Jason & The Argonauts

Product Information

And so, with a ship he names the Argo -- after its shipbuilder Argos (Laurence Naismith), and a group of well-greased Greeks he dubs the Argonauts -- including the legendary mighty Hercules (Nigel Green) and the cunning Acastus (Gary Raymond), Jason sets sail to the end of the world -- with danger lurking around every corner. The stereo spread across the front is welcome and provides some width and spatiality to even the quieter scenes without sounding bogus. The dailies are Ray's uncut animation takes as he first saw them back from the lab; Jackson reports that 95% of the shots were animated in one take only.

All this stuff sounds good in the mono track, too, but the enhanced involvement we experience with the lossless option just feels more enticing. When we toss Jason into the player, we can't wait to hear those crashing chords behind the Columbia logo. On the DVD, you can see the deep blue sky above their heads in certain shots, and you can tell from the light on their faces that this is far sunnier occasion than the shade would suggest. But the best part is the energetic score composed and conducted by Bernard Herrmann ('Citizen Kane' and ' Psycho') and performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.

This single-disc BD comes packed in a blue case featuring a glossy redesign of the original artwork.

With so much happening simultaneously in each shot, it's hard to keep up -- which prompts the use of words like, "breathtaking".Soldiers battling armies of the dead recur in classical paintings, giving the combat a macabre edge.

I was particularly interested in aspect ratio because the Criterion LD was full screen per Harryhausen's wishes.When we first meet Phineas, Patrick Troughton's Harpy-tormented old blind man, the scene, detailing the initial attack and the subsequent introduction between him and Jason and his Argonauts is now daytime. Niall MacGinnis' Zeus, for instance, can sound brighter and louder when you flick to the mono track, but the lossless variant supplies some nice subtle echoing to his voice that works better, I think.

Of course, the scenes combining stop-motion with live-action don't look very attractive in high-definition, although to be fair they will never be due to the techniques originally used in the film. Jason and the Argonauts" is my favorite Harryhausen film (which the bluray looks pretty good) with "First Men in the Moon" coming right behind.org, one of the premier destinations on the web to discuss DVD releases from The Criterion Collection, Masters of Cinema, and other DVD production companies from around the world.