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In 1981 audiences were impressed with the on screen stop-motion effects of “Clash of the Titans“, now, in 2010, we’re left with nothing but disappointment and misery.

Based on the story of Perseus, well, supposedly, what we actually get is a story that makes little sense and is quite far removed from the original Greek myth, only really staying loyal by keeping the same names.

In 2010 Clash Perseus, a demi-God, son of Zeus but half human and grown up with human parents, watches as Hades, God of the Underworld attacks man and kills Perseus’ fisherman family. The Gods need the worship and love of man to survive and because they’re not doing that Zeus has agreed to let Hades instil fear in man in hopes that they’ll start praying to the Gods again.

Hades wants the Princess of Argos’ life otherwise he’ll release the Kraken on Argos, destroying everyone. Perseus isn’t going to let this happen so goes on a mission to find out how to destroy the Kraken and save Argos.

I’ve recently found out that there is a totally different cut to this film that was left on the editing room floor, one that made a lot more sense and sounded pretty exciting. Instead, Warner Brothers decided they’d allow the release of this farce but only after it had been converted to 3D after all photography had wrapped, forcing reshoots.

Why did Clash fail so badly? The premise was promising yet the story actually doesn’t deliver anything. Firstly Zeus, is he good or bad? He rapes a woman to start the film, denounces Perseus but then is found helping him and wanting him to take his place by his side. Then the awfully plain and cardboard Gemma Arterton as Io called her eternal life a “curse” yet she dies, not so eternal anymore and Zeus brings her back to life as a present for his son. Not so much of a curse now is it?

The special effects are shoddy at best, the 3D looked stretched and unbalanced. I don’t know if this is because it was added in after filming had finished or if it’s just that I’m so unimpressed with 3D as a whole. Take the scene with Pegasus for example, a flying horse with eight legs? I think you could have removed your 3D glasses and enjoyed the same experience.

I’m also left confused as to why Perseus went on this journey in the first place. He wanted revenge against Hades, not to save Argos, and his revenge comes in banishing Hades back to the Underworld? Not much in the way of revenge there is it?

Why also have all these Gods lurking about, like Danny Huston’s Poseidon, not to use them? Outside of Sam Worthington all other characters are reduced to mere bit-parts probably to try and detract from the fact this is showing essentially a fisherman, with no combat experience, battling with Gods and winning.

The version that we never got to see was more of a men-on-a-mission, Lords of the Ring-esq journey, with much more from those characters that were standing about and a plot that makes much more sense, with Perseus doing this quest for the love of Andromeda. This is a version we’ll be lucky to ever see, perhaps it might make a director’s cut but there will no doubt be a sequel to Clash so would Warner really want two versions of the film out when they can just churn out another probably dismal effort?

If you want to watch a film with the title “Clash of the Titans“, either tune in to the TV or get yourself a copy of the 1981 flick instead, it may be dated now but it’s much more entertaining than the 2010 effort.