Perseus (Harry Hamlin), the mortal son of the god Zeus (Laurence Olivier) visits the city of Joppa, far from his island home. He falls in love with Andromeda (Judi Bowker), an imprisoned princess. To free and marry her he solves a riddle, but the ruler of Joppa orders that Andromeda be fed to the Kraken, a huge sea monster and last of the Titans.
With the help of Ammon (Burgess Meredith), Bubo his robot owl, and his flying horse Pegasus, Perseus endures a series of obstacles to save Andromeda. Ammon is wise and says: "I was partial to tragedy in my youth. That was before experience taught me that life was tragical enough without my having to write about it...Call no man happy who is not dead...Oh impetuous... foolish... Ah dear, the young. Why do they never listen? When will they ever learn?"
The gods up on Mount Olympus look down on the mortals literally and figuratively. Thetis (Maggie Smith) and Hera (Claire Bloom) discuss Zeus' womanizing:
Thetis: "So many women, and all these transformations and disguises he invents in order to seduce them. Sometimes a shower of gold, sometimes a bull or a swan. Why, once he even tried to ravish me disguised as a cuttlefish."
Hera: "Did he succeed?"
Thetis: "Certainly not."
Athena: "What did you do?"
Thetis: "Beat him at his own game. I simply turned myself into a shark."
The goddess Thetis and her son Calibos (Neil McCarthy) make things difficult for our hero. Perseus kills a giant vulture and Dioskilos (a two-headed wolf). He meets the three Stygian witches, blind women who tell him he must obtain the head of Medusa the Gorgon on the Isle of the dead across the River Styx. Medusa was once beautiful, but Aphrodite turned her into a hideous monster that eye contact will turn any living creature to stone. Perseus beheads Medusa with Aphrodite's sword, which he also uses to kill Calibos. Our hero then destroys the Kraken with Medusa's head and frees Andromeda.
Zeus: "Perseus has won. My son has triumphed."
Hera: "A fortunate young man."
Zeus: "Fortune is ally to the brave."
Thetis: "What a dangerous precedent. What if there are more heroes like him? What if courage and imagination became everyday mortal qualities? What will become of us?"
Zeus: "We would no longer be needed. But, for the moment, there is sufficient cowardice, sloth and mendacity down there on Earth to last forever...Perseus and Andromeda will be happy together. Have fine sons... rule wisely... And to perpetuate the story of his courage, I command that from henceforth, he will be set among the stars and constellations. He, Perseus, the lovely Andromeda, the noble Pegasus, and even the vain Cassiopeia. Let the stars be named after them forever. As long as man shall walk the Earth and search the night sky in wonder, they will remember the courage of Perseus forever. Even if we, the gods, are abandoned or forgotten, the stars will never fade. Never. They will burn till the end of the time."
This romantic adventure and fantasy is loosely based on Greek mythology. Screenwriter Beverley Cross was a student of mythology, but as usual in a Hollywood movie, the story was modified. For example, the Kraken is a monster from Scandinavian mythology.
The cast also includes: Ursula Andress (Aphrodite), Jack Gwillim (Poseidon), Susan Fleetwood (Athena), Pat Roach (Hephaestus), Sian Phillips (Queen Cassiopeia), Tim Pigott-Smith (Thallo), Donald Houston (King Acrisius), Vida Taylor (Danae), Harry Jones (Huntsman), and others. Music is by Laurence Rosenthal, and Desmond Davis directed.
Ray Harryhausen, the master of stop-motion animation, created the special effects. Their quality varies from good to great, and this was the last film he worked on. The scenes of the gods on Mount Olympus looking down at mortals are reminiscent of JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1963).
CLASH OF THE TITANS should appeal to children of all ages, and those who enjoy fantasy movies and Greek mythology. The cinematography is somewhat muddy at times, but this is basically a good movie.
