Wrath of the Titans [Blu-Ray]

Genre pictures, like sword and sandal epic Wrath of the Titans, used to be fun. Yet somewhere along the way, a film's seriousness became directly proportional to its budget. Still pissed at humanity parading its secular ways down on Earth, Wrath of Titans finds the Gods extracting their jealous rage not just on mankind, but on Zeus himself. Borrowing a page from Tarsem Singh's limp-wristed Immortals, the walls of Tartarus come under fire. After dispensing with his brother, Poseidon, Hades imprisons Zeus and saps his power to refuel their father, Kronos, whose rejuvenated form threatens to wreak havoc on Earth. Perseus (again played by Sam Worthington, whose willingness to fight CGI creations knows no bounds) is enlisted to help rescue his father and vanquish Kronos. A motley crew of figures are recruited to accompany Perseus on his journey to Tartarus, mostly for fodder to throw at the various obstacles the group faces on its way, while various Gods and demi-Gods drop in to help out. Like director Jonathan Liebesman's previous film, Battle: Los Angeles, and the first Titans instalment, Wrath kicks up a lot of dust with little to show for it. While Wrath doesn't take itself nearly as seriously as Singh's Immortals, there's still a heaviness that permeates almost every frame. Bill Nighy as Hephaestus is a small bright spot as the only character that finds the Gods' immature squabbles the least bit entertaining. It's a tone too many second-rate blockbusters strike these days. The Blu-Ray release includes the usual bells and whistles (deleted scenes, storyboards, etc.), but the "Maximum Movie" mode is the draw. When in this mode viewers can toggle back and forth between "The Path of Men" and "The Path of Gods," which appear in boxes in the corner of the screen. "The Path of Men" details the making of the movie, from start to finish, with interviews with cast and crew, and visual cues, while "The Path of Gods" dives into the mythology behind the film. Features aside, if you've seen the trailers, or the previous film, Clash of the Titans, you know what you're getting yourself into. It's just a shame that the filmmakers couldn't have lightened the mood a bit. After all, it's only the end of the world.