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Jason and the Argonauts

Play trailer Poster for Jason and the Argonauts G 1963 1h 44m Kids & Family Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 62 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
After saving the life of his royal father's usurper, Pelias (Douglas Wilmer), whom he fails to recognize, Jason (Todd Armstrong) is encouraged by the conniving murderer to begin a quest in search of the Golden Fleece. In doing so, Pelias hopes for Jason's death to thwart the prophecy that he will reclaim the throne. Along the journey, Jason is protected by the goddess Hera (Honor Blackman), and his crew includes Hercules (Nigel Green) and Acastus (Gary Raymond), a saboteur planted by Pelias.
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Jason and the Argonauts

Jason and the Argonauts

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Critics Reviews

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Ken Barnard Detroit Free Press 18m
There is plenty of adventure to fascinate a young audience. Go to Full Review
Paine Knickerbocker San Francisco Chronicle 27m
This Charles H Schneer production is a pleasant summer attraction, refreshing in its lack of pretension, and commendable for its singleness of purpose, which is merely to transport the young into the realm of picturesque fantasy. Go to Full Review
Dickson Terry St. Louis Post-Dispatch 1h
Tall, handsome, with flashing black eyes, young Armstrong is cast in the heroic mold and he makes Jason quite believable. Go to Full Review
Daily Mirror Staff Daily Mirror (UK) 31m
The real stars are the men who dreamed up the remarkable trick photography. Go to Full Review
Stanley Eichelbaum San Francisco Examiner 34m
While nobody but the children will be profoundly affected by the film... this is actually a better-grade extravaganza than most, because of an efficient British cast, a halfway literate screenplay and Ray Harryhausen's ambitious visual effects. Go to Full Review
W. Ward Marsh Cleveland Plain Dealer 37m
The magnetism in "Jason" lies in the expert camera work -- and the coloring, the settings, and to a lesser extent, Don Chaffey's direction of a cast that tells the legend against the wondrous background. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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DevilSlayer34 T @RT78907242 Apr 4 This is in my honest opinion one of if not the best application of stop motion animation. This was the first Harryhausen film I saw with my dad. This the film that started my love for stop motion and if im honest made me into the film buff that i am. Im always supporting the use of practical effects and use of miniatures( if applicable) in film. I truly believe that this film nees to be an integral part of film history and should be studied for anyone wanting to make their own film l. See more Ray C @RT17651982 Mar 13 Definitely the best Percy Jackson movie for sure. I wanted to like Jason and the Argonauts more than I did, but there’s no denying that this is a classic. It’s pretty amazing what they were able to do at the time this came out. The effects are an easy standout. They can look a bit iffy at times, but this movie came out over 60 years ago. I’ve always been a big fan of Greek mythology, so it was really cool seeing that come to life on screen. My favorite scene was definitely the skeleton fight at the end. It has the best choreography and the best-looking effects in the movie. It sucks that this bombed when it came out, because it really feels like one half of a story that deserved a sequel. Still, it’s a fun and impressive adventure. See more JAMES B. @Briceman301 Jan 2 Magical and fun. The special effects and especially the stop motion animation stand the test of time. See more Robert P @RT62582640 06/21/2025 Masterpiece, do I have to say more? See more David K @RT61474040 02/17/2025 Sure, the film is a little clunky by modern standards but it must be viewed within an historical context. The work by Ray Harryhausen is iconic and must-see for anyone interested in special effects in the period before computer technology was employed. See more Alec B @AlecMichaelB 10/14/2024 Jason and the Argonauts offers a vintage epic featuring the stop-motion effects popular for its time. The film follows Jason, played by Todd Armstrong, as he leads a team of heroes on a quest for the Golden Fleece, battling everything from harpies to a towering bronze giant and, of course, the unforgettable skeleton warriors. While the acting, dialogue, and graphics are dated, the film's sheer creativity and epic scale make it a standout in the genre. It's a must-watch for fans of classic cinema and greek mythology. Common for the 60s, female characters like Medea, a powerful sorceress, are unfortunately watered down to one-dimensional eye candy without much agency in the story. See more Read all reviews
Jason and the Argonauts

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Jason and the Argonauts

Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - Talos Attacks! Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - Talos Attacks! 4:28 Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - Jason Defeats Talos Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - Jason Defeats Talos 4:01 Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - Trapping the Harpies Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - Trapping the Harpies 4:14 Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - The Sexy High Priestess Dance Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - The Sexy High Priestess Dance 2:01 Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - Harpies Torment Phineus Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - Harpies Torment Phineus 2:04 Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - King Triton Saves the Argonauts Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - King Triton Saves the Argonauts 3:15 Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - The Clashing Rocks Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - The Clashing Rocks 2:13 Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - Skeleton Warriors! Jason and the Argonauts: Official Clip - Skeleton Warriors! 4:40 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis After saving the life of his royal father's usurper, Pelias (Douglas Wilmer), whom he fails to recognize, Jason (Todd Armstrong) is encouraged by the conniving murderer to begin a quest in search of the Golden Fleece. In doing so, Pelias hopes for Jason's death to thwart the prophecy that he will reclaim the throne. Along the journey, Jason is protected by the goddess Hera (Honor Blackman), and his crew includes Hercules (Nigel Green) and Acastus (Gary Raymond), a saboteur planted by Pelias.
Director
Don Chaffey
Producer
Charles H. Schneer
Screenwriter
Jan Read, Beverley Cross
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Columbia TriStar Home Video, Columbia Pictures, RCA/Columbia
Production Co
Morningside Worldwide S.A., Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating
G
Genre
Kids & Family, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 19, 1963, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2012
Runtime
1h 44m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)