Jason and the Argonauts Reviews

What a blast! This film, along with THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, contains special-effects master Ray Harryhausen's finest work, evoking a world of dragons, living statues, harpies and gods. Pelias (Douglas Wilmer) murders the king of Thessaly and steals his throne, but the infant prince, Jason, survives. Years later, aided by the goddess Hera (Honor Blackman), Jason (Todd Armstrong) begins a search for the Golden Fleece, which will finally instate him as rightful king. With a crew of brave men (including Hercules, in a fine performance by Nigel Green), he sets out on his glorious quest in his ship, the Argo. At one point, the Argo is menaced by a giant living statue, but Jason defeats it. After further adventures in which Jason battles harpies, encounters the gigantic Neptune, and discovers Medea (Nancy Kovack) on an empty ship, the crew finally find the fleece. They kill the seven-headed hydra that guards it but are halted again when the hydra's teeth grow into seven sword-brandishing living skeletons. In a stunning display of technical wizardry, the Argonauts fight the skeletons to the death. Harryhausen is at his most creative and brilliant (except for the disappointing bronze Titan), the film is well directed by Don Chaffey and adequately acted as these things go. Featuring gorgeous Mediterranean photography and a rousing Bernard Herrmann score, making this a great film for kids that will also please adult viewers. A must-see.