11 damn years and we're just NOW talking Clash Of The Titans! It's probably been almost 20 years since I last saw this movie and very much like Jason And The Argonauts the legacy of the film is still prevalent in my mind. This was Ray Harryhausen's final bow in the film industry but what a fantastic finale to a lifetime of incredible work, and the fact you can actually see a lot of the models and figures from this movie even today is a gift from the heavens. Hell I almost want to say this was the last bow of true mythical fantasy epics in the year of our lord 1981, and it does tell a sprawling big story that no doubt takes maaaaany elements of greek mythology into account. Following Perseus demigod son of Zeus who wishes to take the hand of the princess Andromeda, is tasked with several trials not only to win her love but save her from a terrible fate. That is the bare bones plot when you get right down to it, but the movie takes a good bit of time setting up this world and fleshes it out constantly with mythological creatures and battles, from a prince cursed and deformed by the gods, to the fabled Kraken, to the still quite horrifying Medusa, and still more to see. I heard Ray was not thrilled with his work and wanted to fine tune the film stock to make it look better but didn't have the time, yet I still wholeheartedly say the stop motion effects are great! In any capacity it's a marvel to look at and I have zero issue saying everything to the buildup of Medusa is so eerie and dreadfilled, from the surprisingly creepy appearance of Charon the ferryman to the dilapidated temple to the actual appearance of Medusa is a gold mine of suspense and horror. Undoubtedly the highlight of the entire film for my money. But even beyond that seeing Pegasus, giant scorpions, the deformed monster Calibos who by the by looks spectacular to the point where I honestly don't even see an actor under the prosthesis, even the robotic owl Bubo which some people deride but I find charming only adds to the magic of the film. I feel the gods themselves were much better handled here than in The Argonauts, in no small part due to the cast I mean flippin' Sir Laurence Olivier as Zeus is pitch goddamn perfect in this movie, Maggie Smith as spurned goddess Thetis works great with the plot, Ursula Andress as Aphrodite is stellar casting in my opinion, and how they interact with the story feels more engaging. Of course love goes to our mortal cast as well, Harry Hamlin though not as compelling as Todd Armstrong has a solid look and still does a good job throughout being an archetypal hero, Judi Bowker while not having a great deal of material to work with is still a welcome presence and I think you can tell she was enjoying her time on set, again I'd like to shoutout Neil McCarthy as Calibos and even though he's really only the antagonist for the first act is such a trooper for going through such extensive makeup and prosthetics plus being a good villain gets him brownie points in the end, and I'll be damned if I still don't treasure seeing Burgess Meredith in any role and even as a supporting character he still not only commits but is wonderful to watch. It's a classic in it's own right and deserves the love, not perfect but damn good enough to where you don't mind. It is a shame that such a technical marvel was the last of it's kind, I am a big advocate for practical effects and always been a fan of stop motion and while the craft hasn't become obsolete it breaks my heart knowing we'll never reach such heights again. It does make me curious how much real, well...anything will be showcased in The Odyssey, knowing Christopher Nolan is a true hands on director who loves to do stuff without much computer wizardy gives me hope that the sword wielding epics aren't truly dead and gone. If you are any kind of fan of monsters, old school effects, mythological stories, or just imaginative adventures this is a movie you must see. I give it 3.5 stars, 8/10, and boy do we have an event to attend on Friday my friends.
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