Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gods vs. man 3-D action fantasy is full of scary monsters.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Clash of the Titans
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 24 parent reviews
Based on 89 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is a mix of exciting action and strong themes, but opinions vary widely on its appropriateness. While some find it entertaining and visually impressive, others criticize it for its violence, confusing plot, and moments of unnecessary nudity, deeming it too intense for younger viewers.
- action-packed
- strong themes
- intense violence
- mixed reviews
- not for kids
- visually impressive
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Perseus (Sam Worthington), the half-human son of Zeus (Liam Neeson), lives life as a simple fisherman with his mother and adoptive father. When mankind declares war on the gods, his family is killed and he vows his revenge against Hades (Ralph Fiennes), who seethes with revenge after soldiers destroy some statues. Unfortunately, in order to get to Hades, he must first defeat the mighty Kraken, a monster that will be unleashed in 10 days by the vengeful Zeus. Accompanied by soldiers from Argos, Perseus embarks on a mission to find his secret weapon, crossing paths with giant scorpions, witches, the ferryman to the underworld, and finally, Medusa herself. But can he get back to Argos before the princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos) is sacrificed to the Kraken?
Is It Any Good?
This remake retains most of the wooden characters and stiff dialogue from the original, but also replaces the charming, old-fashioned visual effects with noisy, fast-moving, computer-generated ones. All of this fast-paced action might appeal to modern-day kids who will be more interested in the scary monsters and brutal battle scenes than the dull acting, muddled message, and poorly executed 3-D.
The Greek myths have long been a source of drama in literature and film, and this film continues in that tradition -- using the conflict between the needy, jealous, and vain gods and the more noble men as a metaphor for man's struggle with his own good and bad tendencies. Kids eat this stuff up, and though some will find the film lacking on several levels, older kids who can handle the violence and scares might be inspired to learn more about mythology and ancient history.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the behavior of gods and humans. Are humans more loving and compassionate toward their fellow man? Why are the gods so selfish and badly behaved? Can you connect any of the movie's messages about humankind to real life? What do you think the movie was trying to say about people?
Which monsters in the film were the scariest? What was scary about them? What else besides how the monsters looked make them scary? How did the noise and music affect how you felt about the monsters?
Is the relationship between gods and men in this movie anything like the relationship between parents and children? What do you know about Greek mythology? Did this movie make you want to find out more?
Why would Perseus refuse to use the magic sword his father gave him? Would you do the same thing in his place?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 1, 2010
- On DVD or streaming : July 27, 2010
- Cast : Gemma Arterton , Liam Neeson , Ralph Fiennes , Sam Worthington
- Director : Louis Leterrier
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 118 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief sensuality
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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