When Titans Ruled the Earth: Clash of the Titans & Wrath of the Titans
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Synopsis
The ultimate struggle for power. Men against kings, kings against gods. From such conflict legends are born!
In Clash of the Titans, Perseus (Sam Worthington), son of a god but raised as a man, is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson), king of the gods, and unleash hell on earth. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, can Perseus accept his power and defy fate to create his own destiny?
Wrath of the Titans picks up ten years on from his heroic battle with the monstrous Kraken, with Perseus now living a quiet life by the sea with his young son. But war is raging between the gods and the Titans, and Perseus learns of a treacherous plan for world domination by his power-hungry uncle Hades and godly half-brother Ares (Édgar Ramírez). No longer able to ignore his calling, Perseus joins forces with warrior queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon's demigod son Agenor (Toby Kebbell) and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy) to enter the underworld, rescue the banished Zeus and overthrow the Titans once and for all.
A star-studded cast delivers legendary performances under the direction of Louis Leterrier (The Transporter, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) and Jonathan Liebesman (Darkness Falls, Battle: Los Angeles) in two action-packed tales of mythic high adventure.
Picture 9/10
Arrow Video presents the 2010 remake Clash of the Titans and its 2012 sequel Wrath of the Titans on 4K UHD in a new limited edition 2-disc box set entitled When Titans Ruled the Earth. It presents both films in Dolby Vision with 2160p/24hz ultra high-definition encodes. They're respectively presented in their original aspect ratios of 2.39:1 and 1.85:1.
Clash of the Titans (2010)
Arrow Video’s 4K UHD presentation of Clash of the Titans is, unfortunately, a letdown, hampered by the film’s original digital photography and dated CGI. The image frequently appears murky and soft, with a waxy, digital sheen. The darker scenes lack depth and detail, with unimpressive black levels and an overall dullness that HDR fails to rectify. Highlights, such as reflections off Zeus’s armor, feel muted and lifeless. Although this presentation is sure to be better than Warner’s Blu-ray edition (that I haven't seen) thanks to improved compression, the overall upgrade can't be more than marginal, and the upscale from the 2K digital source doesn’t do much to elevate the image.
8/10
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
In contrast, Wrath of the Titans delivers a far superior 4K UHD experience. Though also an upscale from a 2K digital intermediate, the presentation is vibrant and sharp, offering a wider range of colors and stronger black levels. The image boasts a more film-like quality, with pronounced finer details and natural textures in costumes and environments. HDR is effectively utilized, enhancing both shadow details and highlights, from armor gleams to the glowing hotspots of various creatures. The CGI integrates better within the overall image, contributing to a more engaging visual experience. Arrow’s encode maintains smooth motion and clear detail, making this presentation a notable improvement over the first film.
9/10
Audio 9/10
Arrow Video includes 5.1 surround soundtracks in DTS-HD MA for both Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans, delivering a solid audio experience overall. The mixes are clear and sharp, with well-defined dialogue and satisfying bass that supports the action sequences effectively. However, Wrath of the Titans stands out with a more dynamic and aggressive mix, particularly during its intense battle scenes and climactic moments, which make stronger use of the surround channels. In contrast, the quieter scenes, such as those in the minotaur’s lair, employ subtle echoes and atmospheric effects that enhance the tension. While Clash has a decent mix that serves its purpose, Wrath feels to make more of its sound design.
Extras 6/10
The supplements included in When Titans Ruled the Earth are rather sparse, with minimal new content produced by Arrow. Both discs feature new interviews with producer Basil Iwanya, who provides a more candid perspective than typical studio-produced materials. Although brief, these interviews touch on the films' development, the challenges faced, and some behind-the-scenes insights, including the decision-making behind the 3D conversion and the abandoned plans for a third film, Revenge of the Titans. Despite Iwanya’s refreshing honesty, these interviews feel too short to offer substantial depth.
The remaining features are ported over from Warner’s previous Blu-ray releases and consist mainly of short promotional featurettes. These segments, grouped into sections like Harnessing the Gods and Path of Men, provide basic overviews of the production design, effects work, and some mythology behind the films. While there are occasional interesting bits, such as glimpses into practical effects work or creature designs, most of the content feels like standard promotional material with little critical insight. The discs also include deleted scenes and trailers, but none of this supplemental seems to suggest there was any real passion behind this release.
As for the physical extras in this admittedly appealing box set, each title comes with a small fold-out poster, and the set includes a 59-page booklet that somewhat compensates for the lack of substantial disc content. The booklet features a new essay by Josh Nelson, who explores the film in the context of its release following the 2008 economic crisis—an angle that, while a bit of a stretch, is still intriguing. More compelling is an essay by Guy Adams, complete with an extensive collection of footnotes, examining how Greek mythology has been adapted to film over the decades. Adams covers a wide range, even touching on the Coens' O Brother, Where Art Thou? It’s a real shame that none of this content was turned into a video essay.
Overall, outside of the booklet, the extras feel like an afterthought, lacking the in-depth exploration typical of Arrow’s more dedicated releases.
Closing
I’m still unsure what motivated Arrow to release these films, as the features lack their usual passion and depth. That said, the 4K presentations are good, with Wrath of the Titans standing out as the clear highlight.
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