REVIEW - Clash of the Titans

This update does little to refine the haphazard plotting of the 1981 original as Perseus runs from one confrontation to the next, relying on divine intervention for progression; he not only gets an immortal guide (Gemma Arterton in monotone mode) but a series of godly gifts such as a sword and the use of Pegasus. This removes any sense of challenge from the proceedings, even as his mostly forgettable troop of eyeliner-wearing soldiers are whittled down – with only Mads Mikkelsen and local man Liam Cunningham making an impression.

Clash is the first major live-action film to be converted to 3D in the wake of Avatar and the result is mixed – non CG elements look like they’ve had a lazy second layer applied behind them while the introduction has the right effect but looks like it was rendered on a home PC. For what it’s worth, the action looks great but lacks any real emotion or pay-off; this is Perseus’ story but the camera rarely lingers with him long enough for us to feel like he’s in any real danger. The music is strong and the locations stunning but an uninspired lead, weak action and unconvincing 3D mar what could have been a fun mythical epic.

2.5\5

REVIEW - How to Train your Dragon

Dreamworks jump on the bandwagon with their first animated 3D offering about a young Viking (Jay Baruchel) who tries to prove himself by killing the most dangerous dragon in the land but ends up befriending the hulking, scaly, surprisingly puppy-like beast.

Dragon is a pretty average CG show – the animation is nicely stylised but not ground-breaking, the comedy pales in comparison to others in the genre and the action is fun but uninspired and a million miles away from the over the top brilliance of Kung Fu Panda (which, incidentally, would be fantastic in 3D). It also has some of the most lifeless voice acting we’ve ever heard in a cartoon – Baruchel barely seems awake in live-action movies but here he mumbles through every exchange and the only one who makes a real impression is chat show host Craig Ferguson. It’s left to the non-speaking characters to bring any charm to the proceedings and the host of dragons do that admirably but a little more personality wouldn’t have gone amiss. One for the kids.

3.5/5

REVIEW - Shelter

Julianne Moore starts out spouting psycho-babble and ends up running from a generic monster in this thriller/horror offering from the writer of Identity. Shelter starts well, with Moore’s sceptical psychiatrist lured to a new patient exhibiting signs of multiple personality disorder, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. As he shifts from character to character and she begins to explore his background, the film toys openly with our expectations and layers on some creepy chills, enhanced by some excellent staging (like a scene which plays out in both day and night) and a surprisingly good performance from Rhys Meyers in his multiple roles.

Then Shelter, ironically, goes completely nuts – tearing down its twisty thriller facade in favour of cheap J-horror scares and an increasingly ridiculous backstory which loses the audience around the same time that a character converts a video image of black smoke into a sound wave using a home computer. A shame.

In Irish cinemas from the 9/04/10

2.5/5