The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/3D Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
90
Studio and Year: Warner - 2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 99 minutes
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC/MVC
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, English/Spanish/French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Rosamund Pike, Edgar Ramiirez, Bill Nighy, Toby Kebbell, Danny Huston
Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman
Music by: Javier Navarette
Written by: Dan Mazeau & David Leslie Johnson
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 26, 2012
Film Synopsis:
A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kaken, Perseus (Worthington) the demigod son of Zeus (Neeson) is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades (Fiennes) and Poseidon (Danny Huston). The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld.
Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramirez), switch loyalties and make a deal, with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.
My Take:
The synopsis above provides a rounded overview of the plot so I will forego any further description. As a fan of the original Clash of the Titans from the early eighties I recall being apprehensive that the 2010 remake would hold up against it, which it doesn’t. Going into this review having not seen Wrath of the Titans during its theatrical run I felt much less concerned about how this sequel would hold up against 2010’s Clash of the Titans. To be fair, while I didn’t think the remake held up to the classic, I appreciated it for what it was and enjoyed it in that light.
Similar to its predecessor this film doesn’t deliver in the story department and features underdeveloped characters and a paper thin plot that just fails to elicit a viable connection to either. The introductions/backstory is extremely brief and quickly followed by invading elements from the underworld which spur Perseus to action. After enlisting the help of fellow demigod Argenor and Greek Princess Andromeda (along with a few nameless and quickly expendable soldiers) they head for the underworld and Tartarus to rescue Zeus and ultimately mankind.
The script attempts to blend the action with displaced levity and varying degrees of melodrama that simply don’t work. I much preferred the one dimensional aspect of the original where the characters were defined by the context of their placement in the narrative. Here, on several occasions I was expecting to hear verses of Kumbaya followed by group hugs. I also couldn’t get over the preposterous depiction of Kronos, the father of Hades/Zeus, who is supposed to be the impetus behind the plot to kidnap Zeus. He is a giant, gurgling CGI mass that never utters a single comprehensible word. I guess there is supposed to be romance but that isn’t convincing or favorably integrated.
I like the cast, Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Rosemund Pike, Bill Nighy, and Sam Worthington. Unfortunately there is very little here for them to work with, especially in the case of Bill Nighy in the role of Hephaestus. I found the action and production elements to be similar to the first film. The extensive use of CGI sometimes imparts and over the top emphasis but not overtly so, while the addition of 3D enhances several of the key sequences. Wrath of the Titans is a sub par sequel that doesn’t live up to its predecessor, which depending on your point of view probably isn’t saying much. If you’re in it purely for the action and didn’t mind the first film, you might find it tolerable.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for intense sequences of fantasy action and violence.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 94
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
3D Presentation: 86
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Depth (Onscreen):
- Dimension (Beyond the screen):
- Realism:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Color reproduction:
Wrath of the Titans 3D comes to Blu-ray Disc from Warner Home Video featuring 1080p MVC encoded video and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4 Mpbs.
So far I haven’t been impressed with the native 2D to 3D converted films that I have reviewed on Blu-ray. Going into this review I expected more of the same but was pleasantly surprised. Detail is well preserved as the image retains its high level of clarity as objects within the frame are delineated and sharp. Depth is appreciable as evidenced by the notable separation of objects or people layered in the foreground/background. There are a variety of scenes that provide a fun reach out and touch level of dimension as well as a bit of screen popping wizardry. This primarily revolves around the action based sequences and features flying debris, jabbing weapons hurdling bodies. Comparing contrast, color and skin tone reproduction to the 2D presentation I think that this presentation is on equal ground. The rendering of detail and clarity is similar and I didn’t observe any overtly distracting instances of crosstalk/ghosting. Overall Wrath of the Titans makes for a decent 3D Blu-ray experience.
Action films like this live or die by its soundtrack and Warner’s active DTS-HD Master Audio mix gets it right. This is a captivating surround sound mix that features an immersive array of well placed sound effects that at times prove very involving. I appreciated the attention to detail that went into creating the surround mix as it effectively replicates the environments featured in the film. Near field sounds are accurately placed within the sound field which gives them multi-dimensional perspective that places you right in the middle of the action. During the sequences later in the film that take place first in the portal and later in the underworld/Tartarus the entire room is illuminated with an array of sounds that are both directional and ambient in nature. Low frequencies are rich, and room pressurizing as they accentuate the audio’s excellent dynamic range with thunderous impact and occasional sub bass depth. Dialogue intelligibility is never a problem even during the film’s active moments. This is a great surround sound presentation that makes for an entertaining home theater experience.
2D Video Quality:
Video: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Wrath of the Titans comes to Blu-ray Disc from Warner Home Video featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 19 Mbps.
This film’s limited chromatic visual style doesn’t lend itself to overly vibrant colors and high gloss video quality. There are instances where brighter elements/deeper color extension are utilized and the punchy contrast allows them to pop nicely. Otherwise onscreen images predominantly lean toward darker color schemes, and grittier textures that provide the look that the filmmakers use to drive the story’s components. This is done to good effect. Shadow delineation is quite good and revealing of subtle details within dark backgrounds and low lighting which enhances visual depth. Strong contrast and stable black levels allow scenes containing mixed content to appear gradationally satisfying with crisp whites and dark dynamic highlights. Resolution is discerning as images are predominantly characterized by well resolved detail that gives the video appreciable dimension and delineated texture. This is the case in all but a few instances where definition softens and doesn’t retain the same level of lucidity. This appears innate and attributable to the use of CGI.
Bonus Features:
Disc 1: 3D Blu-ray – Wrath of the Titans
Disc 2: 2D Blu-ray – Wrath of the Titans (plus the follwing bonus features)
- (HD) Maximum Movie Mode - An in-depth look at the film/production via an interactive viewer that offers selection of either the Path of men or the Path of Gods for a unique experience that includes enhanced scene breakdowns, on-spot vignettes, dissection of visual FX, cast/crew interviews and more. The segments can also be viewed independently via focus points as indicated below.
- (HD) Focus Points – Path of men (totaling 21 minutes):
-
- Battling the Chimera
- Agenor: The other demigod
- The Cyclops fight
- Prison of the Titans
- Minotaur: The human nightmare
- The heavens raise hell on earth
- (HD) Focus Points – Path of Gods (totaling 12 minutes):
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- Who are the Titans
- Lost in Tartarus’ labyrinth
- Creatures of the Titans
- (HD) 3 deleted scenes
Disc 3 :
- Bonus DVD – Wrath of the Titans
Final Thoughts:
Wrath of the Titans is a sub par sequel that features a mediocre script and decent action/production elements. I went in not expecting much which is exactly what I got. On a brighter note its 2D to 3D converted high definition video presentation is quite good. Add excellent 2D high def video, reference quality DTS-HD Master Audio sound and an interactive look behind the scenes via Warner’s Maximum Movie Mode and you have a technically strong Blu-ray offering from Warner Home Video that might be enough to lure genre fans and enthusiasts into giving this one a test drive.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
