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Jason and the Argonauts

Jason and the Argonauts

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $11.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Gimme an F-L-E-E-C-E!
Review: A superb adaptation of the JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS tale from Greek mythology brought to you by the kind folks at Hallmark Entertainment (yes, the same who bring you FARSCAPE) and NBC Entertainment.

With a cast that includes Jason London as Jason, Dennis Hopper as Pelias, and STAR TREK ENTERPRISE's Jolene Blalock, the Argonauts take up the quest for the Golden Fleece ... complete with television grade special effects and acting.

One drawback to the DVD presentation is that it only boasts a Dolby Surround 2.0 Audio, but it doesn't detract from the overall experience of the miniseries.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Too good for TV!
Review: 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.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: More fidelity to the classical myth but no sense of epic
Review: As someone who teaches Classical Greek & Roman Mythology it is impossible for me to sit through something like the 2000 mini-series "Jason and the Argonauts" without constantly thinking about its fidelity to the myths of antiquity. Certainly this new version works in more members of the Argos crew than the 1963 film version with its Ray Harryhausen stop motion animation that is one of the beloved films of our youth. This time around there we have not only the mighty Hercules (Brian Thompson) aboard, but also Orpheus (Adrian Lester), Atalanta (Olga Sosnovska), Castor (Omid Djalili) and Pollux (John Sharian). We also have Jason (Jason London) and the Argo visiting the land of the Amazons and other details from the epic poem written by the third-century poet Apollonius of Rhodes, as well as the relationship between Jason and Pelias (Dennis Hopper) taken from Pindar. There is also a hint of the Medea (Jolene Blalock) that Jason will get to meet in the tragedy by Euripides. The only complaint is that unless you know the background on most of these characters you have no way of appreciating who is sailing with Jason. A prime example is when Orpheus mentions losing Eurydice but does not tell of how he almost won her back from Hades. Meanwhile, Atalanta seems to be interested in Jason (what would Artemis say?).

But while Matthew Faulk and Mark Skeet get credit for working the ancient sources into this telling of the tale, the problem is that the end result misses the magic of the Harryhausen version. The problem is twofold. First, the tenor of the story has contradictory impulses. On the one hand we have the active participation of the gods, with Hera (Olivia Williams) and Zeus (Angus MacFadyen) aiding and hindering Jason in his quest as they work out one of their frequent marital spats. But on the other hand there is an effort to make the story more realistic, in terms of the politics and relationships, which works against the idea of being the playthings of the gods. None of the actors strike heroic poses or speak in grand phrases and even Dennis Hopper is remarkable restrained in his performance. 'Jason and the Argonauts' tries to reconcile these two by having the gods work behind the scenes for the most part, but then Poseidon stands up and that idea is quickly dispatched.

Second, Jason London as the title character looks too young. I know the actor was 28 when he made this mini-series but he seems like a youth. One of the problems with the story was while the greatest heroes in Greece would come to sail with Jason, a callow youth, which Apollonius solved by having Hera make them all want to go. Instead Faulk and Skeet have Jason make up have the crew with undesirables, some of whom provide comic relief, helped because of the aid of the guard who saved him from death as a youth. In other words, Jason leads the Argonauts because that is what was written in the script. Granted, this is consistent with the tone of the mini-series, but you cannot help but think that when Jason meets Medea that she is going to eat him alive (of course, she does much worse, but that is another tragedy). The end result is a production of 'Jason and the Argonauts' that lacks the sense of heroic adventure that the tale personifies in classical mythology. It was okay and it should have been fantastic.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: shanmonster said all
Review: Before viewing Jason and the Argonauts, I expected it to be at least halfway likable. It wasn't. My only complaint that shanmonster didn't delve into was the portrayal of Atalanta. The actress, first of all, was at best plain, and Atalanta of legend was beautiful. Also, the original Atalanta never loved any man (much less Jason) until Aphrodite, the goddess of love, tricked her into marrying someone (whom she grew to love). Every time Medea opened her mouth, any time she had a scene, I kept expecting her dark side to reveal itself. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. If you're extremely bored and are not familiar with ancient greecian legends, perhaps you would enjoy this movie. perhaps even before then. however, my opinion is that it was very boring and very inaccurate.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Another tepid NBC fantasy miniseries.
Review: Brendan Fraser look-a-like Jason London stars as the titular hero, Jason, who goes on a quest to retrieve the golden fleece to save his mother's life. Expensive miniseries has a very lavish look and impressive production values, but suffers from a plodding pace, cheesy CGI effects (though the dragon-monster is pretty good), lack of good humor, and mostly flat acting. Picks up a bit in the exciting finale, but not enough to redeem all 3 hours. Good score from Simon Boswell.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great modern day but classic adventure
Review: Compelling viewing I thought. As already mentioned the movie is technically an old story but you can tell instantly that it's a new version. The acting by all the cast is excellent, the sets are not rickety and the special effects are good, but at the same time it still somehow captures the original magic of the story. I would recommend it to anyone to see. Jason London looks gorgeous girls!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Jason And The PC Argonauts
Review: Fairly decent adaptation of the classic Greek saga, "Jason" tries to find an even balance between special effects, dialogue and pacing - and succeeds for the most part. The CGI FX are actually impressive to a degree as the winged Harpies look very menacing. With the inclusion of an African and a women, the sailors of the Argo reflect todays Politically Correct environment, not the actual historical world of Greece (I'm surprised they didn't include a Hispanic, Asian and Homosexual). Anyway, director Nick Willing ("Alice in Wonderland") and writers Matthew Faulk and Mark Skeet establish the journey's purpose very quikly, never allowing subplots to interfere with the quest.

And the voyage itself is exquisite. From rich Turkish locations, fertile landscapes and crystal bodies of water to elegant sets at London's Shepperton Studios, "Jason" takes nothing but lush routes and vibrant paths. As the maniacal monarch with an evil past, Hopper is electric; MacFadyen and Williams are naughty as the gods who display ulterior motives; and the rest of the supporting players, especially Thompson, shine. Jason London is tough and handsome, but he often seems out of his league, sparring with vet thesps like Jacobi and Cirian Hinds. Still, his boyish charm goes a long way in establishing sympathy for a motivated ruler-to-be.

All in all a pretty decent film for Television.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Horrid
Review: Flashy effects with actors that are sleep walking through this UNINSPIRED re-telling of what should be a fascinating story. It's best to go buy/rent the 60's version of Jason and the Argonauts or, best yet, read the myth. You cant go wrong with the latter two options.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Jason and the Argonauts
Review: Great characters, lots of emotion, superb acting by all.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great movie!
Review: Great movie that will keep your intrest with a story lind so much better then the old original, and better acting.


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