Ever since his Taken hit theaters in 2008, Liam Neeson has become one of the most iconic action stars of his era. He has portrayed a grizzled, vengeful hero countless times over the years, while switching it up recently with his comedy reboot Naked Gun. He has also ventured into the fantasy genre more than once, most famously voicing Aslan, a talking lion, in the Chronicles of Narnia trilogy. However, one of his most underrated roles is actually in another iconic fantasy franchise, which got a short-lived reboot in the early 2010s.
In 2010, the remake of Greek mythology epic Clash of the Titans hit theaters, making nearly $500 million at the box office. Despite a negative consensus from critics, the film managed to gain a healthy audience and a sequel was promptly greenlit. Wrath of the Titans released in 2012 and brought back Sam Worthington back as Perseus and Neeson as his father, Zeus. While critics were not thrilled with the second effort, it managed to be a more entertaining ride that features plenty of blockbuster action. 14 years later, Wrath of the Titans is now available to stream for free on Tubi as of Jun. 1.
An Action Fantasy Sequel Better Than the First
Wrath of the Titans follows Perseus (Sam Worthington) 10 years after the near-cataclysmic events of the 2010 film, which ended with him slaying the mighty Kraken. He is now a peaceful fisherman living alongside his son, Heleus. However, as the world no longer worships the gods as it used to, their power is being drained. Slowly becoming mortal, Zeus (Neeson) tasks Perseus to put together the weapon that can defeat the Titan Kronos, who will now be able to break free from the walls of Tartarus. This puts Perseus on a collision course against Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and Ares (Édgar Ramírez), who seek to make a deal with Kronos to secure their immortality.
As one might imagine, Wrath of the Titans is not based on a specific piece of mythology. Thus, it lives by itself as a new original story, one that leads to an action-packed adventure with fun visuals. While Clash of the Titans failed to reach the expectations set by the 1981 film, Wrath of the Titans doubles down on the entertainment factor instead of trying to create the next modern fantasy classic.
A Third ‘Clash of the Titans’ Almost Happened
Despite Wrath of the Titans making back its $150 million budget by grossing $302 million at the worldwide box office, the return was seen as a major step down from the first film. In turn, Warner Bros. shut down plans for another sequel, which was reportedly titled Revenge of the Titans. The poor critical reception and disappointing box office, as well as a lack of new script ideas, all contributed to its cancellation. The Clash of the Titans franchise has remained dormant since, though Greek mythology has seen a resurgence on screen as of late.
This summer, Christopher Nolan is bringing Homer’s epic to the big screen in The Odyssey, an action blockbuster steeped in Greek mythology. Expect to see some of the same gods from Wrath of the Titans in the upcoming film, though Nolan is bringing his more grounded take on the material. Still, those wanting an entertaining refresher on the lore would be wise to check out the 2012 fantasy flick, which is now available to stream for free.
- Release Date
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March 29, 2012
- Runtime
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99 minutes
- Director
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Jonathan Liebesman
