Line #33 Film/ClashOfTheTitans1981


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/e38b2c6b_9f04_4aa5_94df_8612a597f6f3.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''"Destroy Argos! And to make certain no stone stands, that no creature crawls. I command you to let loose the last of the Titans. Let loose the Kraken!"'' - Zeus]]
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4	''Clash of the Titans'' is a 1981 adventure/mythology film directed by Desmond Davis. An adaptation of the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek myth]] of Perseus (played by Creator/HarryHamlin), it features the final array of StopMotion animated monsters created by Creator/RayHarryhausen, who retired from filmmaking shortly after it was released. The supporting cast is shored up with an array of name performers, most prominently Creator/LaurenceOlivier as Zeus.
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6	A demigod son of Zeus (Creator/LaurenceOlivier), as an infant Perseus is saved from execution (along with his mother Danae (Creator/VidaTaylor)) by the cruel King Acrisius of Argos (Creator/DonaldHouston) thanks to the ruler of Olympus's intervention. Upon reaching maturity, Perseus is set on the path to his destiny when the goddess of the seas, Thetis (Creator/MaggieSmith) -- bitter over Zeus turning ''her'' demigod son Calibos (Neil [=McCarthy=]) into a humanoid monster for his crimes -- transports him to the city of Joppa, which she has cursed: Anyone who wishes to woo the beautiful Princess Andromeda (Creator/JudiBowker), former fiancée of Calibos and daughter of Queen Cassiopeia (Creator/SianPhillips), must answer a riddle that changes with each day lest they be put to death. Perseus, armed with a magical sword and armor, sets out to solve the latest riddle, which requires him to capture and tame the last of the winged horses, Pegasus... but lifting the curse on Joppa turns out to be just the beginning of his adventures, because Calibos and his mother aren't going to give up their quests for vengeance easily...
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8	Stephen R. Wilk wrote in 2000 that "most people today who are aware of the story of Perseus and Medusa [[PopCulturalOsmosis owe their knowledge to the 1981 film]] ''Clash of the Titans''."
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10	For the remake that was released in 2010, see [[Film/ClashOfTheTitans2010 here]].
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12	Not to be confused with the works ''WesternAnimation/ClassOfTheTitans'' and ''[[VideoGame/CrashBandicoot Crash of the Titans]]'' or the trope TrashOfTheTitans.
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14	----
15	!!''Clash of the Titans'' provides examples of:
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17	* AbsurdlySharpBlade: Perseus's magical sword can slice through marble. It never really needs to, but it ''does'' need to quickly behead Medusa, whose scales are as hard as iron.
18	* ActuallyPrettyFunny: Hera is definitely not a fan of Zeus' constant womanizing, but even she gets a chuckle out of her husband's failed attempt to seduce Thetis.
19	-->'''Thetis:''' So many women, and all these transformations and disguises he invents in order to seduce them. Sometimes a shower of gold, sometimes a bull or a swan. Why, once he even tried to ravish me disguised as a cuttlefish.\
20	'''Hera:''' Did he succeed?\
21	'''Thetis:''' Certainly not.\
22	'''Athena:''' What did you do?\
23	'''Thetis:''' Beat him at his own game. [[AlwaysABiggerFish I simply turned myself into a shark.]]
24	* AdaptationalBadass: Medusa got taken out ''while she was asleep'' in the myth. Here she defends herself against would-be attackers not only with [[TakenForGranite her power]], but also with a bow and arrows. And she's a very good shot with it, signaling her presence by killing one of Perseus's soldiers in a sneak attack from a distance.
25	* AdaptationalHeroism: In the myth, Perseus went to get Medusa's head because he made a reckless promise at a party. Here he only goes to get it because it's the one thing that can defeat the Kraken.
26	* AdaptationalModesty: In the myth, Andromeda was sent out naked to be eaten by the sea monster. The film's original intention was to follow this, but due to ExecutiveMeddling, she gets some clothes.
27	* AdaptationalVillainy: In the film, King Acrisius threw his daughter and grandson into the sea out of pure spite and outrage Danae had dared to become pregnant. In the original myth, Arcisius was a lot more sympathetic; after being told by an oracle he would be killed by his grandson, Acrisius locked Danae in a tower to try and prevent this: when Zeus impregnated her regardless, Acrisius threw his daughter and her newborn baby into the sea in a locked chest because he felt it was the only way he could save himself from the prophecy without provoking Zeus by killing his offspring, leaving their fate in the hands of Poseidon. Tragically, [[YouCantFightFate Acrisius's efforts were in vain]]; years later, while attending an athletics competition, Acrisius died when Perseus, who was competing, threw a discus that inadvertently struck his grandfather in the crowd.
28	* AdaptedOut: Perseus' winged sandals are absent with the flying horse Pegasus serving as a replacement.
29	* AdvertisedExtra: Creator/UrsulaAndress was given top billing, but has only one line in the whole movie -- this is a side effect of an alphabetical order listing.
30	* AesopCollateralDamage: The goddess Thetis demands the sacrifice of Andromeda after Queen Cassiopeia boasts that she is more beautiful than the goddess.
31	* BatheHerAndBringHerToMe: Andromeda is bathed and dressed up before she's FedToTheBeast.
32	* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Andromeda is a HeadTurningBeauty, and she's as innocent as it gets.
33	* BigBad: Thetis pretty much sets up the need for Perseus to set off on a quest to defeat the Kraken.
34	-->'''Thetis:''' It is time for chance to intervene. Time you saw something of the world, Perseus. Time you came face to face with fear. Time to know the terrors of the dark and look on death. Time your eyes were opened to grim reality.
35	* BigCreepyCrawlies: Calibos uses Medusa's blood to enlarge a pack of scorpions to attack Perseus.
36	* BigDamnHeroes: Oh no! The Kraken is about to eat Andromeda! Perseus and Pegasus ([[NoRespectGuy and Bubo]]) to the rescue!
37	* BigGood: Zeus. Like in the myth, he provides Perseus with the weapons needed to fulfill his destiny and restores Perseus's strength to give him a fighting chance against the Kraken. It's also suggested in his final monologue that the real reason for siring Perseus was part of a larger plan to wean humanity off of their dependence on the Gods by providing them with an example of what true heroism was capable of.
38	* BlasphemousPraise: Queen Cassiopeia says that her daughter Princess Andromeda is more lovely than the goddess Thetis, and to make things worse, she utters this in Thetis' Temple. Thetis is not pleased by this and orders that Andromeda be sacrificed to the Kraken. If they don't, the Kraken will destroy Joppa.
39	* BloodyMurder: Medusa's blood melts Perseus's shield -- and not any ordinary shield, but one given to him by the gods. And as if that wasn't enough, later on drops of her blood enlarge some scorpions.
40	* CallAPegasusAHippogriff: Not Pegasus himself, but the Kraken, which bears no resemblance to the mythological kraken more specific than them both being sea monsters and having multiple limbs.
41	* CanonForeigner: Calibos is an original character created specifically for the film, loosely inspired by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineus_(son_of_Belus) Phineus.]]
42	* ChainedToARock: Andromeda is chained to a rock to be [[FedToTheBeast sacrificed to the Kraken]].
43	* CharacterAsHimself: This is how "The Mythologicals" (Pegasus, Medusa, The Kraken, Bubo, and Dioskylos) are billed in the credits.
44	* ClockworkCreature: Bubo the clockwork owl, sent by Athena as a guide so she won't have to send her beloved flesh and blood owl, Bubo's namesake.
45	* CoinsForTheDead: In order to reach Medusa, Perseus must cross the river Styx using the boat of the ferryman, Charon. His friend Thallo gives him a coin that he uses to pay Charon for the journey.
46	* CosmicChessGame: Perseus and Calibos are both guided by opposing gods, Zeus and Thetis respectively... in a very literal fashion, too! The gods have clay statuettes of their favorites that they move about as they wish in a model amphitheater.
47	* CrazyCatLady: Ammon the playwright is a male example. Although not quite crazy he's still eccentric, and his abode is filled with cats.
48	* CuteOwl: Bubo, despite being fully mechanical. He even sounds like Artoo-Detoo.
49	* DamselInDistress: Andromeda chained to a rock for the Kraken, in the climax.
50	* DeathByAdaptation: Danae is mentioned to have died during the time skip, while saving her from an unwanted marriage was Perseus's motivation for going after Medusa's head in the original myth.
51	* DecapitationPresentation: Perseus takes Medusa's head after killing her and gets out of her hideout, then lifts it in the same iconic fashion as many artistic representations of him. Zeus then encourages him to keep fighting and fulfilling his destiny.
52	* DisproportionateRetribution: It's the Greek gods, so it's a given:
53	** In retaliation for his lover and son being sentenced to death, Zeus orders the death of their attempted killer, King Acrisius of Argos. Fair enough. But then he orders the ''destruction of all of Argos'' by the Kraken. Generally averted in the novelization, where Zeus comes off as much less petty in general. In regards to Argos, it's established that the Argosian people already had a long list of offenses against them, and the fact that ''no one'' in the whole city lifted a finger to stop a father publically murdering his daughter and her baby was the last straw.
54	** Thetis declares that all of Joppa must die in retribution for Calibos's maiming and Cassiopeia's insult.
55	** Medusa had an affair with Poseidon, an act which angered Aphrodite. Aphrodite blamed Medusa even though it was Poseidon who seduced ''her''.
56	* DivineAssistance: Zeus interferes repeatedly to help his son Perseus and punish those who oppose him. He also has other deities give him divine gifts, including a shield, a sword, and a helmet that grants the power of invisibility. The goddess Thetis likewise tries to help her son Calibos but it doesn't turn out very well.
57	* DivinePunishment:
58	** King Acrisius of the city of Argos tries to kill his daughter Danaë and her baby son (who was sired by the god Zeus) by having them put to sea in a wooden chest. Zeus punishes Acrisius by killing him and having Argos destroyed by the Kraken.
59	** Calibos, the son of the goddess Thetis, killed all of the god Zeus's herd of flying horses except Pegasus. In punishment, Zeus changes him into a warped, ugly humanoid monster who is forced to live in a swamp.
60	** Queen Cassiopeia of Joppa, Andromeda's mother, says that her daughter is more beautiful than the goddess Thetis. Thetis punishes her by ordering that Andromeda be sacrificed to the Kraken. If not, the city of Joppa will be destroyed.
61	* DramaticNecklaceRemoval: Andromeda dramatically takes off the jeweled necklace Calibos offered her, after her visitation in spirit to his lair.
62	* DwindlingParty:
63	** All the soldiers escorting Perseus on his mission to the Stygian Witches and Medusa end up dead.
64	** Perseus also has a dwindling ''inventory''. He loses his helmet during his first fight with Calibos, and has to sacrifice his shield to defeat Medusa. His sword is left behind after his final fight with Calibos, but at that point he has to fight the Kraken, against which a sword wouldn't do much good anyway.
65	* EngagementChallenge: Part of the curse placed on Joppa by Calibos requires any potential suitor to Andromeda solve a riddle; failing to answer correctly meant death by fire. Unfortunately, the incredibly hard-to-answer riddle is chosen by Calibos himself and [[MovingTheGoalposts changes each time]]. Perseus not only answers correctly after learning the current one, he fights and grievously wounds the villain, sparing him only when he lifts the curse.
66	* EveryoneHasStandards: Thetis calls out Calibos' SoreLoser behavior, pointing out that he's asking for revenge, not justice.
67	* EvilPoacher: Not the biggest reason Calibos was cursed, but likely what crossed the line in Zeus's eyes; after being given the Wells of the Moon to rule by his mother, he overhunted it, and as the final straw, [[ThisIsUnforgivable killed all of Zeus's sacred flying horses]], the one survivor being Pegasus.
68	* EvilSlinks: Medusa, snake woman with an attitude.
69	* EvilSoundsDeep:
70	** Though he only has about ten lines at the most, Calibos speaks in an anguished baritone that sells him as a TragicMonster.
71	** Thetis adopts a metallic-tinged contralto when she is speaking through her marble statue.
72	* ExactWords: This exchange between Perseus and Ammon:
73	-->'''Perseus:''' There must be a way to kill the Kraken\
74	'''Ammon:''' No. No way known to man.\
75	'''Perseus:''' You claim to be an optimist?\
76	'''Ammon:''' Yes I am. I believe that man can overcome most obstacles.\
77	'''Perseus:''' I've had enough of your philosophy. It's time for action, not words!\
78	'''Ammon:''' Now wait one moment. I said there was no way known to ''man''. There might be a way known to ''woman''.
79	* {{Expy}}:
80	** Calibos = Caliban from Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/TheTempest''.
81	** Bubo fills the [[CuteMachines plucky droid companion]] role popularized by [[Franchise/StarWars R2-D2]].
82	** Dioskylos = Orthrus, a two-headed {{Hellhound}} that Hercules fought during the tenth of his Twelve Labors.
83	* EyelessFace: The three Stygian Witches (i.e. Graeae) have no eye sockets, but they trade a single crystalline "eye" between them. Perseus steals it to get information from them.
84	* TheEyesHaveIt: The statue of Thetis when she's about to throw down.
85	* EyeSpy: The Stygian Witches have to share a single (magical) eye between the three of them. The witch who has it is apparently quite capable of seeing through while it's sitting in her hand.
86	* FantasyKitchenSink:
87	** The Kraken is from Myth/NorseMythology. The original creature was Cetus, a giant whale, but it was apparently switched because the writer thought "kraken" [[RuleOfCool sounded cooler]]. Creator/RayHarryhausen changed the look from a giant squid or octopus to a four-armed humanoid because he thought it looked cooler.
88	** Calibos is an {{expy}} of Caliban from ''Theatre/TheTempest'', who has nothing to do with Greek mythology at all.
89	** Bubo's design is more evocative of {{Steampunk}} than Greek mythology.
90	* FedToTheBeast: Jealous of Andromeda's beauty, Thetis demands her to be sacrificed to the Kraken, else Joppa will be destroyed. Perseus goes on quest to defeat the Kraken to prevent this from occuring.
91	* TheFerryman: Charon, the ferryman on the River Styx, who transports Perseus and his team part of the way to Medusa's lair.
92	* FertileBlood: When Calibos sticks his trident into Medusa's head, which Perseus has hung on a branch while resting, giant scorpions are created from the blood as it drips on the ground, which proceed to attack Perseus and his men, killing many of them.
93	* ForcedTransformation: Calibos is turned into a beastman by Zeus as a punishment.
94	* GenreSavvy: Ammon, due to being a poet and playwright of stories very much like Perseus's and dealing with some of the same characters, including Medusa.
95	* GiantFlyer: Calibos' pet vulture. Mr. Harryhausen dug his giant flying beasties.
96	* GiveMeASword: One of Perseus's friends tosses him his sword so he can fight off a giant scorpion.
97	* GoForTheEye: Perseus says this exact phrase when he orders Bubo to steal the Stygian Witches' crystal eyeball.
98	* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: Invoked during Zeus' final speech. While Hera is concerned that mankind will forget them, Zeus isn't bothered by it.
99	-->'''Zeus:''' Even if we, the gods, are abandoned or forgotten, the stars will never fade. Never. They will burn till the end of the time.
100	* GrandpaGod: Zeus with his white robe and gray beard
101	* TheGrimReaper: TheFerryman Charon isn't depicted as an old man as in the original myths, but as a black-robe-clad skeleton.
102	* GuileHero: Perseus, when fighting Medusa. His two companions are dispatched quickly, and Perseus realizes they underestimated her badly, and he's in way over his head. He starts fighting dirty, knocking out torches to make it harder to see, making feints, using his shield as a mirror to trick Medusa, then finally lying in wait, listening for when she'll be close enough for him to strike.
103	* HalfHumanHybrid: Perseus, as a demigod, fits this trope.
104	* HandSignals: Perseus uses a "stop" signal to halt the travelers just before they meet Bubo, and also gestures to the soldiers with him as they approach Medusa's lair.
105	* HeadTurningBeauty: Andromeda is incredibly beautiful, so much so that her mother Cassiopeia claims she's even more beautiful than their patron goddess Thetis. Unfortunately, Thetis uses this opportunity to punish Andromeda for this "blasphemy" against her, and sentences Andromeda to be a HumanSacrifice.
106	* {{Hellhound}}: Dioskylos, the two-headed wolf who guards Medusa's chambers.
107	* HenotheisticSociety: Zeus says that Thetis is the patron goddess of the city of Joppa.
108	* HollywoodTorches: In Calibos's encampment and in Medusa's lair.
109	* HookHand: After Perseus cuts off Calibos's left hand, it is replaced by a short trident.
110	* IfICantHaveYou:
111	-->'''Thetis:''' If my son is not to marry her, then no man will... As my Calibos suffers, so will Andromeda.
112	* IntelligibleUnintelligible: Bubo, the mechanical owl. What sounds like clicks and whistles to everyone else is perfectly understandable by Perseus. Justified by the fact that it is a gift to him from the goddess Athena.
113	* {{Introdump}}: The movie has Zeus address all the gods by their name and what they are god of, just so the audience won't be confused.
114	* IShouldWriteABookAboutThis:
115	-->'''Ammon:''' This would make a fine heroic poem you know. Or perhaps a play...
116	* JerkassGods: Played with mainly with Zeus and Thetis. Both tend to be very protective of their children and fond of disproportionate retribution. Zeus at least only acts when someone has committed an injustice, is letting Perseus's defiance slide, and appears to be willing to allow the gods one day to be forgotten. The rest of the gods come off as indifferent rather than malicious.
117	* KrakenAndLeviathan: A Kraken is summoned to destroy the city.
118	-->'''Zeus:''' Destroy Argos! And to make certain no stone stands - that no creature crawls - I command you to let loose the last of the Titans. Let loose the Kraken!
119	* LargeHam: Burgess Meredith is clearly having a blast as Ammon. Justified in that the man is a playwright and actor (at a time where all acting was done live in an actual theater, and basically ''required'' at least some overacting) and even admits to Perseus he likes to act up being a ghost to keep looters from the theater.
120	* LastOfHisKind: Pegasus is the only flying horse left after his species was over-hunted by Calibos.
121	* LetsGetDangerous: Bubo will unquestioningly fly into battle when called upon and apparently can be quite fearsome, frightening off the much larger and ostensibly scarier-looking giant vulture at one point.
122	* LoopholeAbuse:
123	** When Calibos begs mother Thetis to punish Perseus, Thetis says she can't do anything because of Zeus's command. However, when Cassiopeia calls Andromeda more beautiful than the goddess, Thetis is able to use this open blasphemy as the excuse to condemn Andromeda after all to strike Perseus.
124	** When his mother says Perseus is untouchable because he is Zeus' son, Calibos suggests Thetis instead "punish those Perseus loves", who just happen to include Queen Cassiopeia, the people of Joppa, and Andromeda, Calibos' ex-lover.
125	--->'''Calibos:''' Persuade your devoted Lord Poseidon to let loose the Kraken on the city, and let the Kraken destroy Joppa as it destroyed Argos. [[SuddenlyShouting I DEMAND JUSTICE!]]
126	--->'''Thetis:''' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Justice or revenge?]]
127	** Zeus "requests" Athena give Perseus her beloved owl Bubo. Leave it to the Goddess of Wisdom to figure out how to circumvent the order without breaking it by having Hephaestus create a mechanical duplicate. After all, Zeus never specified it had to be the ''live'' Bubo given to Perseus.
128	* LoveAtFirstSight:
129	-->'''Perseus:''' Just believe me when I say I that I ''did'' see you. And the sight of you burst straight through me like an arrow.... From that moment, I knew that I loved you.
130	* LoveObstructingParents: The film's explanation for why Acrisius "grew jealous and kept (Danae) guarded from the eyes of men, locked behind iron doors" (in the original myth, this was partly due to a prophecy that his grandson would kill him, but YouCantFightFate).
131	* MagiBabble:
132	-->'''Stygian Witch:''' [Medusa's blood] is deadly and poisonous. But you have touched the eye. Just as it has the power to give us sight, so it can make your cloak -- your ''red'' cloak -- proof against the blood.
133	* MamaBear: Thetis curses Joppa for what happened to Calibos, then orders Andromeda's sacrifice out of revenge for him being mutilated (partially), and for Cassiopeia boasting of her daughter's beauty in Thetis's temple.
134	* MassOhCrap: The city people in the temple when Thetis declares the Kraken will destroy them all if they don't sacrifice Andromeda.
135	* MauveShirt: Thallo. He fights and kills a giant scorpion without help. But then, Calibos deals with him.
136	* MeaningfulName: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl Bubo the Owl]].
137	** "Dioskylos" is one letter off from "Duo Skylos," which means "two dog" in modern Greek.
138	* MechanicalAnimals: Bubo, a mechanical owl sent to aid Perseus on his quest by the Gods Of Olympius.
139	* {{Medusa}}: The mythological gorgon is depicted here as having the lower body of a giant rattlesnake.
140	* MisplacedRetribution: After Cassiopeia insults her in her own temple, Thetis demands ''Andromeda's'' life as retribution.
141	* MisplacedWildlife: The snake that shows up is a boa constrictor. Boa constrictors live in the Americas -- they would have definitely not been found in Ancient Greece. Medusa's rattling tail could be considered a deity-invoked MixAndMatchCritters example, as rattlesnakes are likewise New World reptiles. In the Joppa marketplace, we see a merchant selling a blue-and-gold macaw, a bird that lives in South America.
142	* MrExposition: Thallo, the World's Most Helpful Guard. Perseus, a complete stranger, walks up to him, and he manages to go from surly hostility to explaining the complete social and political history of Joppa in under a minute. While swatting flies.
143	** Ammon, certainly. 98% of what he says is an explanation. He not only drops knowledge about characters and histories specific to this film, but also serves as a living "Cliff Notes" to classic Greek Mythology on the whole. Justified in that he's a poet and playwright.
144	* MosesInTheBulrushes: Baby Perseus, being an illegitimate demigod, is locked into a coffin with his young mother and thrown into the sea, but Zeus has Poseidon make certain the waters will gently take Perseus and his mother to safety. Perseus is then raised on an island paradise.
145	* MultiArmedAndDangerous: The Kraken has four arms. The goddess Thetis says that it's capable of destroying the entire city of Joppa and all of its inhabitants.
146	** At the beginning of the movie, the Kraken utterly annihilates Argos (said to be the capital of a huge empire) within three minutes of screentime.
147	* NationalGeographicNudity: Danae is shown topless from the front while breastfeeding the baby Perseus, and she's naked except for a sheet draped around her lower body. Later she and the child Perseus are shown fully nude from behind as they walk together on a beach while holding hands, with a bit of her {{sideboob}} shown. Unlike Andromeda's nudity which is more like [[BatheHerAndBringHerToMe standard fanservice,]] hers feels more "natural" or innocent in context.
148	* NippleAndDimed: {{Averted\|Trope}}. Danae and Andromeda show some T&A [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids even though the film is rated PG!]][[note]]In the U.S., the PG-13 rating was only three years away from being created.[[/note]]
149	* NoEyeInMagic: Medusa must make eye contact to be able to turn people into stone.
150	* NonHumanSidekick: Bubo the mechanical owl.
151	* NonIndicativeName: The title would seem to have you believe that at least two titans will clash at some point in the film. No actual Titans from Greek mythology show up. The Kraken is, at one point, called "the last of the Titans", which would seem to preclude it from clashing with any others. They might has well have left that line out and just tried to play off that "Titan" is supposed to mean "monster". The closest thing we get is when one of the Stygian Witches refers to Perseus using Medusa to defeat the Kraken as "A Titan against a Titan!"
152	* NothingIsScarier: The lead-up to the fight with Medusa is slow, quiet, and ''very'' unnerving. We only get glimpses of Medusa's shadow on the walls and columns, giving the audience a hint that she is ''not'' the humanoid Gorgon of traditional mythology. It is only after she easily kills one of Our Heroes that Medusa reveals herself (and she's ''worse'' than we imagined).
153	* {{Novelization}}: A very nicely done one by Creator/AlanDeanFoster, which does a fair job of reconciling the plot to traditional Greek mythology.
154	* OffingTheOffspring:
155	** King Acrisius tries to off Perseus as a child, which would actually be Offing the Offspring's Offspring.
156	** Queen Cassiopeia must sacrifice her virgin daughter Andromeda because she pissed off Thetis. ''In her own temple.''
157	* OffstageVillainy: Calibos's crimes that were the cause of his PainfulTransformation are only described but not shown.
158	* OhCrap: Cassiopeia, upon realizing her insult has doomed her daughter and/or her city to the wrath of an angry goddess.
159	* OhMyGods: Ammon's CatchPhrase is, "By the gods!"
160	* OrganicBra: Medusa's entire upper torso is covered with small scales.
161	* TheOwlKnowingOne: Athena gives Perseus Bubo, a clockwork duplicate of her own owl companion built by Hephaestus, which becomes Perseus's guide.
162	* PapaWolf: Zeus destroys Argos out of retribution for his lover and son's banishment.
163	* {{Pegasus}}: The film takes the "whole species of winged horses" route, although Pegasus himself is the only one who appears, Calibos having killed all the others.
164	* PoisonedWeapons: Calibos uses his trident HookHand to pierce the bag containing Medusa's head, coating it with her poisonous blood in the process. He later stabs Thallo in the back with it, and the MauveShirt dies pretty quickly.
165	* PoisonIsCorrosive: The Stygian Witches say that Medusa's blood is a deadly poison, and after Perseus cuts off her head her blood spews out and melts Perseus' shield, which was a gift from the gods.
166	* {{Prequel}}: To Ray Harryhausen's previous film ''Film/JasonAndTheArgonauts''. Both stories being based off of Myth/ClassicalMythology, Perseus is the great-grandfather of Hercules, it's all there.
167	* RealityChangingMiniature: There is a small chamber in Olympus containing several clay figurines, each one representing a real person. The gods can resculpt the model to invoke a PainfulTransformation, or just smash the thing to kill the person outright. Zeus even at one point sets Perseus's model back upright after he collapses from exhaustion, implicitly giving him a HeroicSecondWind..
168	* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Dioskylos (clearly inspired by Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the Grecian Underworld) has only two heads rather than three, because it would have taken Ray Harryhausen too much work to animate a third.
169	* RentAZilla: The Kraken is gigantic.
170	* ReusedCharacterDesign: The Kraken looks a lot like the Ymir from a previous film of Ray Harryhausen, ''Film/TwentyMillionMilesToEarth'', just ''way'' bigger and with four arms.
171	* RobotBuddy: Bubo the clockwork owl, to Perseus. It helps him a great deal during his journey.
172	* RuleOfCool: After being turned into stone, the Kraken breaks into pieces for no reason but this[[note]]Its own weight would likely have brought it down - you can excuse the Kraken's size when it's alive, as it's a magical monster, but once it turns to stone, the laws of physics take over again[[/note]].
173	* SadlyMythtaken:
174	** The Kraken is from Myth/NorseMythology and was never suggested to be humanoid (it's closer to a GiantSquid). The original monster slain by Perseus from Greek mythology was Cetus.
175	** Contrary to the reference by one of the Stygian witches, Medusa and the Kraken were not Titans. The Titans were Elder Gods, who were overthrown by a race of younger gods, their descendants, a.k.a., the Olympians.
176	** Amphitrite is the wife of Poseidon in Greek mythology, while Thetis is generally a sea nymph. Some suggest that she was a full goddess, as portrayed in the film, but even then she was certainly not among the central circle who dwelt on Olympus.
177	** Aphrodite is the one who cursed Medusa, in the myths it was Athena.
178	** The original myth has Perseus seeking Medusa's head for reasons completely unrelated to Andromeda's plight. In the original myth, Polydectes, king of Seriphus (the island where Danae and Perseus landed), lusted after Danae, and compelled the young adult Perseus to obtain Medusa's head to get him out of the way. Perseus saves Andromeda because he happened to be flying home (on Hermes's winged sandals) and came across this poor VirginSacrifice strapped to a rock.
179	** There was only one Pegasus, not a herd, who sprang forth from Medusa's neck after she was killed. (Indeed, "Pegasus" actually means "he who sprang".) Pegasus was also not ridden by Perseus, but his paternal cousin (in some sources) Bellerophon.
180	** [[{{Hellhound}} Orthrus]] ([[AdaptationNameChange renamed Dioskylos in this film]]) was the guardian of Medusa's grandson Geryon, rather than Medusa herself. He was slain by Hercules, not Perseus.
181	* SandalPunk: The film is set in a version of Ancient Greece where fantasy monsters ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and robots]]) are real.
182	* ScaryScorpions: The giant scorpions that Calibos creates by causing Medusa's blood to drop on some normal scorpions.
183	* ScoobyDooHoax: Perseus initially meets Ammon while the playwright is dressed up in a creepy mask and robe. He claims to use the get-up to scare trespassers away from the amphitheater.
184	* ScreamingWoman: Completely averted. Andromeda may be the DamselInDistress but she faces both Calibos and the Kraken itself with stoic indignation, and tries her best to keep up with Perseus when he goes off on his quest to save her (until he leaves her behind, very much against her wishes, when he learns he's going to have to face Medusa). She is a brave person and definitely ''not'' a screamer.
185	* SexySurfacingShot: When Andromeda is finishing her bath, there's a shot of her stepping out of the water, with her ToplessnessFromTheBack (including her butt) facing the camera.
186	* ShadowDiscretionShot: Calibos's transformation from man to monster. Necessary in that such effects were otherwise impossible to render cheaply in 1981.
187	* ShoutOut: The Kraken bears a strong resemblance to Ymir from ''Film/TwentyMillionMilesToEarth'', also animated by Creator/RayHarryhausen.
188	* ShoutOutToShakespeare: Calibos, based on Caliban from ''Theatre/TheTempest'', and the Stygian Witches, based on the Weird Sisters from ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''.
189	* SnakePeople: This version of Medusa is much more snake-like than in myths, with her skin being scaly and her lower half being that of a rattlesnake. She resembles a Lamia more than the GorgeousGorgon she is in the myths.
190	* SneakyDeparture: While on the journey to Medusa's island, Perseus and his soldiers take off in the middle of the night, leaving Andromeda behind (and Ammon to look after her).
191	* StandardHeroReward: Perseus wins the right to Andromeda's hand ''twice''; first by solving her riddle and freeing Joppa from Calibos's curse (even thought the second part wasn't necessary) and second by saving her from the Kraken later (the part loosely adapted from actual mythology).
192	* StayInTheKitchen: "Too perilous (a journey) for a princess." To which Andromeda responds with all due spunk, "You are not my lord and husband. Not yet!" and comes along on the trip to the Stygian Witches anyway. Perseus later ''does'' ditch her for her own safety when he finds out he has to fight Medusa.
193	* {{Stellification}}: The movie ends with Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus and other characters becoming constellations.
194	* StopMotion: Stop-motion animation was used for the monsters, courtesy of the late, great Creator/RayHarryhausen.
195	* StoryBreakerPower: Perseus loses his helmet of invisibility about a third of the way through the film, seemingly to keep from breaking the narrative with something so powerful.
196	* SupernaturalAid: Perseus's helmet, sword, shield, and Bubo are [[DivineAssistance divine gifts]] he receives from the gods.
197	* SuperNotDrowningSkills: Pegasus is knocked out of the sky by the Kraken and falls into the ocean, and doesn’t resurface until after Perseus finishes the battle. Apparently, winged horses can hold their breath for a long time.
198	* SwordAndSandal: The fantasy subtype thereof as it’s inspired by [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Mythology]].
199	* TakenForGranite: All of Medusa's past victims that are exhibited in her temple, one of Perseus' soldiers and the Kraken.
200	* TeamPet: Bubo the robot owl regularly acts goofy, including flying into things and making crash-landings. However, it also leads Perseus to the Stygian Witches, grabs the Witches' Eye for him, single-handedly frees Pegasus from captivity in Calibos's camp, distracts the Kraken long enough for Perseus to arrive, and carries the bag containing Medusa's head to Perseus, allowing him to petrify the Kraken and save the day.
201	* ThisWayToCertainDeath: The statues outside Medusa's lair.
202	* ThroneMadeOfX: Calibos has a throne made of bones in his encampment.
203	* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: How Perseus finishes off Calibos, since it's hard to get close as the latter wields a whip.
204	* TooDumbToLive: Cassiopeia declares her daughter Andromeda to be "more beautiful than the goddess Thetis herself!" This she does while standing ''in Thetis' own temple'', directly beneath a giant statue of Thetis. Needless to say, it does not go well for anyone. Even the film itself {{lampshade\|Hanging}}s how ridiculously stupid this gaffe is.
205	* TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: Perseus's journey back to Joppa on Pegasus as Andromeda's sacrifice is being carried out. Justified by the fact its a winged horse, that would cover the terrain more quickly than on foot.
206	* TheUnintelligible: Bubo, except to Perseus. Ammon eventually figures out what he's saying.
207	* VirginSacrifice: After Perseus rescues Joppa from the curse and wins Andromeda's hand in marriage, Thetis demands Andromeda's sacrifice as an alternative restitution, and specifies she must be "unknown to man, a virgin" -- not for any mystical reason but just to spite Perseus and make sure he doesn't get any of what Calibos had once hoped to get.
208	* WaistDeepOcean: This is initially averted, as the Kraken is shown propping itself up on rocks with one set of arms to keep its upper body above the surface of the ocean. After it's petrified and its arms break off, however, this is played straight as its body crumbles to pieces instead of sinking.
209	* WasOnceAMan:
210	** Calibos was once a handsome young demigod until he hunted Pegasus' species to near extinction (among other offenses). As punishment, Zeus turned him into a ferocious man-beast.
211	** Medusa could be an even more tragic example. The way Ammon tells it, she was a humble young princess who caught the eye of Poseidon, and they had a tryst in Aphrodite's temple. Aphrodite was outraged by the affair, and punished Medusa by turning her into a Gorgon.
212	* WaxMuseumMorgue: Medusa's temple, albeit stone instead of wax.
213	* WeaponSpecialization: Calibos's favorite weapon is a whip, and he's very handy with it, capturing Pegasus and nearly strangling Perseus.
214	* WeddingSmashers: During Perseus and Andromeda's wedding, Thetis stops the ceremony by causing an earthquake and giving an ultimatum about the Kraken's attack.
215	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: There are three giant scorpions, but only two are killed...
216	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Calibos can be perceived as sympathetic and at least worthy of pity, especially because we are only [[OffstageVillainy informed of his cruelty]] before the transformation. Indeed, Perseus says that's why he spared his life, in spite of all he had put Andromeda and the city through. But Calibos comes back on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge anyway.
217	* TheXOfY: ''Clash of the Titans''.
218	* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: Perseus frees the city of Joppa from its curse fairly early in the film, and the good guys throw a big party -- only for a much worse crisis to then present itself before they're even through celebrating.

Context Film / ClashOfTheTitans1981