For years my favourite Ray Harryhausen movie was 'The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad' but as I've got older 'Clash Of The Titans' has slowly replaced it. For a start it's a lot darker in tone - unworthy suitors to the Princess Andromeda being burnt, Andromeda herself having to be sacrificed to the Kracken and Medusa getting her head sliced off (Medusa also being a nightmarish creation). The film censors in the UK originally gave this film a 15 certificate - possibly for 2 sequence's that show brief nudity (Each time I've seen this film on TV they always cut these scenes but then again they usually keep showing it on Sunday afternoons!) The story is interesting - The bit on the isle of the Dead is fantastic as is the final 10 minutes - and papers over any cracks in some of the acting although I personally think Harry Hamlin does OK. Burgess Merideth fits his part perfectly and Olivier as Zeus commands the respect the role needs. The special effects by Ray Harryhausen are obviously not as good as what can be done today using computers and CGI but I think that because it was all done by stop motion it adds to the charm - indeed this was probably one of the last films to fully use this technique and any way - the effects in this film are far better than Harryhausen/Schneers previous movie 'Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger' (which unlike this film has a lot of padding). I like this film a lot - it's a great way to waste a few hours and there's also another reason I love this film... When Perseus first enters the city and sees the burning body of Andromedas last unsuccessful suitor he is told by a guard that men are willing to sacrifice themselves just to have a kingdom to rule over - Sod that!!- just getting Andromeda in the sack would be enough for me.. Judi Bowker is absolutely, heart stopping- drop dead Stunning. 9/10
Review of Clash of the Titans
