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Audience Rating: G (General Audience) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9786302182521 Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC ISBN: 6302182522 Label: Sony Pictures Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Sony Pictures Release Date: June 24, 1994 Running Time: 104 minutes Sales Rank: 536 Studio: Sony Pictures Theatrical Release Date: June 19, 1963
Amazon.com essential video: Arguably the most intelligently written film to feature the masterful stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen, Jason and the Argonauts is a colorful adventure that takes full advantage of Harryhausen's "Dynarama" process. Inspired by the Greek myth, the story begins when the fearless explorer Jason (Todd Armstrong) returns to the kingdom of Thessaly to make his rightful claim to the throne, but the gods proclaim that he must first find the magical Golden Fleece. Consulting Hera, the queen of gods, Jason recruits the brave Argonauts to crew his ship, and they embark on their eventful journey. Along the way they encounter a variety of mythic creatures, including the 100-foot bronze god Talos, the batlike Harpies, the seven-headed reptilian Hydra, and an army of skeletons wielding sword and shield. This last sequence remains one of the finest that Harryhausen ever created, and it's still as thrilling as anything from the age of digital special effects. Harryhausen was the true auteur of his fantasy films, and his brilliant animation evokes a timeless sense of wonder. Jason and the Argonauts is a prime showcase for Harryhausen's talent--a wondrous product of pure imagination and filmmaking ingenuity. The DVD contains an informative interview with Harryhausen by filmmaker John Landis. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Classic action
Special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen is perhaps the only technical person in the history of the film business to be treated as the primum mobile behind the films he worked on. In effect, to use the European cinema parlance- he was the auteur of his films; the directors were utterly interchangeable. In fact, the only constant through many of his classics was producer Charles Schneer. This is most evidenced in the 1963 action and fantasy classic Jason And The Argonauts, part of the five film DVD collection The Fantastic Films Of Ray Harryhausen, Legendary Monster Series put out by Columbia Pictures. ... Read More
Rating: - Love the Skeleton Soldiers!
This is a great movie for kids. I remember seeing it in a kidde's theatre when I was young and it is still cute. Now I buy it for my 6th grade Ancient Civilizations class. The story of Jason having to steal the Golden Fleece is a Greek Myth and is told through stop-motion photography. I was entranced as a little kid and still enjoy it.
Rating: - A legendary adventure of monsters and mythology......
Before movies used CGI to bring fantasy to life, there was a brilliant, and painstaking medium called "Stop-Motion-Animation", where clay figures were posed and reposed ONE camera frame at a time, bringing life to an endless array of creatures and monsters, and Ray Harryhausen was the king of it all. Jason and the Argonauts is arguably Harryhausen's greatest showcase of his innovative genius. This is the age-old tale of Jason, a fearless sailor and explorer, who is the rightful heir to the throne of Thessaly. To claim his birth-right, Jason must travel to the end of the world, and find the fabled ... Read More
Rating: - My search is over!
For years since a child, I have been searching for that movie that I once watched in a dark movie theater that terrified/entranced me with its music and "special effects" (which most kids nowadays scoff at, including my own) This movie, and its "cousins" the Sinbad movies, were the stuff of adventure/fantasy thrills of the youths from the 50's and 60's.I'll never forget my gasping at the giant iron soldier strolling upon the rocky beach to destroy the sailship trying desperately to escape its path.
Or the ships figurehead opening its eyes when talking to Jason. And now, I finally have this movie ... Read More
Rating: - Reggie's Review
This is by far my favorite version of this classic. Has all of the mystery and fantasy, that is ideal for the entire family.
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