Is there a tried-and-true formula for blockbuster success? And does Clash Of The Titans follow it? Read on and unlock the secrets of the box office.[rssbreak]
Spectacle!
You don’t gross $500 million worldwide with a modest love story about two people learning to connect. No, you need massive conflict with unimaginable stakes – like, say, a Decepticon plot to blow up the sun or a transplanted warrior marshalling the indigenous peoples of a far-off planet to defend their Hometree from rapacious corporate developers. Or, in this case, a decree from Zeus allowing Hades to sic a gargantuan sea monster on the city of Argos to punish mortals who’ve slacked off in their worship. Release the Kraken!
Beefcake!
After Terminator Salvation and Avatar, Sam Worthington’s Hollywood’s go-to guy for strong-jawed, broad-chested warriors. Here, as Perseus, he looks awesome in a battle skirt.
Monsters!
If you can’t have giant robots, CGI creatures are the next best thing. Avatar had those threatening Thanators and swooping dragon birds How To Train Your Dragon unleashes a menagerie of fire-breathing flappers and Alice In Wonderland has the menacing Jabberwock. Clash Of The Titans has a virtual parade of digital beasties an early draft of the script even found room for a baby Sphinx during a throwaway dialogue scene, just to keep the effects guys busy.
3-D!
Thanks to Avatar, Alice In Wonderland and How To Train Your Dragon, 3-D movies have topped the box office 11 of the last 15 weeks. Now audiences expect to don the polarized glasses when they show up at the megaplex. Earlier this year, Warner announced that it would be reformatting Clash for 3-D, even though that meant pushing the opening back a week to accommodate the digital work required to create the new version. You just can’t say no to the pricier tickets for those 3-D engagements.
Kissing optional!
The new Clash slices out the love story that drove the original, but that may not be a hindrance. Alice In Wonderland will have broken $300 million by the time you read this, and the closest thing that movie has to a romance is an entirely inappropriate flirtation between Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter and Mia Wasikowska’s oblivious heroine.
