Clash Of The Titans

With Avatar then Alice both topping the box office in spectacular style, it seems that funny plastic glasses are fast becoming as commonplace in cinemas as overpriced popcorn.

The latest contender battling for 3D glory is Clash Of The Titans, Louis Leterrier’s lavish fantasy adventure that sees a brave band of humans take on the ancient gods. Sam Worthington – firmly establishing himself as the 3D poster boy – stars as Perseus, a demi-god who’s raised by a simple fisherman but is actually the son of Zeus (Liam Neeson). When his adopted family are killed by the evil Hades (Ralph Fiennes), Perseus is determined to seek his revenge. As it happens, Hades has also managed to hack off a few others, having threatened to destroy the city of Argos unless the beautiful princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos) is sacrificed. And so the epic clash begins...

On a purely visual level, this is an absolute treat to watch, with larger-than-life monsters, beautiful backdrops and impressive special effects. However, despite some slick action sequences, you can’t help but compare the overall 3D experience to Avatar – and that’s one battle Titans won’t win.

The casting is also a bit of a mixed bag; Worthington proves worthy of his new action-man tag, while Fiennes is suitably creepy, if a little panto villain in parts. But the film is lacking in strong secondary characters, with Nicholas Hoult’s drippy warrior and Gemma Arterton’s husky-but-monotone vocals particularly grating on the nerves.

If you’re looking for big-budget, popcorn entertainment, then Titans certainly won’t disappoint – and the spectacular mythical monsters alone more than merit the price of a ticket. But I couldn’t help feeling, as I removed my funny glasses, that it was more a feast for the eyes than the soul.

Read about the film's premiere in London, here