Jason and the Argonauts is a retelling in film of the Greek myth, Jason and the Golden Fleece. It stays close enough to the original story line that fans of Greek mythology will be able to enjoy the movie without nitpicking at it. Jason is the only surviving son of the king, and the prophecies destine him to take his father’s crown back from the wicked Pelias. When fate and the gods position Jason to save Pelias’ life, Pelias recognizes the threat that Jason will become. He sends him on an impossible task, trusting that he’ll never return – find the famed magical Golden Fleece. The movie is 109 minutes of the perils of Jason and his crew of the Argo. It’s full of treachery, plot twists, and of course, special effects.
Ask ten of your friends who have seen the movie, and nine of them will tell you the best scene in the movie is the walking skeletons. Way before there were computer-generated graphics, there was the genius of Ray HarryHausen’s stop-motion special effects. Moved frame by painful frame, this scene remains one of the best battle scenes of all time, even unto today. His genius extends to many other scenes as well, including the seven-headed Hydra and vengeful Poseidon.
It would be tempting to lay the success of this movie on the special effects, but the acting is just as good. Todd Armstrong is perfectly cast in the role of Jason: smart, cunning, and a man of integrity. Honor Blackman portrays Hera the goddess equally as well. For 1963, everything from the costuming to the sets is done with first-class authenticity. Additionally, the musical score is very well done. You won’t easily forget the cellos backing up the Hydra.
We usually skip the first part of the movie because there are babies being killed. I know this happens in Prince of Egypt and Ten Commandments as well, but for some reason it’s more disturbing here. Additionally, depending upon your children, you may need to grapple with some ethical issues such as why it is or isn’t okay for Jason to be stealing the fleece in the first place.
Julie’s Rating: 4 stars —
MPAA Rating: G (caution: there’s a LOT of violence for a G movie) —
Cautions: Extensive battle scenes and swordfighting (without unnecessary gore) —
Appropriate for: Teens and their parents