3. The Clash Of The Titans Remake Mocks Its (Far Better) Original
Imagine a friend you hold in high esteem the sort of individual loved by most, who lights up the room just by entering it. Now imagine he had a younger sibling. In much the same way as your friends' brothers, he sort of resembles the person you like, but it's a pale imitation made all the worse by the fact he doesn't seem to like his accomplished sibling. Right there in that tortured analogy is the sort of relationship the rebooted Clash Of The Titans has with its more illustrious forebear. I for one don't understand it. Sure, the Ray Harryhausen effort wasn't the most amazing film in the world, but there was a sort of camp quality in there which marks it out as one of the legendary animator's better-loved films. Hell, trading off the goodwill of the original is the whole reason why the Sam Worthington-backed series exists in the first place, so when one of the soldier-types played by future Davos Seaworth, no less mocks the incongruous owl in one scene, you can't help but scratch your head. Granted, it's one of the more good-natured insults on this list, but it's still bizarre and frankly, I didn't quite know how to take it. I get being slightly ashamed of a pulpy origin, but when your remake is as cookie-cutter gritty reboot as it comes and trading off the nostalgia, this smacks of sticking two fingers up at your dinner ticket. Yeah, the Bubo the owl was a tad goofy, but things like his presence make it clear this is a Titans film. After all, there's a reason the owl turns up again in the sequel without such touches, it may as well be called 'Australian Beats Up Mythology,' for all the reverence it shows the source.