Directed by:
Don ChaffeyScreenplay:
Beverley CrossCinematography:
Wilkie CooperComposer:
Bernard HerrmannCast:
Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond, Laurence Naismith, Niall MacGinnis, Patrick Troughton, Nigel Green, Honor Blackman, Jack Gwillim, John Crawford (more)VOD (4)
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Don Chaffey directs this classic 1960s adventure starring Todd Armstrong and Douglas Wilmer. Two decades after the King of Thessaly was murdered by his infant son, Jason (Armstrong) returns to the kingdom to make his claim to the throne. In order to be proved the rightful king, however, Jason must find and retrieve the magical golden fleece. As he embarks on his quest with a loyal army in tow, Jason discovers quickly that his journey will not be simple. As they come across a 100-foot bronze giant, a venomous creature with seven heads and an army of skeletons seeking a battle, Jason and his crew must fight the hardest fight of their lives if they are to succeed in bringing home the golden fleece. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
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A spectacular ancient fable about the journey of Jason and his companions in search of the Golden Fleece, slightly elevated above the average by the work of visual effects legend Ray Harryhausen (The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Clash of the Titans, etc.). Some of the effects are impressive, some pleasantly naive, but Harryhausen's trademark is his animated figures: the statue of Hephaestus, the attacking harpies, the dragon guardian of the fleece and the armed skeletons make this film a digestible spectacle and partly erase the handicap of the fact that Don Chaffey is not a very capable director. Overall, three and a half *.
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"Jason and the Argonauts" ultimately has a quite barren script. It's a simple story about the desire to achieve something and go after it, despite all obstacles. It's also a story about love, which is nice, but the ending of the classic myth is completely different. "Jason and the Argonauts" ends with a classic happy ending, which completely destroys the myth and its meaning. But I can't help it. For the scenes that Ray Harryhausen worked on, I simply have to give a higher rating. It's absolutely unbelievable and contemporary effects can't compete with it. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/09/jason-argonauti-1963-80.html
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I think I have many films and fairytales connected to my childhood. But it’s probably the most apparent with this Greek epopee, which always charmed me with the beautiful tricks which surpass even the modern digital effects.
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Three and a half stars rounded up. Three of those are credited to Ray Harryhausen - his special effects are pretty much the only reason I watched Jason and the Argonauts. The story is a classic fable that everyone knows, slightly modified and played by actors who, however, do not act much. Oh well. As I say - Harryhausen, Harryhausen and Harryhausen again. The final battle with the skeletons is already legendary, as is the taming of the harpy or the revived bronze statue of the giant Talos. Bernard Herrmann's music gets half a star - 3/4 of it is not spectacular, but the motif used in the birth of the skeletons is excellent, simple and impressive. Clash of the Titans remains (and will remain) unsurpassed.
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