Off Balance

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It seems lamentable that poor Liam Neeson, who's probably (and of course understandably) not fully himself in the wake of Natasha Richardson's death, has agreed to play Zeus, for God's sake, in a remake of Clash of the Titans under director Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2, The Incredible Hulk). I'm thinking back to Neeson's expressions of despair in the late '90s after starring in the double-whammy blue-screen nightmare of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and The Haunting. He wanted to quit acting, if I correctly recall.

Ralph Fiennes (who has a memorable cameo in The Hurt Locker ) is scheduled to costar in the new version, which is being funded by Warner Bros. It'll begin production in England later this month.

Laurence Olivier played Zeus in the original 1982 Clash of the Titans -- strictly paycheck, an all-time career low.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 10, 2009 at 8:27 AM

comment #1

bluefugue says ...

Sure it was strictly paycheck, but "all time career low" seems harsh. Olivier did the gig perfectly well and added a touch of class to a fun Harryhausen FX/adventure romp.

Posted by bluefugue at April 10, 2009 9:22 AM

comment #2

Rich S. says ...

"an all-time career low"

Apparently, you never saw Wild Geese II.

Posted by Rich S. at April 10, 2009 9:26 AM

comment #3

Wrecktem says ...

Calling Olivier's Zeus an all time career low is blatant bullshit, considered all the crap he appeared in during the last decade or so of his life. Fuck man, have you ever seen Inchon??

Clash of the Titans (the original) is a pretty awesome kiddie Greek mythos movie with absolutely stunning stop-motion effect work by Ray Harryhausen. It's loads of fun and a great memory for many people who grew up in the '70s and '80s.

Leterrier isn't the greatest director working today, but Incredible Hulk held my attention (it was certainly better than Ang Lee's overwrought original) and I'm very interested in what he'll do with this movie. Greek mythology kicks serious ass and it'd be super rad to see an exciting CG actioner based on those ancient stories.

Posted by Wrecktem at April 10, 2009 9:30 AM

comment #4

actionman says ...

Leterrier's best film to date is Unleashed. What an ass-kicker that movie is. Great cinematography from Pierre Morel.

I am more excited for Tarsem's similarily themed War of the Gods, if it can ever get into production.

Still, this new Clash is assembling a fine cast, and it might be some solid summer fun next year.

Posted by actionman at April 10, 2009 9:36 AM

comment #5

corey3rd says ...

anyone in the classic Clash of the Titans can be praised for working with Ray Harryhausen. However the idea of remaking it is as distasteful as it gets.

Have all the marketing losers taken over the Hollywood studios? This is almost as bad as watching Vivid remake Deep Throat on Showtime.

Posted by corey3rd at April 10, 2009 9:42 AM

comment #6

D.Z. says ...

Neeson's probably not doing it for the money, but to help his kids deal with the loss.

Posted by D.Z. at April 10, 2009 9:48 AM

comment #7

Caustic712 says ...

On behalf of Neeson, the kids, and everyone and everything everywhere -- shut the fuck up, D.Z.

Posted by Caustic712 at April 10, 2009 9:52 AM

comment #8

Sabina E says ...

Maybe Neeson is taking on this big budget project to forget his grief and sorrow...

Posted by Sabina E at April 10, 2009 9:59 AM

comment #9

Imogen says ...

Who else besides Neeson could play Zeus and get away with it? After all, Sean Connery has retired.

Posted by Imogen at April 10, 2009 10:10 AM

comment #10

Mark says ...

Not surprising. Follows his trajectory of playing every righteous father figure, whether adoptive/absentee/or symbolic, ever written in Hollywood. If he refused, it'd be like Sam Neil turning down the role of a cuckholded husband.

Posted by Mark at April 10, 2009 10:12 AM

comment #11

actionman says ...

Imogen -- while I like Neeson as Zeus, Sean Bean would have been a good choice as well.

Posted by actionman at April 10, 2009 10:13 AM

comment #12

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Some people find it helps to keep busy after recently suffering a bereavement. And I'm sure he'd rather not take on some weighty grief-stricken character in the immediate aftermath of his wife's death. A CGI actioner full of mythical Gods sounds about right.

What would you prefer he do instead, Wells?

Leterrier is alright. I'm excited to see a full-blown epic with the Greek Gods. Why not? Most of the recent Hollywood epics have been good, at least on the first viewing. Even disposable shit like Troy was alright for a laugh the first time around. They look pretty, have funny dialogue and bad-ass action scenes. Fine by me. The thought of Neeson and Fiennes hamming it up as Zeus and Hades is an entertaining one.

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at April 10, 2009 10:22 AM

comment #13

Bilge says ...

>>If he refused, it'd be like Sam Neil turning down
>>the role of a cuckholded husband.

Come on, man, Stephen Rea's got a family to feed, too.

Posted by Bilge at April 10, 2009 10:24 AM

comment #14

115thDreamer says ...

What's lamentable is that this project is even happening....sheesh. I blame the success of "300" - fuck all knows how many gladiator-type movies are in the works right now. It's almost like we're regressing to 70's tastes...the new "Fast & The Furious" has the big opening weekend, cornball historical epics, "Fighting" this weekend. Shit, it may be that "Grindhouse" just came out 2-3 too soon to be a success - put it back in theaters this summer and you may have something.

Posted by 115thDreamer at April 10, 2009 10:25 AM

comment #15

crazyeight says ...

Wells is wrong. Laurence Olivier's career low was in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

The man wasn't even *alive* and he starred in a shitty movie.

Posted by crazyeight at April 10, 2009 10:31 AM

comment #16

drbob says ...

I thought I read somewhere that Vanessa Redgrave also is taking a small role in the film. Maybe, its just an opportunity for the family to spend some time together in some exotic location and get a paycheck to boot. Perhaps, Liam just wasn't in the mood to do a heavy dramatic role.

Posted by drbob at April 10, 2009 10:37 AM

comment #17

Mowkeka says ...

Hurling insults at Liam Neeson just after his wife's death...

Nice, Jeffrey. Really nice.

Posted by Mowkeka at April 10, 2009 10:42 AM

comment #18

BurmaShave says ...

Letterier is a Luc Besson protege, another Luc Besson protege just directed Neeson in one of his biggest solo hits of all time. What's the confusion?

Also please go watch CLASH OF THE TITANS again it may give you more joy than you remembered.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 10, 2009 10:47 AM

comment #19

allstar397 says ...

how classy of you to attribute a movie choice you dont like to being in a bad mental state after his wife's death. Pathetic.

Posted by allstar397 at April 10, 2009 10:50 AM

comment #20

moviemaniac2002 says ...

Appearing in a Harryhausen film will never be
considered a "career low" for me....what
would constitute a career low ...appearing in
any current film in which 400 CGI people labor
mightily to cover the fact that there's no coherent
script, no director with a clue, and no actors who can act.....
As for Olivier's low.....well, try to remember
him rolling around on the floor with Gregory Peck
in the unintentionally rioutous final minutes of
"Boys From Brazil"...one of my all-time favorite
guilty pleasures.

Posted by moviemaniac2002 at April 10, 2009 10:59 AM

comment #21

DarthCorleone says ...

I feel gauche saying this on this particular thread, but the original Clash Of The Titans rules and is in no way a career low for anyone. Name me a film that has better adapted Greek mythology. Dismiss it as kiddie stuff if you will, but as far as fantasy epics go, it's near the top of the heap, and - as already mentioned here - Harryhausen's stop-motion work is simply brilliant. It represents the culmination of a great Hollywood career and creativity that deserves respect. Additionally, Olivier played the role exactly right, and there were at least a few other memorable performances therein as well.

Posted by DarthCorleone at April 10, 2009 11:18 AM

comment #22

mattn says ...

At least in Clash Of The Titans Olivier didn't use that ridiculous German accent he was sporting at the time. Not just Boys from Brazil but also Dracula, A Little Romance, and The Jazz Singer, pretty much all in a row. I think that was pretty much the nadir of his career.

Posted by mattn at April 10, 2009 11:26 AM

comment #23

Wrecktem says ...

Olivier had a chance to use his "German" accent in Judgment at Nuremberg all the way back in 1961, but he bowed out of the film at the last minute. They quickly recast someone with the worst German accent of all time: Burt Lancaster.

Posted by Wrecktem at April 10, 2009 11:40 AM

comment #24

dangovich says ...

>>If he refused, it'd be like Sam Neil turning down
>>the role of a cuckholded husband.

Come on, man, Stephen Rea's got a family to feed, too.

Bill Pullman says "what about me?"

Posted by dangovich at April 10, 2009 11:54 AM

comment #25

John Cocktosten says ...

Clash of the Titans is indeed fantastic. I recently had a strange celebrity encounter on Ventura. I'm walking to Ralph's, when who should walk out of a sushi joint but Perseus himself, Harry Hamlin. I'm usually non-plussed by celebrities as I see them frequently, but I stared for a couple of seconds as I flashed back to my 9 year old self watching him fight Medusa and scorpions and the like. He looks almost the same.

Posted by John Cocktosten at April 10, 2009 12:57 PM

comment #26

Josh Massey says ...

Damn Dangovich, beat me to Bill Pullman.

Posted by Josh Massey at April 10, 2009 1:00 PM

comment #27

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Hey -- no ripping on the original Clash of the Titans! Maybe it's just blatant childhood nostalgia, but I'm surprised how much fun that movie still is, esp. compared to the overcooked CG-fests the grace multiplexes these days. CotT over Van Helsing any day of the week, biotch!

Btw, we should all be really thankful D.Z. is here to inform us of Liam Neeson's personal reasons for doing films.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at April 10, 2009 1:00 PM

comment #28

Wrecktem says ...

"I'm walking to Ralph's, when who should walk out of a sushi joint but Perseus himself, Harry Hamlin."

Not surprising. Hamlin's wife, Lisa Rinna, owns a clothing boutique on Ventura in Sherman Oaks. Seeing Hamlin in the S.O. is about as common as seeing Wells eating cake from his jacket pocket.

Posted by Wrecktem at April 10, 2009 2:31 PM

comment #29

BurmaShave says ...

Cockosten, did you happen to catch Harry Hamlin's run on VERONICA MARS? He is the perfection of sleaze. I really wish another series or films would give him more to do. And I can't express how glad I am to see the chorus of defense for the original CLASH OF THE TITANS on here.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 10, 2009 2:36 PM

comment #30

Markj74 says ...

Perhaps Neeson just needs to be doing something? Nothing worse than sitting around at home after a tragedy of that magnitude. Good on him.

Posted by Markj74 at April 11, 2009 1:57 AM

comment #31

Markj74 says ...

And CLASH OF THE TITANS was one of my favourite films as a child, great imagination. I met Ray Harryhausen a few months ago and got his signature. What a legend.

Posted by Markj74 at April 11, 2009 1:58 AM

comment #32

Bob Violence says ...

Gosh, this is such a climbdown after the majestic achievement of Taken

Posted by Bob Violence at April 11, 2009 10:02 AM

comment #33

free games says ...

Wells is wrong. Laurence Olivier's career low was in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

Posted by free games at October 26, 2009 9:31 AM

comment #34

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comment #36

jimb12345 says ...

I just love Liam Neeson. He is just amazing to me. He really makes me laugh.
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comment #37

Ca Mortgage says ...

Liam John Neeson, OBE (born 7 June 1952) is Irish actor, who has been nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe and a BAFTA.

He is well known for his roles as Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Alfred Kinsey in Kinsey, Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia film series and will play John "Hannibal" Smith in the 2010 A-Team movie. He has also starred in several other blockbusters, including The Dead Pool, Darkman, Rob Roy, Kingdom of Heaven, Batman Begins, Taken and Love, Actually.

He was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, and educated there and at Queen's University Belfast. He moved to Dublin after university to further his acting career, joining the renowned Abbey Theatre. In the early 1990s, he moved again to America, where the wide acclaim for his performance in Schindler's list led to more high profile work. He is widowed and lives in New York with his two sons.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Neeson)
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