WRATH OF THE TITANS

(PG-13)
MOVIE: *** (out of 5)
Blu-ray EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5)

BY KEVIN CARR

As much of a fan of the original “Clash of the Titans” and its much maligned remake from 2010, I was somewhat disappointed with the new sequel “Wrath of the Titans.” On the outside, it had everything I wanted in a movie like this. There was some gritty action. There were huge CGI monsters. There were epic battles.

Unfortunately, it was a bit convoluted and silly at times… even for a movie with giant CGI monsters. The story follows Perseus, who has moved on from the events of the previous film, opting to stay on Earth and leave Mount Olympus behind. Unfortunately, the Titans (who ruled Heaven and Earth before the Gods) have decided to take back what they feel is theirs, with the help of Hades. Perseus works with Zeus and his cousin to help defeat the Titan Cronos.

I will admit that from a story and flow angle, “Wrath of the Titans” handles the conflict between the Gods and the Titans better than Tarsem’s “Immortals” from last November. But it’s the human component that has the problems. Not only does Perseus have beautiful Edward Cullen hair, he hasn’t aged a day. His main squeeze from “Clash” has changed actresses, and at least she has some guts and glory behind her. However, I’ve never been a fan of Rosamund Pike in the first place.

Still, “Wrath of the Titans” delivers on the big-budget spectacle that these movies were made for. Like it’s predecessor, “Wrath of the Titans” is a big, dumb movie that can be fun to watch. And the 3D looks immensely better than the previous film. It’s darker, sure, but it’s not bad for lazy Saturday viewing.

The Blu-ray comes in a combo pack with the DVD and Ultraviolet streaming capabilities. Leading the special features is the Warner Bros. Maximum Movie Mode, which includes embedded storyboard comparisons, picture-in-picture and focus points mini documentaries. Additional special features include a handful of deleted scenes, which are also available on the DVD.