Does anyone really remember the original “Clash of the Titans” clearly?

Originally made by special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen in 1981, it’s the kind of movie that everyone grew up watching on Saturday afternoons, tuning in halfway through to see garish ’80s actors battle stop motion monsters. The film is remembered fondly by some, but compared to many recent remakes, this one is more than ripe for a modern tune-up.

The new “Clash” takes all of those dated special effects and replaces them with the latest and greatest computer graphics. But in the age of Avatars and Iron Men, is anything less expected?

The story is simple and stays close to the original. Perseus (“Avatar’s” Sam Worthington) has a vendetta against the Greek gods after Hades (Ralph Fiennes) kills his family. It just so happens that the great city of Argos has rebelled against Zeus (Liam Neeson) and the gods, and as such, is to be punished in 11 days. Perseus goes on a quest to save the city and get his revenge against Hades.

“Clash of the Titans” is, quite simply, a non-stop mythological rumble, with the action sequences slamming onto the screen one after the other. If Perseus isn’t fighting giant scorpions, he’s tussling with a super powered man-beast or having a mid-air duel with screeching Furies. It goes without saying then that character development is on the back burner so the action can take center stage.

Every actor does a solid job with his or her role; it’s just that those roles aren’t very deep. Worthington continues to prove that he is a solid action star and capable of bringing the needed emotion and drive that the characters he plays need. Perseus is a peaceful man who quickly becomes a man of action, driven by vengeance but sustained by his integrity.

Neeson is commanding and caring as Zeus, who stills loves his creations even as they rebel against him, while Fiennes’ villainous Hades is a slightly reworked Voldemort from “Harry Potter,” but with a beard and even more of a superiority complex. It comes from being a god.

Other characters, however, are practically cardboard cutouts. Gemma Arterton as the never-aging Io is the living embodiment of exposition, providing explanation on every man, creature and god when needed with a little romantic interest thrown in for good measure. It’s not a bad role and Arterton is easy on the eyes, but it is crystal clear why her character is present.

“Clash” is a movie spectacle that emphasizes the grand nature of its subject; the larger than life Greek pantheon needs a larger than life film. Surprisingly, the film could use an extra 10 to 15 minutes, all devoted to the film outside the action. The story leaps out of the blocks and races to the finish line with barely a second for audiences to meditate on the amazing events that have just transpired.

The film falls short of being the epic fantasy film that it could have been. The story is a race against time and leaves little room to explore the great big mythological world it inhabits. As such, the viewer gets little time to see the world outside the story. Even when the viewer is taken to Mount Olympus to see the gods, anyone outside of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon remains unnamed.

There isn’t time to develop much connection to most of the characters and as such, when a character dies, and plenty of them do, it’s hard to feel anything. It is especially evident in the fight with Medusa, the Gorgon whose mere look can turn a man to stone. The battle is filled with suspense as most of the film’s main characters put their lives on the line, but as the monster kills many of them, their deaths simply don’t resonate.

When it comes to action, however, “Clash of the Titans,” offers some of the most intense battle sequences of the last year. Director Louis Leterrier (“Incredible Hulk”) knows how to stage a fight whether it is a simple duel or a huge battle with multiple flying creatures and a monster the size of a skyscraper.

“Clash of the Titans,” above all, serves the purpose it was created for: to give audiences an hour and a half of mythological creatures and heroic characters duking it out with the help of great special effects and intense action choreography. It’s fun, epic and provides a dose of swords and fantasy that has been absent from the screen for too long.