I first watched “Jason and the Argonauts” in my 8th grade Latin class and was blown away.
The 1963 fantasy film based on the tale from Greek mythology was lauded for its stop-motion animation with various monsters and creatures the titular crew encounters along the journey.
Like many from my generation, I was mesmerized by the Talos scene and watched the movie countless times over the years as it seemingly reran every Saturday afternoon.
Recent fever over “The Odyssey” brought me back to this film I loved from my childhood.
The Quest
Lifted from the pages of Greek mythology, we have ourselves an old school quest!
Jason (Todd Armstrong) is the rightful heir to his father’s throne, usurped by the evil Pelias. To regain power, Jason must retrieve the Golden Fleece.
He builds a ship and assembles a crew, complete with such iconic names as Hylas (John Cairney) and Hercules (Nigel Green). None of the fit warriors, including Hercules, have any muscle at all.
Jason and the Argonauts set off to the far reaches of the world. Along the way they do battle with Talos, the Harpies, The Hydra, and a terrifying skeleton army. It’s a testament to the effects that these creatures have lived rent free in my mind for decades.
The Talos scene is perfect and unintentional horror. The chilling sound of the wind. The creaking of the statues head as it glares down at tiny humans who have stolen from the chamber. Its brilliant.
As if monsters aren’t enough, Jason is constantly undermined by one of his own crewmen, Acastus (Gary Raymond) who, unbeknownst to him, is Pelias’ son, sent to slay Jason and abscond with the Golden Fleece.
Fun Cast
No one wins any awards here.
Todd Armstrong (dubbed British accent by Tim Turner) is fun as our hero. Many of the lines are comically delivered. He often remains cryptic with his own crew, which leads to several issues. He’s over the top and its fun considering the material.
Talos aside, my favorite character is the dubious Acastus. Gary Raymond plays the role like any comical villain, so blatant in his sabotaging of Jason its hysterical.
Niall MacGinnis is fun as Zues, with the stunningly beautiful Honor Blackman as Hera. Nancy Kovack delivers a brief performance as a highly underutilized Medea
The sword-and-sandal genre
“Jason and the Argonauts” is one of the last entries into the defunct sword-and-sandal genre. While some of the special effects are corny, director Don Chaffey cinematographer Wilkie Cooper should be quite proud of what they pulled off with severe limitations.
The monsters Jason et al. encounter throughout are all amazing for the time and hold their own even by today’s standards. Bernard Herrmann (“The Twilight Zone,” “Psycho”) composed the film score. At times it’s silly, at times it’s highly effective.
The film suffers from pacing issues. At 104 minutes, it takes too long to get the action rolling. Once it does, many scenes are too quick. The film ends in such an abrupt way you’ll scratch your head.
60 years Later
Whilst not a billion-dollar Christopher Nolan blockbuster, “Jason and the Argonauts” remains an enjoyable movie. Fans of mythology and old school film will enjoy its simple yet highly effective special effects.
