Wrath of the Titans Blu-ray Review

There are some very odd things going on in director Jonathan Liebesman's Wrath of the Titans. For starters, the film doesn't really feel like a direct follow-up to the surprise smash-hit, Clash of the Titans. Rather, it boasts a totally different feel and tone to the previous chapter, and in some ways represents a refinement of the ideas presented in the 2010 remake.

In the film, 10 years have passed since Perseus (Sam Worthington) defeated the mighty Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and the Kraken. His wife, Io, has passed away, leaving him to care for his son. But when Zeus (Liam Neeson) comes to Perseus in the night, warning him of his impending doom at the hands of Cronos, the father of Zeus, Perseus must decide if he will stay behind and ignore his fate, or prove himself worthy of the title of Demigod.

If Clash of the Titans represented the height of the power of the Gods, Wrath of the Titans represents the tragic end, when the once towering, armored, threatening beings of unlimited power are worn out, shriveling and dying, forced to stare fate in the eye. As such, Wrath is a surprisingly low-key experience, despite boasting far more visual effects and action than the previous chapter.

The narrative is more intimate, with a broken, decaying world surrounding our heroes. No more do we see the glistening hall of Olympus. No more does the eagle of Zeus fly free. And no more do the Gods seem like creatures to fear.

Focusing largely on the tumultuous, complex relationship between Zeus and his brother, Hades, Fiennes and Neeson provide the true heart and spirit of the picture. Fiennes is eons better than he was in Clash, borrowing less from Voldemort, and offering a slight Shakespearean twist to the character's inner-turmoil as he stares down his inevitable fate.

Neeson does the same, playing both the worried father of Perseus, and the regretful brother to Hades. There's an absolutely wonderful scene between Hades and Zeus where Zeus pleads with his brother, calmly and lovingly asking for forgiveness. It's a surprisingly rich scene that delves into the death rattle of these dying Gods, and it's a prime example of how the Titans franchise has evolved into its own being, far removed from the 1981 cult classic (though at least one amusing reference still remains).

Sam Worthington is actually a bit better this time around, too, dropping his infamous 'New York cabbie' accent for his homeland Australian accent. It's a jarring switch at first, but it also seems to free the actor to deliver a richer, more complicated performance.

Of course, the film is not without its faults. After all, it's pretty much just one big excuse for high-flying CG action and adventure, and the film provides a near-nonstop experience on that front. Unfortunately, it's at the cost of character.

While Perseus, Zeus and Hades are fairly well-drawn, Andromeda (now played by Rosamund Pike) has absolutely no purpose in the film, other than to play the token love interest. Bill Nighy and Danny Huston also chime in with quick one-note roles, adding a little color to the narrative, but not much else.

Edgar Ramirez and Tobey Kebbell play the sons of Zeus and Poseidon, respectively, but neither performer really captures their characters with any depth. Ramirez is forced into the tired mindless villain role, while Kebbell is a competent Demigod we're only told is not very competent.

F/X sequences are downright marvelous, though the Titans themselves are far less interesting or developed as those seen in the first film, though admittedly, Medusa and the Kraken were a hard act to follow. Also, the film's somewhat intimate character structure does limit set pieces, rendering a film that feels far smaller and cheaper, despite costing more and featuring even more impressive visuals and engaging action.

Wrath of the Titans is a great follow-up to Clash. It's still pretty dumb at times, even a little rough around the edges. The characters are fun, though, the visuals are awesome, the action is entertaining and there's plenty of replay value, especially for those with a taste for B-movies and Greek mythology. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes bring a lot to the table, too. Wrath is in no way a masterpiece, but it seems to be trying harder than most to be something more than just popcorn junk.

Wrath comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Home Video. The film is available on DVD, Blu-ray (a movie-only edition and a combo pack), Blu-ray 3D (combo pack) and digital download. The version we'll be looking at for this review is the Blu-ray/DVD/UV combo pack.

Presented in 1.78:1, encoded in 1080p/AVC and mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Wrath of the Titans looks and sounds quite extraordinary. Shot on film and digital, the transfer provides a sharp, textured appearance, painted with a sandy palette. The only major issue here is a hint of noise and grain, present during a few low-light sequences, and during a few action set pieces, too. It's not too distracting, nor does it last for very long, but it's noticeable nonetheless.

Audio is incredibly engaging, rich with aggressive surround cues that aide in the film's exciting action sequences. But even during the down time, the track is atmospheric and immersive. Dialogue is clean and crackle-free, and bass is hefty and impacting, without overpowering the rest of the mix.

Extras include a series of deleted scenes (presented in HD), Warner's tightly edited, insightful Focus Points featurettes (35 minutes, HD) and two equally fascinating Maximum Movie Modes, one that explores the mythology of the series, and one that examines the production itself. While extras appear limited on the surface, there's quite a bit here to explore. The Maximum Movie Modes alone are filled with a wealth of trivia to explore.

Much like Clash, Wrath of the Titans plays better on home video, where the rough edges aren't as noticeable, the sometimes sloppy story is far more forgivable, and the film's strengths come to the surface. It helps that the Blu-ray looks and sound terrific, and extras are pretty great, too. If you liked the first film, give Wrath a spin.

"Enough! You are, all of you, beneath me! I am a god, you dull creature, and I shall not be bullied..." Become a friend of R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook or MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

Source : ign[dot]com

Stranger's Wrath HD Devs "Given Up on Microsoft"

The developer behind Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD has "given up on Microsoft" over the company's failure to digitally release the game.

Speaking to VG247, Just Add Water head Stewart Gilray clarified earlier remarks which led many to believe that the XBLA port of the title had been cancelled.  In actual fact, he suggests Microsoft's lack of co-operation is all that has kept the game off the platform.

“

What I said was that we’d given up on Microsoft, not that we’d given up on 360. What I meant was that we’d given up on Microsoft doing anything with it.

He explained, "What I said was that we’d given up on Microsoft, not that we’d given up on 360.  What I meant was that we’d given up on Microsoft doing anything with it."

The code for an Xbox 360 HD port of the game, which originally launched on Xbox in 2005, has been complete for a while.  Gilray is especially disappointed by the company's unresponsiveness as it was apparently Microsoft who approached JAW about bring the game to its console shortly after a PS3 version was announced.

"Two weeks [after announcing the PS3 version] Microsoft contacts us and asked if we wanted to a 360 version," he noted. "We said yes.

"Just before Christmas, they came back and said that they didn’t want it because it’d already been on a Microsoft platform. We said, ‘Hang on a minute. We didn’t come to you. You approached us.’ They said, ‘Yeah, but politics here says that we don’t want it on XBLA.’"

To try and resolve the issue, the idea was then floated that Stranger's Wrath HD could be distributed via the Games on Demand service rather than the XBLA.  This fell apart, however, when it became clear that the game would have to retail for $20; a problem, given that it was already available on the Playstation Network for $15.

A last ditch effort to get the game out on Xbox 360 happened in January 2012, but JAW was told that Microsoft's team had gone off the idea as it had already been released on the PS3 some months earlier.

“

We can’t wait forever. If we did, PS4 and 720 would be out.

"We said, ‘We’ve been talking to you for over 15 months now’,” explained Gilray. “‘We haven’t stalled. You’ve been stalling us. If you’d had come to us six months ago and said fine, we would have held back the PS3 version until the 360 version was ready.’

"We can’t wait forever. If we did, PS4 and 720 would be out. We have to, at some point, say, ‘We tried. End of.’ And that’s sooner rather than later now. But people can’t accuse us of not trying.”

JAW is currently in negotiations with two publishers who are said to be interested in helping them get the game out on the XBLA, but nothing concrete has materialised as yet.  If the game does ever get to see the light of day on Xbox 360 it may not be the version we're used to, with Gilray explaining, "because Microsoft dragged us along for 15 months, we’re now having to add new content to the 360 version."

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD was announced in 2010 and launched on PS3 in December 2011.  A PS Vita version is still in development, with no set release date.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Editorial Assistant.  You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.

Source : ign[dot]com