'Clash of the Titans' (2010) - Non-Achievement

by Tristan Mahlow 


 Every now and then I come out of the cinema with the feeling the world around me has changed. Furthermore, that I have changed. That I am stronger, greater than before. Colours are brighter, there seems to be an epic score in everything I do. It is a faint feeling, fickle and gone the second I immerse myself back into real world. But isn't this feeling the reason we want so see the big movies? They promise to be bigger than life and to let us experience things we otherwise had no chance to experience.

So when I walk out of a big Hollywood-Blockbuster and do not have this feeling something must be wrong. It feels unsatisfying, empty and to be honest: two hours seemed wasted. As you might have guessed, I felt this way after watching 'Clash of the Titans' (2010).

I like to call it the feeling of Non-Achievement. We watch our hero fighting and questing for two hours, after which the enemy, Hades, is just cast down the sea, to live for eternity in the Underworld. They stopped his attempt to destroy Joppa, but finally nothing has changed. For two hours they fought so that everything can stay the same?! 

Ends tend to be designed more open in the last few years as the danger of a sequel is always lurking around the corner, but in this case it is also the fault of a bad set-up. Hades is a rather weak and bland villain - his threat never really feels real. So in the end, his defeat doesn't come as a relieve, as the conclusion we waited and hoped for.

Take-away message: Do not dissapoint the viewer: Make your end satisfaying! The Hero should defeat Evil and get the girl (there are exceptions of course).

Have a great day,

- Tristan


Other parts in this Series:
'Clash of the Titans' (2010) - Evolution of a Script Pt. 1
'Clash of the Titans' (2010) - Evolution of a Script Pt. 2
'Clash of the Titans' (2010) - Evolution of a Script Pt. 3
'Clash of the Titans' (2010) - Non-Achievment

References: IMDb; Wiki; Roger Ebert; Rotten Tomatoes (28%);