Hello to all my fans in La La Land.  It’s your Uncle Fidel from Florida here to hip you to yet another Hollywood property set to stun the silver screen.

Recently, I dropped some Hitchcock on your ass.  Today, I’m kicking it old school as well.

Who doesn’t remember Clash of the Titans?  Communists.  Children of the ‘90s (those little turds think the world started with their births).  Having thoroughly enjoyed the first as a kid, I was chomping at the bit to lay my teeth into the reworking.

The first draft I got my ten fingers on was by John Glenn & Travis Wright dated March 06, 2003.  Lawrence Kasdan has apparently since come in and laid his brand of smack down on the script.

The New Clash, not to be confused with the second generation of Saved by the Bell kids or Big Audio Dynamite for that matter, is scheduled for a 2010 release with Stephen Norrington at the helm.  You might remember him from Blade or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

But enough with the setup…

THE STORY

When we begin the tale, Perseus isn’t a proven warrior and isn’t all that noble either.  He’s beat death in the form of an arrow by a few inches and is sent with word from the battlefield to the rulers of besieged city of Phoenicia.  His ultimate goal is to escape Calabus’ wrath intact with his friends Niko, the thief, and Ammon, the old warrior turned tavern-owning philosopher, in tow.  He’s put on a quest by the queen to seek help in the form of a solitary answer from the Fates.  Though they think they’re alone in escaping through the hidden tunnel, the trio discovers they’ve been trailed by Princess Andromeda.  With no way back into the city, she accompanies them on their quest.

Calabus learns the party has slipped through his ever-tightening grip and takes off after them.  His first intent -- kill them all, just as he’s set the world to ruin.  After learning of a possible weapon that could defeat even his armies, he’s all too happy to let them get it so that he can usurp control of it.  Calabus’ ultimate drive is to kill Andromeda and, in doing so, ruin a prophecy of hope for a better tomorrow that would come with the birth of her child.

Over the course of his quest to stop Calabus from claiming the last free city, Perseus discovers his true origins and his purpose in life.

Mythological creatures abound in the form of Pegasus, Medusa, Griffins, the Tomtin, Theotepas, and, of course, the Kraken.

THE SKINNY

Is this script going to bring home awards?  Probably not, but it’s a solid read and I’m not just talking the 125 page length -- new enough to be different (not new for new’s sake) and good enough to ring true.

For the most part, the Gods that meta-commentated throughout the original have been expunged.  Sure, they’re spoken of and to, but generally this script focuses on the works of the mortals.

I don’t remember Calabus burning the world for what’s been done to him and I think that’s a solid character choice.  This Calabus is the son of Hera herself and not some smaller Goddess.  No longer a sniveling coward, he’s spun 180 degrees into a mighty warlord bent on world destruction, not domination.

Instead of starting off noble and true, this version’s doubting Perseus must discover his path. 

While his comrades-in-arms follow the quest-formula of the believer (Ammon), the disbeliever (new character Niko) and the token girl (Andromeda), it doesn’t feel overly forced. 

Unlike the previous version, securing the head of Medusa doesn’t slide into an easy victory.

I did find it odd that the talk of mortals taking control of their destiny depended so heavily on the Gods, but that’s the kind of thing that can roll off your back if you’re not a hardcore stickler.

I can do without the extended voice-over opening, seeing as the narrator isn’t properly introduced as anything more than voice and they disappear with no sense of book-ending or the like.

If you’re a fan of the old school Clash of the Titans or even similar fantasy faire like Krull, this will be right up your alley and could make for a fun summer flick.

Ultimately, I hope the production shows the appropriate respect towards Harryhausen’s work on the first Clash.

This is the kind of script that could shine in the right hands and could be absolutely overwrought and disastrous in the wrong ones.  To be honest, unlike Alan Moore, I’ve enjoyed Norrington’s work to date.  It’s been, at the very least, adequate. 

THE FINAL WORD

Clash of the Titans has the potential to lift Norrington up on the winged back of Pegasus or drop him straight down the gullet of the Kraken.  He’s definitely one mortal in control of his destiny with this solid, though not outstanding, script in his hands.