I loved Greek mythology as a kid and this film blew me away when I first saw it.

It still more than holds up when I watch it today. This really is a brilliant adventure that the audience is taken on as Jason sails in search of the Golden Fleece.

This is the crowning glory of Ray Harryhausen’s stop motion action sequences. The skeleton fight scene is one of the most brilliant pieces of film I’ve ever seen but the Harpies and Talos are just as impressive. Betsy Palmer’s movements at the end of Friday the 13th reminds me of one of the skeletons from this sequence. I wonder if this was conscious on the part of Sean S Cunningham.

The scale of the film is suitably epic. It must have been mind-blowing to watch this film on the big screen back in the day. This film doesn’t feel dated in anyway through the brilliant crafting of the film. This must have been a labour of love for the filmmakers and cast alike.

With any film in which theres scantily clad men within an all male cast theres also a sense of homoeroticism that underlies the whole film especially regarding the character of Hercules. If his toga had been any shorter this film would have earned an X certificate.

The Bernard Herrmann music score is similarly epic. In fact there are parts of this soundtrack that reminded me of his later score for Taxi Driver.

This was actually an Anglo-American production and so we get the great contributions of Honor Blackman and Patrick Troughton in the cast which is always a great thing.

This film really does capture in abundance a childlike sense of adventure and awe that leaps from the screen. Brilliant.

4.5 out of 5