Clash of the Titans (1981 and 2010)

I must have watched 1981’s “Clash of the Titans” a hundred times as a child when it debuted on HBO, back when HBO was a fascinating addition to the phenomenon known as cable. (Yeah, I’m that old.) I still watch and enjoy it, stupid robot owl, eyebrow-raising nudity and all. It has powerful gods and goddesses, a kick-ass hero in Perseus (Harry Hamlin) with a woman (Judi Bowker as Andromeda) to rescue, and other-worldly monsters made by the hands of Ray Harryhausen. I still shudder at Medusa’s glowing green eyes and that strange, ticky groove she has. Glorious bad-on-purpose fun in line with “Flash Gordon.” A-

The 2010 remake trashes all that good badness for ugh badness, providing a Perseus (Sam Worthington) who could care less about women. He wants to kill the gods. He’s as mad as hell, and not going take it anymore! Near-MIA Andromeda barely matters. Director Louis Leterrier prefers CGI that fades from your mind the moment the visual effects fade from screen, and a revenge plot best saved for “The Punisher” or any Steven Segal film. For a film about the heavens, this film is earth bound. Liam Neeson dishes authority as Zeus, but Ralph Fiennes plays Hades as Voldermort’s younger, pouty-lipped brother, the sibling you don’t want to sit next to at Christmas. To bring up another son of god. C+