This fantasy action sequel just became one of Netflix's most-watched movies — and I'm not sure why
Fantasy fans might have spotted that an epic new action-adventure has crashed the Netflix US top 10 list.
"Wrath of the Titans," Jonathan Liebesman's epic swords-and-sorcery follow-up to "Clash of the Titans" recently got added to the streaming service — and it looks to be a hit with subscribers.
In just a few days, the sequel has already jumped up to the No. 3 spot in the streamer's most-watched movies list, behind the magical heist thriller "Now You See Me" and Netflix's recent crime thriller, "A Widow's Game".
If you'd spotted the movie rising through the ranks and were trying to decide whether to stream "Wrath of the Titans" on Netflix, here's a little more info about the movie, and a quick round-up of critical opinion on the movie to help make up your mind. (spoilers: it's a definite skip from me)
Following the box office success of "Clash of the Titans", Warner Bros. brought us another movie loosely inspired by the Greek mythos. Here, we find Perseus (Sam Worthington) attempting to live a quiet life as a fisherman and parent to his young son, Helius.
Alas, conflict's brewing between the gods and the Titans, and when Ares (Édgar Ramirez) and Hades (Ralph Fiennes) ally with Titan leader Kronos, Perseus is dragged back into the fray.
The traitorous gods make a deal to capture Perseus' father, Zeus (Liam Neeson), prompting the demigod to set off on a perilous journey into the underworld in order to rescue him.
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In addition to all those named above, "Wrath of the Titans" also stars Rosamund Pike, Toby Kebbell, Bill Nighy, Danny Huston, among others.
Despite being a massive fantasy fan myself, I can't in good conscience recommend "Wrath of the Titans" unless you're really desperate to stream a loud, overblown swords-and-sorcery story. It's epic in genre and scope, but not exactly in terms of quality.
The big draw here should be the action, and while some of the battles are well constructed (if edited in a disorienting manner), others lack real weight because they hinge so much on clashes with hulking beings mostly rendered with CGI.
And, viewed through modern eyes, the effects certainly look dated (especially in the obviously made-for-3D viewings moments), and dominate the movie so much, making it quite a relentless and exhausting viewing experience. It wouldn't be as disappointing if "Wrath of the Titans" didn't also boast poor dialogue and stiff performances.
And, seeing as practically every streaming service has turned its hand to fantasy at one point, these days, there are far better options out there (check out my round-up of the best fantasy shows on Netflix, for starters).
I'm not the only one who wouldn't recommend it, though. As I mentioned, "Wrath of the Titans" doesn't exactly come highly praised.
At the time of writing, the fantasy sequel holds a mere 26% critics score on the review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 49% — indicating at best mixed reactions.
Empire's Helen O'Hara gave "Wrath of the Titans" a two-star rating, writing: "If even a tenth of the care and attention lavished on the production design and action sequences had been afforded the script, this could have been an adventure of legendary proportions. As it is, this fizzles whenever anyone opens their mouths."
Want a second opinion? Well, critic Roger Ebert echoed that take in his own two-star review: ""Wrath of the Titans' is obviously not concerned with plausibility. It lacks a comprehensible story, and you won't need your Cliff Notes on the Greek myths. You get an idea of who the major players are, and then they spend a modest amount of time shouting laughable dialogue at one another while being all but forced off the screen by special effects."
Audience reactions on the platform vary wildly; some RT reviewers have "Wrath of the Titans" logged as a 5-star watch or "overhated" as a blockbuster release. Others, meanwhile, describe it as "boring," "forgettable," "cliché" and a "total waste of my time."
Not sold on "Wrath of the Titans" after reading those takes? We can still help you find your next Netflix watch; take a look at our list of the best Netflix action movies or our overall round-up of the best movies on Netflix for tons for streaming recommendations.
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