Well like most of you here, I also loved the Hamlin version because when I was younger that is what Imagined what the Greek Myths will look like, much thanks to Harryhausen's vfx.
So does that mean it doesn't need a remake? Well remakes are a staple of hollywood, we couldn't stop it even if we want to. If it made an impact with the previous generation chances are hollywood execs wants to have that lightning hit twice.
Problems with remakes are these if you are a person who have watched the original, and loved the original, whatever improvement they did with the new one will always fall short. You're over hypercritical mature self will always try to bring down the new movie in order to remain intact the movie of your over romanticized young self's.
Getting back to the movie, was it good, I'll say yes. Did it match-up with the original, I'll just leave that answer with me.
I'll say vfx now is lightyears away from the stopmotion of '81, but hey the effects now will be infantile 30 yrs from now as well. So, I guess this kind of movies is sort of milestones on the movie industry's technology. Though I have to say that in some areas the cg felt a bit clunky, compared to other cg movies of this generation, but it is indeed serviceable.
Let's go in to the story. I'll just have to say that it is the same and different with the original version. This sort of I felt was a parallel universe with the Hamlin version. It's the same movie with the lead character just making different choices. This I felt was what the moviemakers was pushing a lot, let the character just make drastically different decisions from what their classic counterparts made. This holds true on the other side of the lens as well. I just feel like Leterrier made choices to make changes in the movie just for the sake that it will come of as a different movie from the original. Is that wrong? Well, in my opinion it is not but for me it just felt so unorganic.
Acting wise, I'll say the gods are amazing Liam Neeson and Fiennes especially. and I really dig their looks. I can't comment more, I just think this is one of the aspect of the movie that they really have done well. Though sad to say Worthington is a piss-poor actor, he gets me out of the movie everytime he delivers a dialogue, and if they've done an almost perfect job in the looks of the gods, they went the other way with Perseus(Worthington) who looks so despicable. God It's difficult looking at the character with the buzz cut and the skirt, he looks like a reject for a low budget MTV rock video. God its awful, I hoped they had gone with any of the 300 actors. Good thing Arterton was there, she has that ethereal quality which fits her character well, and she's really easy o nthe eyes and she balances out the horridness of Worthington's character.
Well, Leterrier still delivered what I felt was a solid movie, with some missteps here and there. (I'll still watch this frenchman's Avengers if he ever gets the gig).
I'll still recommend that you watch this. If you've watched the original, just don't raise your hopes that high. If you haven't watched the original, watch this new movie first and then watch the original and laughed at how ridiculous that one looks now.
-#Citizens stay Astig!