Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
86%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Don Chaffey’s Jason and the Argonauts is an outlandish, transportive piece of nostalgia whose real star is the masterful stop-motion animation work of Ray Harryhausen
Jason and the Argonauts” is a classic adventure film that will transport you back to a time when special effects were done with stop-motion animation. While the plot may be a bit tired and the stars a bit vacuous, the real star of the show is Ray Harryhausen’s incredible work. From the giant bronze statue Talos to the creepy army of swordfighting skeletons, Harryhausen’s creations are some of the most memorable in cinema history. Plus, who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned heroics and a Bernard Herrmann score to boot? It’s a vibrant, colorful masterpiece of cheese that’s perfect for a cozy movie night in.
Production Company(ies)
Caviar Flat 7 Productions, Ward Four
Distributor
Columbia Pictures, RCA/Columbia, Criterion Collection, Columbia TriStar Home Video
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1963
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.33 : 1
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Runtime:1h 44m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 19, 1963 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2000
Genre(s)
Fantasy
Keyword(s)
starring Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond, Honor Blackman, Nigel Green, Laurence Naismith, Douglas Wilmer, directed by Don Chaffey, written by Jan Read, Beverley Cross, fantasy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Dave Kehr, Ian Nathan, Variety Staff, Tom Milne, Howard Thompson, Mike Massie, Nathanael Hood, Christopher Lloyd, Phil Hall, Jamie S Rich, Adrian Turner, Film4 Staff, G MPAA rating, produced by Charles H Schneer, stop-motion animation, Greek mythology, adventure, quest, Golden Fleece, Pelias, Hera, Hercules, Acastus, saboteur, goddess, Columbia Pictures, RCA/Columbia, Criterion Collection, Columbia TriStar Home Video, mono sound mix, flat aspect ratio
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Nancy Kovack – Medea
Gary Raymond – Acastus
Honor Blackman – Hera
Nigel Green – Hercules
Laurence Naismith – Argos
Director(s)
Don Chaffey
Writer(s)
Jan Read, Beverley Cross
Producer(s)
Charles H. Schneer
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (5)
Special-effects buffs generally cite this 1963 effort by Ray Harryhausen as the master’s masterpiece, and his work does a great deal to enliven the tired plot and vacuous stars.
December 5, 2014
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
For sheer old-fashioned, childhood rekindling adventure you really can’t go past it.
November 27, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The $3 million film has a workable scenario and has been directed resourcefully and spiritedly by Don Chaffey, under whose leadership a colorful cast performs with zeal.
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Great fun, as these things go, with a Bernard Herrmann score to boot.
June 24, 2006
Tom Milne
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
This absurd, unwieldy adventure — if that’s the word — is no worse, but certainly no better, than most of its kind.
May 9, 2005
Howard Thompson
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Though a worthy addition to the series of fantasy films adorned with Harryhausen’s animation, the characters and creatures don’t make the list of his most iconic concoctions.
August 24, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
But what puts it over the top is a strange sense of melancholy pervading the machismo heroics.
April 12, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Nathanael Hood
Unseen Films
Jason and the Argonauts exists now mostly as a fine piece of nostalgia. Viewed clearly, it’s a poorly-made collection of fantastical tropes. Through rose-colored glasses, though, it’s a vibrant, colorful masterpiece of cheese.
October 10, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Christopher Lloyd
The Film Yap
Great old-fashioned fun, spiced with imaginative Ray Harryhausen’s special effects.
January 7, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
Phil Hall
Examiner.com
“Jason and the Argonauts” features some of Harryhausen’s most memorable stop-motion creations, including the giant bronze statue Talos and a creepy army of swordfighting skeletons.
April 7, 2014 | Rating: 3/5
Jamie S. Rich
Oregonian
Made while Hollywood was plundering Roman history at vast expense, this British picture went further back in time and created a niche of its own.
November 18, 2013 | Rating: 3/5
Adrian Turner
Radio Times
The Gone With The Wind of stop-frame animation.
November 18, 2013
Film4 Staff
Film4…
Plot
One of the most legendary adventures in all mythology is brought to life in Jason and the Argonauts, an epic saga of good and evil. As a mere boy Jason, the heir to the kingdom of Ancient Greece, witnesses the murder of his father at the hands of his ruthless uncle, Pelias. After narrowly escaping death, Jason flees his home and returns twenty years later to reclaim the throne. Upon learning of his return, Pelias sentences him to death. To save his life, Jason promises to deliver the most coveted gift of the gods to his uncle, the Golden Fleece. Joined by the Argonauts, a stout-hearted crew of sailors, he embarks on a perilous voyage to capture the Fleece and fulfill his destiny.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Jason and the Argonauts.
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