Rating: 
Summary: "I Know of a tree at the end of the world"
Review: Someday. Someday I'm going to invest on a 50' screen television and
this is going to be the first movie I watch,The way it's suppose to
be seen in all it's Fantasy Sword & Sandal glory. Again as in "The
7th voyage of Sinbad" Columbia pulls no stops in presenting a great
story with mythical characters & monsters abound. Talos, the bronze
giant, The devilish harpies, The seven headed Hydra who guards that
of the golden fleece and of course the battle of the seven skeleton
warriors which is now film folklore. Harryhausen's effects combined with Herrmann's music score
(Is there any conductor's work more thunderous than Talos'march?)
are top notch As are the cast of Honor (Goldfinger) Blackman and
Nigil McGullis and Todd Armstrong. I always thought it was great
to have Hercules portrayed as his older self and not in the same
beefcake manner traditionally presented at that time(Speaking of
this film raised the bar for sword & fantasy to follow (none ever reaching it's status "Hercules in the haunted world" "Goliath and
the Dragon" to name a few) I only gave the dvd 4 stars because of
lack of the "HarryHausen Chronicles" and the ORIGINAL trailer.
Rating: 
Summary: A First Class Adventure Of Mythological Proportions
Review: Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion special effects shine in this 1963 version of the classic Greek Myth. Despite some questionable acting by Todd Armstrong (Jason) and others,the basic script and screenplay capture the adventurous spirit of the fabled story. The poor acting is redeemed by the inclusion of more seasoned theatrical actors who give the film and story weight. Although some of the film's special effects such as the clashing rocks and the hydra might seem corny by today's CGI standards, Harryhausen's brilliant work on harpies and the skeleton armies gives the film its special place in the annals of film history. So join Jason on his quest for his lawful claim to the throne of Thessaly by seeking the Golden Fleece in the distant land of Colchis. It's an adventure not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Adventure at it's best!
Review: There has never been an adventure movie made that is more fun that this one. I mean, seriously. Skeleton armies. What more needs to be said? Just this. Don't knock the "old style" special effects. They are at least as realistic as today's "computer cartoon" effects that usually have no "weight" about them. The truth is, whether effects are stop-motion or CGI, most of them in the movie business are going to be poorly done. But the top 5 percent of both are amazing and never grow old.
Rating:
Summary: Where's Ray Harryhausen When You Need Him?
Review: Right here! BUY THIS DVD! And check out Ray's new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - very close to Graumann's Chinese Theater where, almost exactly seventy years before the wet cement event, Ray saw "King Kong" for the first of innumerable times!! . . . . I was already a huge Harryhausen fan in '63 when I dragged my consenting adult parents to the theater, along with my younger brother and sister, to be feted and regaled and thoroughly entertained by "Jason". My favorite semi-human character was Nigel Green (After "Mysterious Island"; before "Zulu!") as Hercules; the best of the pantheon? Honor Blackman: future Bond Girl in "Goldfinger"! Hera Galore! (Hey - I was thirteen!) Of the crew of the "Argo" of course it was the builder Argus 'imself: Laurence Naismith (Captain Smith of HMS "Titanic" in "A Night to Remember" and to play Professor Horace Bromley in "Valley of Gwangi")who was my fave human character. BUT HOW to pick a favorite monster? It would have to be the skeleton who acts surprised when he loses his skull!..... "Jason"'s was the only movie soundtrack I later attempted to tape on my little battery-powered reel-to-reel off Grandpa's COLOR TV, and I still use the Hermann 'skeleton theme' when stalking my grandkids! Recommended that you introduce this to kids 8-10 who might be prompted to do a bit of reading in Bullfinch as a followup. Watch this with the kids! make it a family tradition like one of our other reviewers has done . . .The DVD in widescreen will have to do (and do QUITE WELL, it will) until your local film society does a fantasy film retrospective on The Big Screen!
Rating:
Summary: Incredible!
Review: Ray Harryhausen has done some brilliant stop-motion effects over the course of his career, and nowhere do they shine as brightly as in this movie. The skeleton battle is unforgettable, but as I was rewatching it recently, it was nice to be reminded how good the Talos and Hydra scenes were as well. The human actors were good, but fated by the gods to be upstaged by Harryhausen's miniatures. The film has a plot with a definite purpose behind it, something uncommon for an effects-driven film. To my eye, the film restoration looked good, especially compared to the unrestored trailer; sound quality seemed good, too (although the xylophones during the Harpy attack seemed an odd scoring choice). The lack of bonus features wasn't a problem for me; the Landis-Harryhausen interview was nice, but I don't really want more. This film stands on its own like few others; a behind-the-scenes featurette or a "how we did it" commentary would ultimately detract from this film's magic. I can think of few movies I enjoyed as a child that have lived up to their memory when viewed as an adult. This is one of them.
Rating:
Summary: A classic of stop animation
Review: If you like adventure movies like Clash of The Titans, you'll love this. It's a great adventure from beginning to end. A must have.
Rating:
Summary: CLASSIC!
Review: You talk about a classic adventure with outstanding special effects (for the time produced)...One word sums it up -FANTASTIC!...A fantasy adventure for the whole family to enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Harryhausen's Biggest Monster Hit
Review: We refer to Star Wars as a John Lucas film, ET as a Steven Spielberg film, and Terminator as a James Cameron film. It's always "a [director's name] film." Unless it's a Ray Harryhausen film. Because Harryhausen's spellbinding creations are always the real stars of his films, his name just has to come ahead of the director's. And nobody, but nobody wil ever question that departure from protocol. For the uninitiated, one viewing of Jason and the Argonauts will help you understand just what I mean. Employing the painstakingly difficult, low-technology method of stop-motion animation, Harryhausen delivers a fantasy-adventure that's absolutely breathtaking. Jason, leading an intrepid group that includes Hercules himself, encounters the seven-headed Hydra, the winged Harpies, the metallic 200-foot-tall Talos, the Merman Demigod Triton, a band of sword-wielding skeletons, and a gargantuan reptilian beast. Not only are the creatures brought to life, they interact with the humans with seamless, eye-popping realism. And remember, this is a 1963 film. How difficult is stop-motion animation? To give you an idea, Harryhausen took four and a half months to complete the skeleton battle scene, which lasted just over three minutes in the final edit. As for the Hydra, Jason had it easy. All he had to do was slay it. The really difficult task was Harryhausen's: he had to bring it to life, keeping all seven heads in constant, menacing motion. The difficulty of this method naturally brings about the temptation to take short-cuts, moving the creature a centimeter here and there instead of the needed two millimeters. But Harryhausen worked hard at his craft, spending long nights in his studio to achieve the most realistic movements possible. And get this: he worked ALONE. Throughout his career, he NEVER had a staff or even an assistant. So it was only fitting that in 1992, Harryhausen was honored by the Film Academy with a Lifetime Achievement Award. It was, to my mind, a long-delayed recognition. After the awarding, the emcee paid his own tribute: "Some say Citizen Kane, some say Casablanca, I say Jason and the Argonauts is the greatest film of all time." The emcee: a guy named Tom Hanks.
Rating:
Summary: If only they made movies like this today.
Review: Jason and the Argonauts was a favourite of mine as a child. Back then, I didn't have the same discriminating tastes and scepticisms towards special effects. Even today I find that special effect work of Ray Harryhausen stands up remarkably well.
The classic story of the Golden Fleece is aided greatly by Harrynhausen's monsters, such as the Giant Talos or the horrible Harpies. But nothing beats the final skeleton battle. This sequence remains an astonishing work. It is a seamless battle between humans and special effects skeletons.
The acting is the old-hollywood style, but for the subject matter it is perfect. Heroes seem like Heroes, villains like villains, Hercules like Hercules. The pace is quick and the locations are excellent and always very authentic.
Jason and the Argonauts may not impress everyone. Many of today's kids will merely exclaim "that's so fake looking!". But those with more imagination and a greater appreciation for classic story-telling will dig Jason and the Argonauts.
Also, anyone who is growing tired of the over-used CGI, which often looks too much like a video game, this is a refreshing change.
Rating:
Summary: Harryhausen At His Best!
Review: Practically everyone with a passing interest in sci-fi films or mythology knows about "Jason and the Argonauts", so I won't go into detail about the film's plot here. I'll limit my comments to the quality of the films direction, acting and it's special effects. If you are one of the few who aren't familiar with the movie/story, a quick check of this films other reviewers will quickly bring you up to speed. Until the advent of CGI, it was considered by most to be the epitome of the art of F/X and to many (myself included), it's still one of the best. Ray Harryhausen pulled out all the stops when making this film and it shows! The movie itself has a tried and true plot, good acting and excellent production values. The special effects by Harryhausen, even using todays computer generated effects, have seldom been equalled, much less surpassed. If you can only own one Ray Harryhausen film, THIS is the one to get. If you have a choice, buy the DVD. You get a number of special features, such as the Harryhausen Chronicles, and you get to see the film in widescreen (worth it alone). Even if you aren't a fan of Harryhausen, I'd still get this movie. It's a classic story told in a way that everyone from 6 to 66 can enjoy. And, there are always those spectacular Harryhausen special effects!!
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