27-01-2010
I'm on the fence about this remake... maybe even more than I was about Avatar. I'm afraid that director Louis Leterrier, and his star, Sam Worthington (who has so far proven himself to be a "likeable" actor at best), may spell good, but not "great" things for this highly anticipated reboot of a Ray Harryhausen classic.
Leterrier hasn't helmed that many films, and I have to say, I'm lukewarm about what I've seen.
Incredible Hulk (2008) had a lot of problems.
But I'm not sure it's fair to attribute them all to director Leterrier, seeing as there was a Tom Cruise-like iron fisting in the form or Edward Norton going on during the production of that film. (Norton has made claims that he himself re-tooled the original Zak Penn script for Incredible Hulk, claims similar to ones he made back in 2002, regarding the script for then-girlfriend Salma Hayek's doomed biopic, Frida; the two split shortly after.)
The only time a film was improved rather than choked lifeless by an egocentric actor with too much influence (that I can recall) might be in the case of Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula (1992). The actor in question, Gary Oldman. Though Oldman has never been an actor with "pull" (financial or otherwise), he can be relentless to a fault in his pursuit of his vision for a character, a trait which nearly drove Coppola to violence.
I know that the lackluster Incredible Hulk was not all Leterrier's doing, but I also have to acknowledge that it's the best and most recent example of his work as a director, and if any of that is a preview of things to come, it's a jarring one.
On the other hand, I also know that at one point the Titan's script passed through Laurence Kasdan's hands (a very good sign) and I'll be the first to admit that the non-Edward Norton-starring Transporter movies (2002/2005) are fun and fresh, and do just what they set out to do; that is, they aren't very deep, but I like the story and characters, and wasn't bored.
Also working in CotT's favor...
The cast:
Sam Worthington as Perseus
Liam Neeson as Zeus
Ralph Fiennes as Hades
Alexa Davalos as Andromeda
Izabella Miko as Athena
Mads Mikkelsen as Draco, leader of the Praetorian Guard
Jason Flemyng as Acrisius
Gemma Arterton as Io
Danny Huston as Poseidon
Tamer Hassan as Ares
Pete Postlethwaite
Polly Walker as Cassiopeia
Kaya Scodelario as Peshet
Aside from the obvious and overdone Fiennes-as-the-ultimate-villain (and the feeling that we're getting golden boy Sam Worthington crammed down our throats right, left, and center - Terminator Salvation/Avatar anyone?), this could be very good...
Or not.
"Release the Kraken!" (but not on my shoes)
Go here to see the trailer.
