Jason And The Argonauts

Jason And The Argonauts is notable for the special effects work of Ray Harryhausen, who is also listed as an associate producer. He was famous for his stop-motion work, and in this film we get a lot of samples: a giant bronze statue brought to life, a seven-headed hydra, harpies, and a bunch of skeletons swinging swords. Today these effects seem crude, but at the time they were cutting edge, and the film can be enjoyed for its cheesy fun.

The film tells the ancient Greek myth of Jason, who set sail for the end of the world to find the Golden Fleece. Not much of the myth is actually correct here, but it's not like they were messing with actual history. The names and places are the same, just in different configurations.

As with many Greek myths, the characters rely on help from the gods. In Jason's case it is Hera (played by the recently departed Honor Blackman). She is allowed by Zeus five opportunities to give him help, and accompanies him on his boat, the Argo, in the form of a figurehead with movable eyelids (this is pretty creepy).

So when the crew is beset by Talos, the giant statue (this is because Hercules defies orders and steals something from inside the statue's base) Hera gives Jason a clue on how to defeat him. When they are passing though the "Clashing Rocks," which is a strait that showers boulders down on passing ships, the god Triton pops up out of the water to help them.

The acting aside from a few, like Blackman, is pretty wooden. In fact, Todd Armstrong, who plays Jason, and Nancy Kovack, who plays Medea, were dubbed by other actors. But Jason And The Argonauts, which was made in 1963, is not the type of film that calls for nitpicking. You either enjoy the spectacle or you don't. I mostly did.