Clash of the Titans (3D)***

This film is the remake of the 1981 version, the story being based on the Greek Myth of Perseus. Now I'm not too knowledgeable on Greek myths, but I love fantasy films with a lot of action and this looked amazing. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

First mistake was seeing it in 3D. The special effects were incredible, as I would expect from director Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk 2008), however I could tell what was modified for the 3D viewing, and I think I would have been content with 2D. However, the main character of Perseus was cast as Sam Worthington (That guy from Avatar and Terminator Salvation, which both held important roles) and I think this was a good pick as he seems to be coming out of his shell and more well known. The film threw you straight into the narrative, with some voice over we were shown how Perseus came to be a solitary man and why he seeks his revenge on Hades (His real father's brother) for killing the family who took him into their lives.

It was a typical narrative structure, something needed to be obtained, a villain destroyed and a love interest saved. I have to say the climax of the film was deflating, I expected a lot more, considering the trailer was fairly gripping. There were a couple of tense moments, I found myself jumping a little near the beginning but it soon became mundane. For a remake, this could have been bigger hit, and considering we had Liam Neeson as Zeus and Ralph Fiennes as Hades (who bugged me like crazy because I couldn't put a name to the face - Voldemort!) the quality just didn't justify the line up.

It was just another film with great SFX, but it was rushed and could have been more dramatic in terms of the fighting (the removal of Medusa's head could have been gorier), and lastly it felt a little weird watching Tony and Effy from 'Skins' having a bash at real acting. Nicholas Hoult was so bland and showed no emotion, he just wore the armour and waved a sword around with his silly flat voice.

I left the cinema a bit dissatisfied and I really don't know if I would recommend it considering all the hype it received. I am pleased for Sam Worthington though and look forward to seeing him in future films.

Alrighty, so this is going to be my first post on this new blog, and I've decided I'm going to review Whip It! (Directed by the lovely Drew Barrymore) before I carry on with Clash of the Titans 3D.

Whip It! ****

Personally I cannot stand Ellen Page, and I didn't find Juno (2007) particularly entertaining, so when I was taken to see this by some eager friends I did not hold great expectations. Whip It! tells the story of a girl named Bliss Cavendar, who is rapidly detesting her home of Texas and the beauty pageant competition that surrounds her life. When out on a shopping trip in Austin she picks up a flyer for a Roller Derby event where she eventually becomes the impressive 'Babe Ruthless', much to her mother's disapproval...

I thought the narrative had originality, I've never seen anything like it before. It was crude, but in the right places. I'd say it was quite an indie film, it gave the same vibe as Juno; the soundtrack had a few well known songs such as 'Jolene' by Dolly Parton, but the rest were used to convey the emotion of a scene. Half way through the film I felt I had connected with Bliss, her friends were hilarious too. Not only was Drew Barrymore directing, she also played the accident-prone character of Smashley (cheesey, huh?) Simpson, Juliette Lewis playing Iron Maven (the best antagonist I've seen for a while). Lewis played a masculine character, as leader of her team I think men could enjoy this film for it's butchness as well as the obvious romantic plot between Bliss and Oliver (Landon Pigg). Whip It! did Ellen Page so much justice than Juno, she looked independent and fiesty, and I really enjoyed her attitude.

The camera kept up the pace along with quick cuts and made the audience feel how aggressive the girls are when they compete. There were definitely some interesting and intimate shots, such as the swimming pool scene (realistically, I don't think anyone could hold their breath that long!)and I found the cinematography and lighting very vibrant, along with their costumes which were all customised to convey a particular personality.

I think I'll probably buy this on DVD, but most of all I just want to get my roller skates out of my wardrobe! Definitely worth a watch if you're looking for an action packed comedy with a hint of romance.