Clash of the Titans (1981)
75%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 6 nominations
A goofy, old-school sword-and-sandal epic, Clash of the Titans mines Greek mythology for its story and fleshes it out with Ray Harryhausen’s charmingly archaic stop-motion animation techniques
Clash of the Titans may not be the most critically acclaimed movie out there, but it’s definitely a fun ride. Sure, the script is pretty bad and the colors are dingy, but who cares when you get to see slimy creeps and the best movie version of Medusa ever filmed? Plus, the stop-motion special effects are wobblesome in the best way possible. And let’s not forget the who’s-who of pop culture gods that draw from classical theater, art cinema, and Love Boat guest-star casting calls. So, grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the banal, insecure, and stiff actors fighting monsters. It’s a blast!
Production Company(ies)
John Ford Productions,
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Warner Home Vídeo
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Azur Window, Gozo Island, Malta
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1981
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 58m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 12, 1981 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 6, 2002
Genre(s)
Fantasy/Adventure
Keyword(s)
starring Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Judi Bowker, Claire Bloom, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress, Neil McCarthy, directed by Desmond Davis, written by Beverley Cross, fantasy, adventure, action, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Derek Malcolm, Dave Kehr, James Berardinelli, Roger Ebert, Vincent Canby, Philip French, PG, Perseus, Zeus, Princess Andromeda, Hera, Thetis, Aphrodite, Calibos, Medusa, Kraken, stop-motion animation, Greek mythology, Ray Harryhausen, Charles H Schneer, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Warner Home Vídeo
Worldwide gross: $41,092,328
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $138,451,903
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 873
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 15,098,354
US/Canada gross: $41,092,328
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $15,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $50,539,326
Production budget ranking: 790
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $27,215,427
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $60,697,150
ROI to date (est.): 78%
ROI ranking: 1,019
Laurence Olivier – Zeus
Judi Bowker – Princess Andromeda
Claire Bloom – Hera
Maggie Smith – Thetis
Ursula Andress – Aphrodite
Director(s)
Desmond Davis
Writer(s)
Beverley Cross
Producer(s)
Ray Harryhausen, Charles H. Schneer
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 6 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (48) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (17)
Children of all ages will come out happy enough, I would imagine. Dingy colour, a pretty rotten script and the two-hour length were my main complaints. But it was fun while three-quarters of it lasted.
December 29, 2021
Derek Malcolm
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Apart from some fine slimy creeps in the Medusa episode, it’s bland and toothy, with a narrative that gets bogged down in short-term action.
August 17, 2020
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Mostly the problem is Beverley Cross’ screenplay, which is unacceptably, irredeemably bad.
April 30, 2009 | Rating: 2/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
Clash of the Titans is an unbearable bore that will probably put to sleep the few adults stuck taking the kids to it.
June 27, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
October 23, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
What can you say about a movie in which Flora Robson plays one of three blind witches under so much rubber masking that the role might as well have been played by Joe Namath?
August 30, 2004
Vincent Canby
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Earthbound, remote, banal, insecure, its actors as stiff as the monsters the special effects man, Ray Harryhausen, has created for them to fight.
December 30, 2021
Philip French
Observer (UK)
…Clash of the Titans’ pantheon of gods is a who’s-who of pop culture that draws from classical theater, art cinema and Love Boat guest-star casting calls.
September 10, 2021
Jason Shawhan
Nashville Scene
Clash of the Titans promises much more than it is prepared to deliver.
June 22, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
Larry Vitacco
Philadelphia Gay News
Brimming with stunning fantasy visuals, including the skeleton-like ferryman, the two-headed dog Dioskilos, and the best movie version of the snake-haired Medusa ever filmed.
August 31, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion special effects are as wonderfully wobblesome as ever and he comes up with some memorable monsters, notably the petrifying Gorgon Medusa.
August 17, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Adrian Turner
Radio Times
There are multiple instances of enjoyment and craftsmanship…
August 17, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Jared Mobarak
Jaredmobarak.com…
Plot
Perseus (Harry Hamlin) is the favored son of the god Zeus (Sir Laurence Olivier), but he has unwittingly ticked off the sea goddess Thetis (Dame Maggie Smith). Just to make things worse, Perseus falls in love with the lovely Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker), who used to be engaged to Thetis’ son, Calibos (Neil McCarthy). Soon Perseus is off on one quest after another, with Zeus helping, Thetis hindering, and lots of innocent bystanders getting stabbed, drowned, and squished.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny comments were made about the film in the Fresh Kernels database.
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