination

What's great about the epic scale of Wrath Of The Titans is that it never lowers the bar, delivering spectacle beyond the imagination and visual design that is truly magnificent.

It's exhilarating eye candy that never becomes monotonous, gathering fierce momentum as it races to its breathtaking climax like a runaway train.

This is spectacle on speed and is definitely worth indulging in. Whether you're a hard core fan or seek to escape into a world of revengeful foes, monstrous creatures and war-faring warriors, Wrath Of The Titans delivers a mind-blowing punch.

It's a well-crafted big-budget spectacle that follows in the footsteps of classic epics like Ben Hur; a much-needed and rewarding stress buster.

Rating: 3/5

Behind the scenes

As the title indicates, Wrath Of The Titans called forth some mammoth and mythical adversaries to pit against Perseus: the multi-headed chimera, three one-eyed Cyclops, an army of double-bodied makhai, and one powerful, menacing minotaur. His most formidable opponent is, of course, Kronos, the gargantuan, heretofore imprisoned Titan and father of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon, who is on the verge of breaking free and bringing Hell down on the Earth.

"There's truly a smorgasbord of action to be had in this movie," said visual effects supervisor and second unit director Nick Davis, who also worked on the first film. Once Perseus, Andromeda and Agenor are on their way, they sail off to find Hephaestus, whose remote island home is booby-trapped and heavily guarded by a group of 30-foot-tall Cyclops, one of Liebesman's favourite creatures in the film. Prosthetics designer Conor O'Sullivan provided the director with about 15 different maquette heads and worked closely with Davis in the full body design, before they determined the final blueprint for the Cyclops. "The biggest challenge was to get them to appear as photorealistic as possible. Well, as much as a one-eyed, 30-foot monster can be photorealistic," Davis smiled.

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