If You Like God of War III

Clash of the Titans

Publisher: Warner Home Video
Price/Retailer: $24.49/Amazon

When it comes to a mortal challenging the gods and battling the worst monsters Greek mythology has to offer, Kratos is a latecomer to the party. Harry Hamlin's Perseus was lighting up the screen over 20 years before the first God of War. This crafty warrior managed to battle everyone from Medusa to the Kraken without ever ruining his perfectly tousled locks. Kratos makes killing look easy, but he can't make it look as good as Perseus did.


This action-adventure classic just received a very respectable, if visually mediocre, Blu-ray edition to coincide with the upcoming remake. Speaking of which, the remake would most definitely make the list as well if it were out on Blu-ray. From what we've seen in the trailers, the new Clash of the Titans is as close as a studio can get to producing a God of War movie without having to fork over licensing rights. Even Perseus' hair has been trimmed down to almost Kratos levels of shortness. Alas, in some ways the originals will never be outdone.

Gladiator

Publisher: Paramount Home Entertainment
Price/Retailer:$18.99/Amazon

If Kratos were ever captured and thrown in an arena, we imagine his track record of wins and losses would resemble that of the great Maximus Decimus Meridius. Gladiator might be somewhat more grounded in the real world than God of War, but Maximus is still a beast with a blade and sheds many gallons of blood during the course of the film.


Granted, Gladiator is set in Rome, not ancient Greece. But everyone knows the Romans "borrowed" most of their culture from the Greeks, so what's the difference in the end? The central idea of one man being betrayed by those he serves and embarking on a quest to avenge his family is shared by both Gladiator and God of War. Maximus just never had to navigate the dreaded obstacle courses of Hades.

One important caveat, however. The current Sapphire Series edition of Gladiator is notorious for its poor visual quality. According to a rumor reported by Digital Bits, Paramount will release a 10th Anniversary edition this May to coincide with Ridley Scott's Robin Hood. This new edition is said to have a vastly superior transfer. Unless you just have to own the movie now, it's probably best to wait and see if this rumor pans out.

Braveheart

Publisher: Paramount Home Entertainment
Price/Retailer: $18.99/Amazon

If God of War doesn't fully satiate your thirst for period piece war movies full of violence, bloodshed, and betrayal, perhaps Mel Gibson can help you out. No, we're not talking about religious epic/torture porn flick The Passion of the Christ, although it does share God of War's penchant for blood and gore. We're referring to Braveheart, the timeless tale of one warrior's fight for freedom.


Gibson's William Wallace may not have dual chain blades welded to his forearms, but he does know his way around a Scottish broadsword. The real difference between Kratos and Wallace is that the latter has a noble heart. There's nothing noble about accidentally killing your family and then burying yourself in wine, women, and copious amounts of monster blood for the next few decades.

Luckily, unlike the Gladiator Blu-ray, Paramount did a fine job translating Braveheart to the format.

Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic

Publisher: Anchor Bay Home Entertainment
Price/Retailer: $19.99/Amazon

Since Dante's Inferno the game is so widely accused of ripping off God of War, we figured the animated movie would be perfect for this lineup. Dante's one goal in life seems to be mimicking Kratos. But it turns out, he beat his mentor to the realm of movies.


Though Dante's Inferno isn't a bastion of originality, the game is very enjoyable. The same goes for the movie. Most animated videogame tie-ins are barely worthwhile as coasters, but Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic offers an interesting and visually diverse adaptation of the game's storyline. Several different anime studios provide their own takes on Dante, Beatrice, and the rest of the cast. But unlike similar projects like The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight, the story is presented as a cohesive whole rather than independent segments.

We're surprised that no studio has attempted to give God of War the same treatment. Until they do, Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic should satisfy gamers who have stopped believing decent movie adaptations are possible.

300: The Complete Experience

Publisher: Warner Home Video
Price/Retailer: $19.99/Amazon

Excessive, unrealistic depictions of violence and warfare in an ancient setting only loosely based on real history? It's not God of War, it's 300. Perhaps 300 is a bit more steeped in actual facts than God of War, but both are far more concerned with style and thrills than teaching us anything useful. Though we suppose it is helpful for every young gamer to learn how to harvest Cyclops eyes or fight in the shade of 100,000 arrows.


The Spartans play a small role in the God of War games as Kratos' preferred dealers of death and destruction. The legendary Greek warriors are the stars of 300, where they defend their homeland and all of Greece from an invasion by King Xerxes and his vast Persian army. Kratos himself would be proud of the way these 300 Spartans cleave their way through overwhelming odds and bathe the sand with blood. They might have lost the battle, but Leonidas and his men helped Greece win the war.

Just as God of War III is one of the prettier games you can have running on your HDTV, 300 is a real visual showpiece and one of the best Blu-ray discs yet.

Conan: The Complete Quest

Publisher: Universal Home Entertainment
Price/Retailer: $11.49/Amazon

We're sad to report that this final pick isn't available on Blu-ray yet. But given the similarities between the adventures Conan and Kratos, we couldn't leave Conan the Barbarian off the list. With Conan's talent for slaughtering whole armies and various supernatural beasties, you'd think he and Kratos were separated at birth.


The second Conan movie isn't much to write home about, but consider it a bonus feature in this DVD set. The important thing is that any fan of violent fantasy epics needs to see Conan the Barbarian at some point in their lives. Arnold Schwarzenegger's first major American role is still one of his best. James Earl Jones proves he has more evil in him than Darth Vader alone can carry. And who doesn't love that thumping Basil Poledouris score?

We're hoping that the upcoming Conan reboot will finally pave the way for the originals to hit Blu-ray. Until a true God of War movie is made, Conan the Barbarian stands alongside Clash of the Titans as the closest gamers will get to seeing Kratos unleash hell on screen.