Disc Reviews

When Titans Ruled The Earth 4K Review

• 12th Aug 2024

2009’s Clash of the Titans got a mixed response when it came out.  The lead actor came off as flat, and the 3D craze that was all the thing at the time was not applied to this film well at all.  Time though has been kind to the film. The effects actually stand up pretty well now. The reimagining of the characters and the story are fairly well done, particularly the “men on a mission” element.  Just take a look at the men joining Sam Worthington’s Perseus and you have the grant company of such great character actors as Mads Mikkelsen, Liam Cunningham, Nicholas Hoult and Rory McCann.  The impressive cast doesn’t just shine there.  Throw in Pete Postlewaite and Elizabeth McGovern as Persus’ adoptive parents, Vincent Regan and Polly Walker as the king and queen, Alexa Davelos as their daughter Andromeda,  Jason Flemyng as Calibos and Gemma Arterton’s Io, a mysterious guide.

And let’s not forget the gods themselves! Danny Huston as Poseidon, Agyness Deyn as Aphrodite, Luke Evans as Apollo, Alexander Sidding as Hermes, Jane March as Hestia, and of course, main villain Ralph Fiennes as Hades, and the main god himself Liam Neeson as Zeus.  It’s the latter two that get the proper screen time in these films, the rest largely are blink-and-you-miss-them cameos.

So what’s it all about?  Of you know – The gods are angry, throw their weight around the earth causing all sorts of trouble for mankind. But mankind often seems to ask for it when they defy the gods at every turn.  The king and queen in particular offend the gods to the point where they must sacrifice their own daughter to the sea monster, the Kraken. Unless of course a hero can rush in on a trusty winged steed and save the day!

Into the mix comes Persues (Worthington), who also happens to be half god (thanks to Neeson’s Apollo having his dirty way). Perseus must seek the head of the hydra which holds the power to stop the kraken. A team of misfits and soldiers band together and off on adventure they go with their numbers slowly depleting as they come up against new foes along the way.

Clash of the Titans is a good old riot of adventure working largely down to Letterier’s heart-beating direction and the afore mentioned impressive cast of actors.

Wrath of the Titans takes place many years later and we catch up with Perseus (now a father himself) caught up in more of the god’s torment.  Seems this time his father Apollo (Neeson again) has been taken prisoner by gods Hades (a returning Fiennes) and Ares (a newly cast Edgar Ramirez). Perseus hooks up with the now warrior queen from the first film Andromeda (this time played by Rosamund Pike). There are more trials and tribulations to face, but Wrath can’t quite get at the same magic that makes the first film such a pure joy. There is a diminished cast on the Gods and Men front. The film isn’t a disaster but it doesn’t quite meet the first films charm, but it has moments for sure.

Both discs come with interviews with producer Basil Iwanyk. This is the only brand new extras generated for this new release.  The first interview is about 20 minutes, and the second is over 13 minutes long.

The first film has about 18 minutes of deleted material worth watching to get a better look at the gods. Luke Evans in particular gets a much meatier role worth examining here. 

Beyond that, it’s all behind-the-scenes material made at the time.  When you consider the names involved again – nobody was contacted? This is a missed opportunity for sure.

Steven Hurst

Full contents:

2-DISC 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray presentations in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of both films
• DTS-HD MA 5.1, Dolby Atmos, and audio description options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Illustrated collector’s book containing new writing by author and critic Guy Adams and film scholar Josh Nelson
• Double-sided fold-out posters for each film featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Joe Wilson
• Six postcard sized artcards
• Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Joe Wilson

DISC 1 – CLASH OF THE TITANS

• Scaling Mount Olympus, a brand new interview with producer Basil Iwanyk
• Sam Worthington is Perseus
• Zeus: Father of Gods and Men
• Enter the World of Hades
• Calibos: The Man Behind the Monster
• Tenerife: A Continent on an Island
• Scorpioch
• Actors and Their Stunts
• Wales: A Beautiful Scarred Landscape
• Bringing Medusa to Life
• Prepare for the Kraken!
• Sam Worthington: An Action Hero for the Ages featurette
• Alternate ending
• Deleted scenes
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery

DISC 2 – WRATH OF THE TITANS

• Unleashing the Beasts, a brand new interview with producer Basil Iwanyk
• Who Are the Titans?
• Hephaestus: God of Fire
• Lost in Tartarus’ Labyrinth
• Creatures of the Titans
• Path of Men (behind the scenes)
• Battling the Chimera
• Agenor: The Other Demi-God
• The Cyclops Fight
• Prison of the Titans
• Minotaur: The Human Nightmare
• The Heavens Raise Hell on Earth
• Deleted scenes
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery

When Titans Ruled The Earth is out on 12^th August