Jason and the Argonauts

Details

In the ancient world the gods of Olympus take a keen interest in the affairs of mankind, often manipulating events simply for their own amusement. One such pawn in their divine games is the young Jason, who as a child was secretly smuggled out of the Kingdom of Thessaly after the evil Pelias seized the throne.

Years later Jason returns to claim his rightful inheritance. Pelias, aware of a prophecy that foretells Jason will one day overthrow him, attempts to rid himself of the young hero by sending him on what he believes to be a hopeless quest - to retrieve the legendary Golden Fleece from the distant land of Colchis.

With the guidance of Hera, Queen of the Gods, Jason gathers together a band of heroic warriors known as the Argonauts and sets sail aboard the ship Argo. Their journey takes them across treacherous seas and into encounters with mythical beasts, towering bronze statues, harpies and even an army of skeleton warriors. If Jason can survive the trials ahead and secure the Golden Fleece, he may yet fulfil the prophecy and reclaim his kingdom.

Picture & Sound

Rather than releasing this as a simple back catalogue title with minimal effort, Columbia have clearly taken care with this DVD release. The picture transfer is very good considering the age of the film. Colours remain surprisingly vibrant and the image is generally clean, although there are occasional signs of grain and minor artifacting.

The only slight disappointment is the mono soundtrack. While it would have been nice to see the film given a newly remastered surround mix, the original audio is still perfectly serviceable. Dialogue is clear and well balanced, although at times it can be slightly overshadowed by Bernard Herrmann's dramatic musical score.

Overall

Although the special effects may appear somewhat dated in the age of modern CGI, they were truly groundbreaking at the time and remain hugely impressive even today. The legendary stop-motion animation created by Ray Harryhausen is the real star of the film, with the famous skeleton battle sequence still regarded as one of the greatest fantasy effects scenes ever put on screen.

Harryhausen's painstaking work brings the film's mythical creatures to life with an incredible level of craftsmanship and imagination. The accompanying documentary, narrated by Leonard Nimoy, is a fascinating insight into Harryhausen's career and passion for his craft, tracing his work from his early experiments through to his most famous films.

Jason and the Argonauts remains a true fantasy classic and an essential piece of cinema history. For fans of adventure films, mythology or classic special effects, this DVD is well worth adding to the collection.

Special features

• Filmographies
• Theatrical Trailer
• "Ray Harryhausen Chronicles" Documentary
• Interview with Ray Harryhausen