Thursday, February 21, 2013

Wrath of Titans

SPOILER WARNING!!! This post spoils movies Clash of Titans and Wrath of Titans.

First question is was Clash of Titans so good that it needs sequel or didn't someone hate the ending of movie so much that it needed sequel with more normal Hollywood ending. I assume later. Clash of Titans had good ideas but ended up being good looking cgi show case. Story was reduced to series of action scenes and  second movie continues in sam path. Were atheistic themes too much for someone and that is why philosophical content is reduced to almost non-existent?

In these movies Gods are higher entities who get their powers when humans worship them. I get in to that concept more when I write about Star Trek episode Who Mourns for Adonais. In first movie humans are abandoning their gods. Gods try to force humans in to worshiping them again. Perseus, son of Zeus, saves the day. Despite being half-god himself Perseus doesn't want to have anything to do with gods. In the end he refuses to take the queen or become god. He returns to be fisherman he was at beginning of the movie.

At beginning of Wrath of Titans gods are losing more and more their powers because humans are worshiping them less. Zeus fears that Kronos (sometimes named as Cronus) could escape from Tartarus when gods have lost most of their powers. Perseus refuses to join Zeus. Zeus is betrayed by Hades who has made deal with Kronos. Now little lesson in ancient Creek mythology. Kronos was father of Zeus, Hades and other gods. He ate all his children because he was told that one of his children will overthrow him. Zeus got away, managed to free his siblings and prison Kronos to Tartarus. When Zeus and others gods decided who will rule what, Zeus tricked Hades to rule underworld. That is why Hades doesn't like Zeus much. This is where movie follows ancient Creek mythology. Kronos is replaces with Surtur (sometimes named as Surtr), fire giant from norse mythology. In ancient Creek mythology age when Kronos rules was called golden age. In this movie Kronos brings more Raknarök than golden age.

Zeus was betrayed at beginning of the movie. That was followed by series of action scenes. All that happens storyline is that our protagonists get from place A to place B. Then comes final battle. There is no suspense in movie. You know that protagonists will win. Only problem is how. I guess director knew lack of suspense and tried to make Kronos as impossible as possible. Kronos is living molten lava in human form. Every time he moved molten lava rained to ground. This thing is hundreds of meters long. This thing goes against bronze age army with their bows and shields and spears. Oh the suspense. Kronos winning would be real let down. Humans winning seems impossible. As with rest of the movie there is no suspense because you know that Perseus will win somehow.

This movie ends with Zeus and Poseidon dead. Only god living is Hades but he has lost his powers. If we see this as atheism analogy, people have become atheists by this time. Makes me wonder will we see third movie where people live without gods. This movie got Hollywood ending with Perseus taking the Queen at the end. No loose end were left. So third movie may not come.

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