Review of Jason and the Argonauts (1963) by Byron B — 02 Jun 2013

A fun Greek myth fantasy. Compared to One Million Years B.C. Harryhausen's stop-motion effects are excellent here. Talos imagined as the Colossus of Rhodes and the sword fights with the skeletons are particularly well done.

There are still some small details that give away the nature of the effects that might look silly to people raised on CGI, but this represents a master at work. The harpies and the fact that two hydra heads are never shown growing if one was to be cut off were a little disappointing.

While it was filmed in Italy like many B-movies, I did not think the voice dubbing was that bad. Hera (Blackman) and Zeus (MacGinnis) agree that she can protect Jason (Armstrong) on his quest for the Golden Fleece, but only five times, which are used up fairly early to be honest.

I found it a bit unusual that the goddess Hera is given such a strong role, but that may be attributed to Beverley Cross having a screenplay credit. In a quick montage Jason forms his crew, the Argonauts, out of champions of various Olympic sports of the day.

The son of Jason's enemy, Acastus (Raymond), the builder of the ship, Argos (Naismith), and Hercules (Green) are included. They encounter many creatures and challenges along the way. I think the story should have wrapped up the conflict between Jason and King Aeetes better.

The point of going on the quest seems to be forgotten once Jason achieves his prize. If it did well enough at the box office, maybe the producers hoped for a sequel, however it stands alone. The acting, the costumes, and the art direction are all strong.