It'd be difficult to approach Wrath of the Titans with a completely open mind. The film it follows, Clash of the Titans, was dull and almost single-handedly began the downfall of 3D in the US. Those low expectations though may actually be an advantage for Wrath. Though flawed it's an entertaining film with some spectacular special effects. Even more surprising - the 3D is worthwhile and enhances the experience.

The story follows Perseus (Sam Worthington) who must travel into the underworld to rescue his father Zeus (Liam Neeson). Zeus' other son Ares (Edgar Ramirez) has turned on him and handed him over to Hades (Ralph Fiennes). The plan is to sap Zeus' powers and transfer them to the leader of the imprisoned Titans - Kronos - (father to Zeus, Hades, and Poseiden) who would then unleash hell on the world.

Where the negativity towards Clash really makes an impact is in the early minutes of Wrath. There is no real emotional attachment to the characters - no real care for their fates or the conflicts that are at hand. I wasn't sure the film would be able to break out of that but it somehow did despite inherent confusion around their relationships and motivations without having Clash's plot fresh on the mind. It just took a little time for it to come together.

Wrath of the Titans isn't going to win any awards for dialogue which is sketchy to say the least and almost laughable at times. In fact the movie tends to just move from one set piece to the next with the story taking a back seat. The action is what ties it all together and ultimately leads into a massive final battle. It was actually somewhat startling just was how brisk the pace was and how quickly events advanced - by the time that battle came around it didn't feel as though it was already time for the film to be concluded.

That is a compliment as the first film was plodding and anything but an enjoyable experience. The effects in Wrath are extraordinary and the uniqueness of the various monsters, and the sheer size of Kronos, adds to the fun. While I rarely would recommend paying extra for 3D - and I still wouldn't necessarily with Wrath - there were some really cool moments that were taken advantage of with the technology and it added some valuable depth to scenes. All things being equal going with the 3D wouldn't be a bad decision here.

Wrath of the Titans achieved something unanticipated - it entertained and even made the prospect of a third film in the series somewhat appealing. Expectations, albeit very low, were easily exceeded. There are better overall options in theaters right now (21 Jump Street, The Hunger Games) but for the crowd seeking action Wrath of the Titans is worth considering.

All hell breaks loose (literally) in this non-mythological based sequel to "Clash of the Titans." This story bridges the time of the gods and legends to the time of men. The gods have been losing their power because people have stopped praying to them. Hades, the god of the underworld (Ralph Fiennes) and Ares, god of war (Édgar Ramírez) join forces to release Kronos from Tartus and destroy the gods. Zeus (Liam Neeson) is taken captive and held prisoner as his power is slowly drained from him.

Perseus, son of Zeus (Sam Worthington) teams up with Queen Andromeda(Rosamund Pike), Hephaestus (Bill Nighy) and Agenor (Toby Kebbell) to enter the ever shifting labyrinth of Tartus and free Zeus. Apparently ordering everyone to pray to Zeus to give him power is no longer an option. Alexa Davalos played the original Andromeda...just pretend you are watching "Bewitched."

The movie gives you a brief intro, but there is no real character build-up with an assumption that you have seen the other film. The action hits the screen from almost the moment the movie starts and continues until it ends. There are a few brief scenes without fighting and killing, but they are designed to set up for the next action scene or action game as the case may be. The special effects were superb. The plot was good in keeping in line with the mythology, however the dialouge could have been better with less phrases designed to be truisms and with more funnier quips. Worthington, still living off his Avatar success, gives us his typical less than stellar performance.

No f-bomb, sex, or nudity. Plenty of killing, monster horror, and violence.

Clash of the Titans was an okay remake that could have been great, but the trailers for Wrath of the Titans looked to be a huge improvement and in some cases it was.

From the Kraken to Kronos. Hades decides to join side Kronos to destroy the world and thus securing his immortality, but first he needs all the power Zeus contains to restore his daddy to his past glory. Perseus catches word of this and is on a mission to save his father, Zeus, and fights all kinds of creatures along the way.

The CGI is excellent this time around and there are far fewer corny moments. Even the acting seemed less forced, though still pretty average. Seeing this in IMAX 3-D was worth the extra money. It was fully shot in this format so the images were crystal clear and it made you feel you were actually in the movie, along with the usual random objects being shot towards your face.

Wrath of the Titans is pure mindless action with little need for dialogue or a well thought out story, but it is a fun movie to watch. Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing a third film in the series.

3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars