DVD Spotlight: Clash of the Titans

"Release the Kraken!" Ah, it could only be Clash of the Titans, the 2010 remake that retains the instruction to unleash the great beastie from the sea. The 1981 original boasted Ray Harryhausen’s legendary stop-motion technique of animating various mythological creatures–it was his final feature project–and given the cornball approach of the movie in general, that was the main draw. The remake supplies new state-of-the-art special effects (released in 3-D) and a nicely muscular sense of momentum.

Sam Worthington (the Avatar guy) plays Perseus, a demigod who doesn’t know that Zeus (Liam Neeson) is his father. Perseus is selected to lead an expedition to find and slay the Medusa, lest Zeus’s evil brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes, in fine slinking mode) rain down misery upon a seaport–and you just know that means the Kraken is coming. Ye gods, it’s a mess, and we haven’t even mentioned the witches and the harpies and the giant scorpions. But if we did, it would be clear that Clash of the Titans is a perfectly dandy popcorn epic, unpretentious and punchy…more

Also on DVD Tuesday

– Accidents Happen (Comedy, Drama) Order

– Barney: Furry Friends (Animation, Family) Order

– Batman Legends Begins: Volume 1 (Action, Animation, Crime, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Mystery) Order

– Batman: Under the Red Hood (Single-Disc Edition) (Action, Animation) Order

– Batman: Under the Red Hood (Two-Disc Amazon Exclusive with Lithograph) (Action, Animation) Order

– Batman: Under the Red Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Action, Animation) Order

– Clash of the Titans (Action, Fantasy) Order

– Eclipse Series 22: Presenting Sacha Guitry (Various) Order

– IP Man (Action, Drama) Order

– Jesse Stone: No Remorse (Drama, Mystery, TV) Order

– The Kansas City Royals: 1985 World Series Collector’s Edition (Sports) Order