10 Magazine Film Reviews May 2010

Written by Paul Matthews

Clash of the Titans Directed by Louis LeterrierClash of the Titans attempts to update the 1981 Ray Harryhausen stop-motion extravaganza for the CGI generation, taking us into the world of ancient Greece where Zeus (Liam Neeson) rules supreme and his brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) is itching to make the throne his own. The people of Argos are feeling rebellious and the gods decide to take extreme measures against them. They threaten to set loose the Kraken (played by a large and not particularly scary CGI creation) on the city and only one man can save them: the demi-god Perseus (Sam Worthington from Avatar, who seems to be playing a US Marine despite being in ancient Greece).

So Perseus sets o on a quest to save the city with a troop of Argonauts, while Hades sends his henchman, Calibos (played with gusto by Jason Flemyng) to deal with this band of rather forgettable brothers. Joining in the fun is Perseus' protector, Io (Gemma Arterton), whose main purpose in the film seems to be to explain away the major plot holes. Giant scorpions are fought, witches are met and our heroes face up against the gorgeous Gorgon, Medusa.

Fun? Not really. Despite the promise of monsters, Clash of the Titans is not very enjoyable. The acting is wooden, the story doesn't make sense and Sam Worthington makes for one of the most uncharismatic leads I've seen in a while. Most of the thrills aren't thrilling, the monsters aren't scary and the climax is most definitely anti-climactic. If you're looking for some epic fun on the big screen then stay away from this campy piece of nonsense and save your won for Kick Ass and Iron Man 2.

Green ZoneDirected by Paul Greengrass

Green Zone, a gritty political thriller set during the 2003 invasion of Iraq is a non-stop nail-biting journey through the heart of Baghdad with Chief Warrant Ocer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) as he tries desperately to find out whether Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction. Inspired by Rajiv Chandrasekaran's non-fiction book Imperial Life in the Emerald City, the film is a big-scale action-packed ride, but also has a strong political message and brings forth some uncomfortable moments that reminds us that what we are watching is based on a real war and not just a fantasy.

Matt Damon is superb as the skeptical Miller and his costars Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson and Jason Isaacs (sporting a remarkable mustache) deserve credit for bringing some serious acting talent to the film. However, it is Khalid Abdalla who stands out as the put-upon Freddie, an Iraqi bystander who tries to help Miller out and gets tangled up in this messy, nasty, and thoroughly enjoyable flick.

Take O Directors Cut on Blu-ray/DVD Directed by Kim Yong-hwaTake O is based on the first ever Korean ski jump team's eorts to win the gold at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and this new director's cut stretches the story to just under two and a half hours. We are subjected to an uncomfortable mix of drama and comedy as we meet a bunch of misfits who are brought together to form a rag-tag band of skiers ready to take on the world. One is an adoptee searching for his birth mother, another a former drug addict, the thirdsuers at the hands of his abusive father and the fourth lives in poverty with his grandmother and retarded brother.

The first 105 minutes are messy, flabby, occasionally oensive and mostly boring; but once we get to the Olympics the film comes into stride and the last 50 minutes or so are actually rather good. The ski jump footage is beautifully shot and you may begin to feel an emotional attachment

to the characters. However, you'll be better o watching 2008's Forever the Moment ( ) if you want a taste of Korean Olympic dreams.