Jason and the Argonauts
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Movie Reviews of Jason and the Argonauts
Movie Review: Great movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
Great movie that will keep your intrest with a story lind so much better then the old original, and better acting.Movie Review: Jason and the Arogonauts
Summary: 5 Stars
Who doen't like to see good looking guys with good looking body's in a movie? This is a well played movie!Movie Review: A rousing adventure tale! Highly recommended!
Summary: 4 Stars
I was pleasantly surprised to find this version of JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS as a worthy successor to the original film starring Todd Armstrong. I admit I was expecting some cheesy, low budget, badly-acted made-for-tv series but was pleased to find an entertaining film that stays faithful to the original myth. Add to that a strong cast, good production values and impressive special effects and you have a film that you will want to watch again and again.
The story centers on Jason (Jason London), who returns to reclaim his kingdom from his uncle, Pelias (Dennis Hopper). In order to regain the throne and save his mother's life, Jason agrees to sail to Colchis and obtain the golden fleece. With a crew that includes Orpheus, Atalanta, the mighty Hercules and the shipbuilder Argos, Jason faces many dangers on his quest for the fleece. The argonauts encounter the bronze giant Talos, the women of Lemnos (led by their queen Hypsypile - Natasha Henstridge), blind Phineas (Derek Jacobi) and the frightening harpies, the clashing rocks and more. When Jason arrives in Colchis, he falls in love with the lovely Medea (Jolene Blalock) but must face more challenges (including its ruler, King Aertes - Frank Langella) before he can leave the island with the fleece.
This version is more faithful to the myth than the 1963 film. For instance, Orpheus, Atalanta, Castor and Pollux make their appearance here. Also, this version shows what happens when the argonauts return home and has a better, more tightly woven ending than the original. The special effects are impressive and I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes bickering between Zeus (Angus MacFadyen) and Hera (the lovely Olivia Williams). I also thought that this version's Hercules (Brian Thompson) was a lot more convincing than Nigel Green from the original. This film also does a great job of portraying the role of the gods in Jason's quest.
However, there are also a few weaknesses. For one, I certainly miss the Talos of the original. Watching Talos first come to life on the 1963 film still gives me goosebumps up to this day. That Talos was definitely one of Ray Harryhausen's greatest creations. I also preferred the many-headed hydra to this version's giant lizard-like creature. Jason London is a passable lead but I believe the filmmakers could've picked a stronger actor. He certainly is nice to look at and the supporting actors more than make up for his shortcomings.
All in all, I enjoyed this film and would recommend it to those who enjoy mythological, fantasy or action/adventure films. For those who enjoy Greek mythology, I suggest you also check out the 1963 version of JASON OF THE ARGONAUTS if only to see the fantastic Talos and the army of skeleton soldiers as well as CLASH OF THE TITANS (starring Harry Hamlin) and upcoming film TROY (starring Brad Pitt). Edith Hamilton's book MYTHOLOGY: TIMELESS TALES OF GODS AND HEROES is also a great introduction to the wonderful world of Greek and Roman myths and legends.
Movie Review: If only they had thought about it more...
Summary: 4 Stars
No matter what anyone says, this film is by far & away superior to the 1962 Todd Armstrong movie. I own both on DVD and watched them on consecutive nights for comparison. There was no comparison. The 1962 film is full of very stilted acting and the story is incomplete [plus, the ending is rather "sudden"]. The acting in the present version is better (although not always perfect - more on that later), the script is smoother, and the storyline is more inclusive of the Greek myth.One of the best features of the present film is its presentation of the Gods. They are seen as being both awe-inspiringly powerful, yet at the same time full of petty emotions and childish jealousies. These anthropomorphic tendencies infused into almost all-powerful entities is precisely how they are depicted in Homer's ILIAD. JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS picks up on this aspect more than any other film on Greek mythology that I have seen.
For the most part, the casting of this movie is superb. Although it becomes readily apparent that Jason London was picked due to his good looks rather than his acting talents, he is nonetheless adequate. Jolene Blalock is terrific as the sultry, mysterious and exotic Medea. Dennis Hopper plays a wonderful ruthless & whacked-out Pelias (of course, whenver you give Hopper a character who is whacked out, you can be sure that he will deliver). Likewise, Frank Langella is perfect as the manipulative king of Caucaus, and seeing the legendary Derek Jacobi as Phineas is a treat. Brian Thompson plays a good Hercules, and has a far superior physique to Nigel Green, who played the strongman in the 1962 version.
A nice plus for this film is that it adds a few other characters from Greek mythology to the crew of the Argo, such as Atalanta and Orpheus. What is even better is that they actually made them both into major contributing as opposed to being merely ornaments.
Although there are a few holes in the plot @ the end of the movie, where they never really engage Pelias' army (or perhaps they simply forget about it......hmmmmm....maybe Aristotle would call it DEUS EX MACHINA?), this is a very good effort and well worth watching. Highly recommended, especially for those who are interested in the archives of Greek mythology.
Movie Review: Too good for TV!
Summary: 4 Stars
Along with "Merlin" and "The Odyssey", "Jason and the Argonauts" is one of the greatest fantasy mini-series ever made by Hallmark Channel. It also had to fill very big shoes: the classic 1963 movie was too good to forget, specially because of the incredible stop-motion work by Ray Harryhousen. This version rises up to that challenge and goes all the way. Without trying to top the magnificence of the previous version, it gives the story a much more "serious" approach, by giving special atention to the production. This 3-hour long miniseries was shot on location in Turkey, where the actual myth is set in!! Also, the production design deserves five stars. I can assure you that the wardrobe, the weapons, the ships and the buildings are almost 100% accurate! (they really did their homework with those soldiers storming the village in the opening sequence) The cast is supreme, specially the actor who plays Zeus, the king of the Olympian gods. Many interesting characters also make appearances, even though they are not quite exactly like they are portrayed in Greek Mithology (Hercules, for example, serves the Goddess Hera, and Castor and Polux are a couple of clowns). The special effects are great too, even better than they were in "Merlin", and you know that's pretty hard to do. One thing: if you've watched the Harryhousen version, check out the scene were Jason fights the warriors born from the dragon's teeth (they were skeletons in the 1963 version). This part is definite proof of how cautious were the producers of this miniseries when they decided to stand up to that fantasy-classic. Unfortunately, for such a good movie, you'd think they could've come up with a better edition. There are almost no features at all, and there aren't even subtitles of any kind. Even so, if you are a fantasy fan, or a Greek Mythology fan, or an adventure fan of any kind, don't hesitate with this movie. You can't go wrong! In fact, I didn't give it five stars only because I can't give six to the Harryhousen version.