 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Clash of the Titans
- Review Date: May 2, 2003
- PG
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 1981
Common Sense Media says
Kids will find this FX-heavy fantasy epic a bit dated.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie is based on a Greek myth, and though it is aimed at young audiences, it contains medium-level fantasy violence (some swordplay with blood), some scares (mostly characters like gruesome witches that share an eyeball, Medusa and her snake-hair, and a skeletal ferryman), and some nudity (mostly nonsexual and not up close, plus one covered shot of a couple in bed together). The movie features the work of legendary special effects master Ray Harryhausen, and it has a certain cult appeal because of this; it's filled with unique -- if somewhat dated -- stop-motion animation and creatures. Modern day kids may find it all a bit wooden, slow, and/or dull, but parents who saw it when it was new in the early 1980s may be thrilled to see it again.
What's the story?
Perseus (Harry Hamlin), the mortal son of Zeus, goes on a quest designed and directed by Zeus (Laurence Olivier). The angry goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith) tries to hinder his path. He must solve a riddle and win the hand of the beautiful Andromeda (Judi Bowker) and defeat her former betrothed Calibos, who has been turned into a monster (and who is the son of Thetis). With the help of the poet Ammon (Burgess Meredith) and a robot owl, Perseus must also catch and tame the winged horse Pegasus, overcome some giant scorpions, and behead the evil Medusa, all in an attempt to stop his new bride from being sacrificed to the giant creature known as the Kraken.
Is it any good?
Though CLASH OF THE TITANS can hardly be called a good movie, it has a certain quality -- a combination of camp and nostalgia -- that makes it appealing. Ray Harryhausen's visual effects were, and still are, the high point. His old-fashioned stop-motion animation reached a new complexity here, though some of it obviously works better than the rest. A "cute" little robot owl is all too clearly an attempt to copy Star Wars. But the Medusa sequence, especially, is a delightful high point.
And certainly the original mythology is interesting as well. But Desmond Davis' direction lies somewhere between wooden and leaden, the young cast is pretty and vacant, and the veterans, including Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, and Claire Bloom, look bewildered and bored. It all goes on far too long, but the underlying themes of the original story are intact and leave some food for thought, even today.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the movie's violence. Was it realistic? When it's a fantasy movie does it have less impact?
One of the gods asks, "what if courage and imagination became everyday mortal qualities? What will become of us?" And Zeus replies, "we would no longer be needed. But, for the moment, there is sufficient cowardice, sloth, and mendacity down there on Earth to last forever." What did he mean by this?
How is an ancient myth like this one relevant to today?
How much did Perseus achieve by himself, and how much did the gods help him out? Do we all have the power to choose our own actions and our own destinies?
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AGE
NOT a children's movie!
My son was invited to a 9-year-old birthday party with this movie as the centerpiece, so I watched it in advance and had to say NO. Even with its charmingly antiquated animations, it's genuinely terrifying for a child. Not just swordplay and blood, but things like a mother and baby, both screaming, put into a coffin and thrown into the ocean. The Medusa scene is really suspenseful and gory, even if it's fake. And though my son sees the people in our family naked all the time, he's never seen nudity on screen and I think there's a difference, especially when you've gathered a room full of 9 year olds to watch it together. There are no children in this movie - and there's nothing in it to suggest it's a children's movie.
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AGE
go persius!
love it! stays true to the original with a modern twist
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AGE
This is a very good movie but there is a lot of nudity for a PG movie. There is no cusing and Persus is a good rool modle
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AGE
Shocking nudity!
This is R material here. I was shocked that it had been rated PG.
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AGE
This is a pre-PG13 PG-movie
While this wasn't a great movie, it still is worth watching as a version of the "Perseus" myth, albeit heavily altered.
I saw this for the first time probably when I was 12 or so, and found it disturbing and shocking. There is a fair bit of bloody violence, and the scene with Medusa is extremely intense. Also, those who are used to the MPAA's current standards may be shocked by the three short (but not entirely necessary) scenes of nudity.
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AGE
It's a big favorite at our house...
This would be a good alternative to the 2010 release. The nudity is very brief and not very sexual. Along with "Jason and the Argonauts," it is a good example of stop-motion photography techniques. It could be a way to introduce Greek myths as an interest for self-guided study and reading.
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AGE
*snore* *laughs* *snore*
This is one of those movies that's so bad it's funny! Clash of the Titans is ALMOST good and is amusing...as long as you can stay awake!
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy, monsters, ghosts, and vampires |
| Studio: | Warner Home Video |
| Director: | Desmond Davis |
| Cast: | Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 118 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 12, 1981 |
| DVD release date: | June 1, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
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