I'll start off this review with the same question as the title I gave it. What were they thinking? This could easily apply to either the filmmakers or the actors themselves. When I first heard they were remaking the movie from the early 80's I was already a bit skeptical. Then I heard the rumors that it was going to be converted to 3D rather than shot in 3D. More skeptical. Then I saw pics and a few short clips and remanded this to the 'meh looks terrible, won't watch it' graveyard. All of this despite the cast they magically landed! Sam Worthington is more than adept, but Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes?!? What were THEY thinking?

The story hasn't changed, as Worthington takes over the role of Perseus, born of the stars but raised as a human by a fisherman. He soon learns he's the son of the lightning god Zeus (Neeson), and when Perseus' uncle Hades (Fiennes) brutally kills his family, Perseus takes it upon himself to wage a one man war for revenge. It's a tale as old as time, and with characters everyone knows from the mythological stories passed down forever. It's just too bad they told it here with shoddy action, atrocious acting, and some awful 3D conversion that added nothing to the film. I don't know, maybe when they released the awesome tagline of 'Titans Will Clash' I should've realized that it wasn't worth seeing.

Unfortunately I didn't listen to reason and dropped the money with my fiancee to sit through this as it was a weeknight and there was nothing else planned to do. The script was weak, the acting hammy, the dialogue paper-thin. I was never invested for any amount of time, and it seemed like other than the simple revenge plot, there was nothing else to hold my attention. Avoid at all costs.

My main problem with this film, is that it had no story. Which is crazy because it's a remake. The original film was amazing, and if I hadn't seen the original I would have been totally lost. It jumped from one action scene to another with barely a one-liner thrown in between, so you really never understood what the hell they were doing. Worse than that you never cared whether they made it or not. There was no real character development and it just felt hollow.

It had so much potential but just fell entirely short of the mark. The action was great and those scenes were fun to watch, but like Transformers 2 it just wasn't enough.

What can you say about a 2010 remake of a film made in 1981. The original was a major classic. Solid acting by some of the best talent from the 70's and 80's. A solid story culled straight from the epic tales of Greek Mythology and the best part, Ray Harryhausen stop-motion effects. This was filmmaking at its most epic...well in 1981.

The remake obvious is underscored by the fact that it utilizes all the latest and greatest technology of the 21st century. Though the story is set in ancient Greece and the characters are one of epic legend, this is all unfortunately lost in this incredible tribute to effects and action.

Though all manner of bloodletting, heroic cries of defiance, and the incredible allure of the mythological and strange is top-notch and led by a stellar cast including Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Jason Flemyng, something is lost in the translation. And no amount of lens flare, CGI, 3D Effects, or High Definition can replace it. And that is the storyline.

The original 1981 film was a character-based story driven by the legendary drive of humanity to understand its place on Earth with the Pantheon above and below it. The Gods were so separated from humanity that the plight of humans was like ants agonizing after a summer rain. It was this simple take on Man's relationship with God and the incapability to understand it that made the film. And the Harryhausen Calibos, Pegaus and Kraken.

However, that staple of the film is lost within the first 10 minutes. Sure the acting is good, the effects are amazing, and the story (though not original) very strong, but what was once a great flick has been recycled into a spectacle where story and character take a distant backseat to the intangible aftereffects. This saddened me greatly. But the giant scorpions and Medusa did perk me up a bit.

Though fun and quite incredible to behold, don't forget your roots. Go see Clash in theaters if you get the chance, but only for the spectacle. If that doesn't interest you, just wait for the Blue-Ray or DVD. And after you watch it, go back and watch the original (if you can find it). You'll see exactly what I mean.