Customer Reviews

Jason and the Argonauts [VHS]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

This new version of the ancient story of Jason's quest for the golden fleece appears to have everything going for it: spectacular production design, gorgeous set decoration and costumes, and a cast of first rate actors, including Frank Langella, Adrian Lester, Derek Jacobi, Dennis Hopper, and many others.

Unfortunately, Jason London is cast in the title role, and appears to have absolutely no acting ability whatsoever. He delivers his lines in a lifeless monotone, and his closet approximation to real emotion could be charitably called "looking Concerned." True, he is hampered by a tepid script, but it's interesting to note how almost every other performer manages to inject some note of drama into his/her performance, whereas Our Hero wanders about like a zombie in a daze. You wonder why anyone would get on a boat with this guy, and when he does perform a heroic feat, it's hard to believe that he would be capable of such acts of valor.

Ultimately, in spite of impressive visuals and some very enjoyable performances by the supporting players, London's listless, zombie-like trance drags the production down, and this rather long movie (close to 3 hours) is flat and uninvolving. (I got through the first two hours; long enough to see the Golden Fleece recovered. I decided to pass on the voyage home --- another 45 minutes.)

This made-for-television film based on the Greek tale never quite seems to know where its headed. It is visually exciting, however, and it seems almost certain that this is exactly what the filmmakers were looking for that they might be able to hide the films flaws behind a morass of half-naked Amazon women, computer-generated dragons, harpies, and gorgon bulls.

The story revolves around the vengeance-seeking young man named Jason (played in a very cardboard manner by Jason London) who finds himself setting sail on a ship called the Argo (with the hand-picked crew known as Argonauts, of course) to fetch the Golden Fleece. Along the way, of course, in the tradition of such tales, there are many adventures and encounters with gods, men, and unnatural beasties. There is a love story of sorts hidden in there somewhere as well, but its quite unsympathetic. ...

The acting in Jason and the Argonauts ranges from shoddy to pretty good. Even the respectable actors acquired for the film sometimes manage to turn in pretty unstable performances. Dennis Hopper plays the villain of the piece (not surprisingly), the arch-enemy of Jason, and he seems to have a thing for embracing people and then stabbing them in the back. Frankly, it is a silly role, and played just so. There are other characters even more absurd - one who has the keenest eyes in the land and shouts I see it! every five seconds which is both annoying and laughable. But on the other side of the coin, there are characters that manage to keep Jason and the Argonauts interesting, such as Hercules (a very non-Kevin Sorbo performance that is pretty fun), the minstrel, and the bodyguard of Jasons father who seeks redemption. Anguss McFadyen (who played Robert the Bruce so beautifully in Braveheart) also stars briefly as King of the Gods, Zeus. It is nice to see Anguss again.

Jason and the Argonauts fails in many ways, but usually compensates in others to round out the experience somewhat. After all, a movie based on a Greek myth such as this does not have to be believable all the time, nor does it require the best actors ever assembled. This is a good thing, since the acting and the writing is so hit-and-miss. Fortunately, the adventure elements of any Greek tale such as this are here, and with them in tact there is entertainment to be had. I for one enjoy watching and waiting just to see what the Argonauts will stumble upon next - will it be a god or a monster, or a feud with men over the Golden Fleece? The battles and creature effects may not be cutting-edge, but they have impressive moments. The dragon who guards the Fleece is the creature highlight, and at times looks strikingly real, and the battle against Hoppers troops at the end is climactic enough.

All in all, Jason and the Argonauts is an enjoyable, if sometimes silly, fantasy with fairly high production values for a film of its type - complete with a wide range of adventures that any adaptation of a Greek myth should have. Its not as good as the earlier production of The Odyssey, but its a voyage to consider.

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.

Having read R.Graves' great book "Hercules, my shipmate", everything around the Argonauts has to be compared with it. This video passed the test.

When I first got it, I was expecting something like the "Xena"and "Hercules" TV shows. During the first moments, I was pleasantly surprised. The costumes and background fits with what the ancient Greeks were supposed to be like, judging from urns and other relics and artifacts. The storyline goes closely to the ancient myths and the special effects are decent. Some inaccuracies are present; i.e. Hercules in Hera's service, but it's expected in similar movies.

The actors: Derek Jacobi, Dennis Hopper, Frank Langella need no introduction, there are magnificent. The actress who plays Medea is very good as well, enchanting and mysterious. However, the leading actor in Jason's role is not good. However, for those of us who consider the ancient Jason a useless stud who happened to be in the right place at the right time, he fits in perfectly. And a brilliant casting decision: Brian Tompson as Hercules. I loved every scene he was in.

Overall, it's a very entertaining film, but if you want a deeper and equally enjoyable work on the Argonauts, read R.Graves' great book "Hercules, my shipmate".

Let's forget the 1963 version and Ray Harryhausen's incomparable stop motion animation, and look at this Hallmark made for TV version on its own merits. Handsomely filmed and epically proportioned, JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS is a rousing, sometimes outstanding, version of this classic Greek myth. Nick Willing keeps the action moving fairly quickly, although at times it seems to outstay its welcome in terms of length. A surplus of padded shots including the hull of the Argos traipsing through the waters. Most of the special effects are very good: I particularly liked having Zeus and Hera in the heavens; it was not only metaphorically neat, but it was visually beautiful as well. Angus McFadyen as Zeus and Olivia Williams as Hera looked divine. The special effect that was below par was the mechanical bull; it seemed not only anachronistically out of place, but it looked cheesy. Also, the skeletons were nowhere near as frightening as those in Harryhausen's version (oops, I slipped and made a comparison!). The others, however, particularly the Harpies and Poseidon were ingenuous.

Brian Thompson's Hercules was the best performance; he seemed not only gigantically strong, but his bragging about his historic seven deeds was a nice addition. Dennis Hopper was basically boring as the evil king, and Frank Langella wasn't strong enough either. Natasha Henstridge's bit as the Amazon queen was fetching. The main problem with the cast was Jason London, who did not have the maturity or strength to carry the role. He seemed like a weak leader, one I would have been remiss to follow. London just doesn't have the chops to play such an integral role.

Overall, though, it's an entertaining version of the myth and looked sumptuous. Simon Boswell's score was also a highlight.

Jason and the Argonaunts is probably one of the best-known Greek myths, and this movie tells it adequately. Jason London plays Jason, the son of King Aeson and Queen Polymele (Diana Kent) whose kingdom is overrun by Aeson's evil brother Pelias (Dennis Hopper) who kills Aeson and marries Polymele. Jason however, manages to escape, and is brought up by the centaur Chiron in a peaceful enviroment where he has no memory of his violent past except for images that appear to him in dreams. When Chiron finally tells him the truth, giving him a necklace of his mother which displays the sign of Hera, queen of the gods, Jason sets off to reclaim his destiny. Once home he finds his kingdom downtrodden and poverty-stricken as Pelias sends more and more men to their doom in the quest for his greatest desire - the Golden Fleece. When Jason appears, Pelias strikes a deal - Jason will fetch him the Fleece, or else his mother's life will be forfeit.
And so the journey begins - on board the ship The Argo, with a hand-picked crew that includes the musician Orpheus, the huntess Atalanta, the mightly Hercules and eagle-eyed Zetes, Jason and his men face dangers such as harpies, the sea-god Poseidon, man-killing Amazons and rocks that crush anything that sails between them. But they are being watched - the sorceress Medea, the protecter of the Fleece has her eye on 'the boy with the pleasent face', and her father and suspicious brother are concerned for the safety of their precious Fleece.

The first half of these movie is exellent, and very accurately portrayed in accordance to the myths, (ie Jason's missing sandal, Chiron, and Hera's disguise). I was especially impressed that they called the love god by his Greek name - Eros, instead of the Roman Cupid, which is a mistake that many people make. The second half however changes a little - it is Jason and the crew attempting to snatch the Fleece on enemy territory. They are more liberal with making changes to the original story (for instance Hercules describes himself as being sent to protect Jason by Hera - however, Hera hated Hercules in the myths!). I also felt there was an unsatisfactory ending with two many loose ends that weren't tied up.
However, the battle scenes were good (though I'm sure I spotted someone being killed with a javelin that never touched him), as were the special effects, sets and very historically accurate costumes. Some people claim Jason London wasn't very good as Jason, but he could have been worse, and Jolene Blalock made Medea an interesting heroine (though they understandably cut down on Medea's original bloodthirstiness). All scenes that involved Zeus and Hera in Mount Olympus were wonderful, with the clouds reflecting their moods, as was the scene in which Zeus attempts to seduce Medea. Also watch out for Natasha Henstridge as Hypsipyle, Queen of the Amazons.
So overall, this is a good enough movie to watch more than once, though in my opinion the first half is much better than the second, and they could have done a better job of completing sub-plots (such as Atalanta's secret love for Jason) to make it a more rounded-up ending.

I teach The Odyssey every year and I am using Jason and the Argonauts video in an "extra help" class to teach the hero's journey and this video keeps lower level kids interested and helps me to show patterns in stories and reinforce Greek gods and goddesses.

My wife and I just watched this one together and we immediately decided to add it to our library. If you are looking for a sex and violence fix, this is not it (that's easy enough to find elsewhere), but it provides rewards of its own. There are not that many out there that you can show to a mixed audience of kids and adults and keep them all engaged, but this is one that can (my wife and I have 95 years of mortal life and 19 years of college between us, and it kept our attention).

In the very opening scenes the degree to which the scenery and clothing puts you in the right time machine in the Bronze Age was striking. It only got better later on, from the ship itself to the soldier's swords, even the style of the beards and crowns the kings wear. The scene shifts from Olympus to earth are imaginative and powerful, and the non-human characters, from monsters to gods, are inventive and convincing.

The dialog is not always inspired, but the characters keep your attention with what they are given, and enough plays upon their faces that you don't rally notice. Some of their most powerful moments are wordless anyway, from Jason's exhaustion after his test to Medea's anguish when she thinks he has been killed trying to get the golden fleece from the dragon. The story ends when the quest is completed, so Medea's bloody revenge as a dishonored princess is not included, but that would be another story anyway. It is a good telling of the ancient epic, taking no more liberties with the plot than is allowable for genuine folklore, with a nod or two toward issues in our own society, yes, but still centering on the ageless concerns of what makes a hero -- from a prince favored by a deity (but resented by another) to an ugly thief (for whom an act of selfless integrity may also take herculian effort); the dilemmas of loyalty in love and deadly risks -- from a common soldier to a gifted princess; the temptations of power -- in an ageless Olympian god who can bless, or destroy at a whim if he lashes out in anger, to corrupted mortal kings and princes. If this one doesn't give you images you will want to savor in your mind, and some ideas on how to relate to basic human issues in the news, whether it's to talk to your kids or chuckle with your best friend (my wife, in my case), you're not trying.

When I saw this latest version of the story of Jason and his search for the fabled Golden Fleece was scheduled for broadcast on the Hallmark channel I was intrigued. Not only did the movie feature not one, but two of the most beautiful women in Hollywood today - Natasha (`Species') Henstridge and Jolene (`Enterprise') Blalock, but it also promised four hours of grand entertainment.

Why then was I, about an hour into it, looking wistfully over at my DVD collection and in particular the classic Harryhausen version of the tale and contemplating what could have been.

Essentially put, this new adaptation of the Greek legend is a dud. Not only is the lead actor wholly unconvincing throughout but the action is tired, the narrative too drawn out and the pace sluggish. It does not help either that Henstridge's part (although top billed) is essentially nothing more than an extended cameo and that Blalock is unrecognizable (after watching her in a scene it was only her voice that clued me in to it being her).

Also why is it that the set design and effects looked cheaper and less convincing than they did four decades earlier?

All in all this was a huge disappointment and something Hallmark should have done better. For an example of the channel getting these made-for-television features/mini-series right check out the simply superb and very entertaining `La Femme Musketeer.'