Greek mythology 101 in ‘Clash of the Titans’

Following the recent 3-D surge in latest releases, “Clash of the Titans” just hit silver screens worldwide last weekend, crashing the competition and taking the blockbuster chart top-spot.

“Clash of the Titans” tells the story of Zeus’ son, Perseus, born to a mortal woman. The unlikely hero is cursed with half-blue-blood, and everyone in town — and in Olympus too — is out to get him.

Gossip, alliances, betrayals, mass-killings and much more are all part of Greek gods’ daily lives, as we have already learned in Greek mythology 101.

Poor Perseus just wants to be human, marry his sweetheart, and probably settle down in the country, tending to his olive grove, drinking wine every evening, and watching his children wrestle each other. His destiny, however, is a much different one, and he must fulfill it.

Perseus ought to complete a series of godly tasks so he can become, ironically, fully human. The gods don’t make it easy for him, and our hero will have to tame the flying-horse Pegasus, outsmart a satyr-like creature, battle a two-headed Greek version of Cujo, and behead Medusa, a once-beautiful woman now turned monster by Greek goddess Aphrodite.

All these tasks will just lead Perseus to a final encounter with the beast of all beasts, the Kraken, a sort of Godzilla-meets-Kong-meets-Alien-vs-Predator-meets-Schwarzenegger.

For those unfamiliar with Greek mythology, each turn of the plot keeps the guessing game alive, especially because in Greek literature stories take a different turn just because a character said so. That’s Greek tragedy for you.

Besides the crash-course in Greek mythology, the action-packed movie also shows how catastrophic it would be if, alongside Greek values, the Western civilization also would have adopted Greek religious beliefs. But wait a minute. Aren’t we still living in a catastrophic world here in the Western front?

The Greek gods may possess superhuman powers, but also have innate human characteristics, like love, lust, hate, revenge, narcissism and so forth.

All right, Western religions too have gods with all those attributes, all packed in one central figure, but at least they don’t set to destroy entire cities, unless you have a homeowners’ insurance policy that doesn’t protect you from “acts of God,” such as hurricanes, floods and tsunamis. Jeez, thank you, God!

“Clash of the Titans” brings Sam Worthington as Perseus. Worthington, still fresh from playing the anti-hero-turned-hero in “Avatar,” delivers well. Alexa Davalos plays his love interest, “Andromeda,” exuding sensuality from every pore and in every word she speaks.

The fantastic cinematography and unbelievable action keep your heart beating like African drums the entire movie. Davalos’ beauty adds to that too, honestly.

Liam Neeson playing Zeus, and Ralph Fiennes playing Hades, lend valuable foundation as supporting cast to this digital fantasy.

“Clash of the Titans” is a remake of a 1981 production. Those who, as a child, have watched the first movie will be delighted, as an adult, to watch this version. But don’t expect a better or worse version, just a different one.

The 1981 movie had some state-of-the-art special effects. Back in the day we would be hard-pressed to believe those cool effects could get any better. Well, they did, and the digital technology today surpasses any special effects of yesterday.

But still we can’t help but feel some nostalgia for those long-gone days when we could easily be fooled by a three-foot clay monster pretending to be 30 feet tall on the silver screen. Just watch the original black-and-white “King Kong” and you’ll feel the same way.

The older version brings Harry Hamlin as Perseus, and girl-next-door Judi Bowker as Andromeda. Hamlin is better known today for marrying three soap-opera stars, and Bowker is known for… Who is Bowker anyway?

The supporting cast in the 1981 version was, however, a bit more star-studded than the newer movie. The ageless Bond girl Ursula Andres played Aphrodite. Burgess Meredith, famous for roles such as Batman’s archrival Penguin and Rocky Balboa’s trainer, played Ammon. And last, but certainly the best, Sir Lawrence Olivier played Zeus.

Friends Trish Pundsack, Joe Devorak, Mason Akuna and Logan Lazo loved “Clash of the Titans.”

Trish, with a sparkling spunkiness, said she loved “all the sweet action scenes,” and will now look for the 1981 version in Netflix.

“It was pretty much nonstop action,” Joe said. He admitted being unfamiliar with Greek mythology, but said everything portrayed was just what he thought about it.

“I studied a lot (Greek mythology) in high school when I was younger. It was very accurate. I think they did a really good job,” said Logan, confirming Joe’s guess.

Logan was all compliments. “It was a great story line, the actors were amazing, and the graphics were incredible.”

Mason was hooked on the same thing all his friends were. “Definitely the action, yep, the action.”

In a new-moon night and stamped in clear skies, we can see Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus and Cassiopeia forming constellations, reminding us that those days of heated Greek godly affairs are, thankfully, light-years away.

“Clash of the Titans” will probably not make it to the list of the best 100 movies ever made, but the movie is definitely worth the ticket. The exhilarating action and awesome effects are 100 percent entertaining. Enjoy the show.