Os Argonautas

Not the greatest movie of its kind, but far from the worst. Certain things are low points. Like continuity. Its so so. When a terrible storm hits the Argos you'd expect the deck to pitch and not be stable. As the movie moves from one part of the story line to the next certain things seem to be left out. But for the most part these things are nonessential and their lack does not make the thing hard to follow, so the loss is minimal. But the upside ... The sets and costumes are well done. The movie, despite the lack of continuity in spots, flows well and is easy to follow. The dubbing, this flick being Italian, is OK. Dubbing, I think, can never be better than just OK. When a person speaks in one language and then the thing gets dubbed in another, well, the mouths and words are never going to match up all that well. But the folks who did the dubbed voices did their job very well. They carry the emotions that go with the plot and characters very well. In fact thats probably the best aspect, technically speaking, of the whole film. The choreography is pretty good. Fights actually look, more or less, like fights. The one eyed monster is campy style cool. The plot is fair for a movie about Jason and his friends. Its not hard to watch. If you like this genre I think you'll enjoy this movie.

This is an earlier version of the same events narrated in JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1963), arguably the screen's finest mythological epic and Ray Harryhausen's magnum opus, and it's a reasonably intelligent and enjoyable retelling in which, surprisingly, even the comic relief works. Still, Roland Carey makes for a colorless Jason - but Massimo Girotti is a suitably morose Orpheus, though his contribution is minimal and was probably only featured for marquee value!

Though a subsequent effort - MACISTE ALL' INFERNO (1962) - proved a disappointment, Riccardo Freda's involvement here ensures that this is one of the better peplums, even if the result is rather static and hokey overall (particularly the cheap-looking Cyclops). Besides, Carlo Rustichelli's score - which may have been borrowed from some other film or was perhaps re-used, as it sounded oddly familiar to me! - is pretty good...

Pretty average spectacle of the crank 'em out kind that showed up every weekend when I was about six or seven.

Mickey Hargitay musta been busy greasin' up his biceps or frolicking around with Jayne and Reeves wanted good money so they opted for Roland Carey who despite a decent chest is very colorless and blah.

The plot is as thin as pizza but serves well for the usual blend of fight,flounder and flex.

TO it's credit there is some good fantasy music,a hilarious one eyed gorilla,a wacky witch and the requisite harem dance.

If you got some pals that are good with the MST3K style of back talk you'll have plenty of fodder here.Fans of SOuth Park will hardly resist a remark or two about Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride.

If your a fan ,check it out otherwise forget it unless you want something to clear the kids out of the room.

THE GIANTS OF THESSALY is one of the better PEPLUM films made during the PEPLUM/Musclemen/Sword & Sandal explosion of the the late 50s/early 60s. The assured hand of Riccardo Freda keeps it going even if there are some weak spots in it, the weak aspects being the acting (there's a scene with an actress tied to a rock and her acting is pitiful) and some cheesy sets and effects. But the bad aspect of this film do not diminish the entire overall effect and it's pretty cool. British actor Roland Carey makes a nice change over the usual Steve Reeves or Mark Forest or Gordon Scott. Physically, Roland is imposing. He looks tall and built but not too built like a body builder. His physique is believable. Roland plays Jason and the story is basically the quest for the Golden Fleece (part of this story was already incorporated in HERCULES(1958) ).

He leads a boat filled a beefy crew and they got through a bunch of great and not so great adventures, culminating with the finding of the Golden Fleece. The scene when Roland Carey gets the fleece is one of the greatest moments ever made in a PEPLUM. From the boat, to climbing up a cliff that leads to the statue where Jason as to climb all the way to the top of the statue to retrieve the fleece is simply amazing. Combined with the rousing score (one of the best and most familiar scores in any Sword & Sandal) and you have a brilliant scene. It makes the movie and Riccardo Freda's direction really shines here.

The DVD available in the US is of terrible quality. I've seen a clear fully widescreen HD version and it's amazing. The US DVD doesn't do it justice.

And to those who think this is nothing more than a weak rip-off of the Ray Harryhausen version of Jason & the Argonauts, well THE GIANTS OF THESSALY was made 3 years before the Harryhausen flick.

This is one of the best Peplum or sword and sandals film from the history , retelling the legend of Jason in search of the famous fleece for uncharted sea . The film deals about the myth Jason (Roland Carey) , he travels in search for the fabled Golden fleece located in the Colchis . It's based on a poem of Greek poet named Apolonio of Rodas titled ¨The Argonautika¨ (250 B.C) . In order to stifle the anger of Zeus and other Gods and with volcano's eruption included , Jason must retrieve the magical calf housed from distant land of Colchis and bring it toward city of Iolco . Meanwhile , his nephew Adrasto (Alberto Farnese)and underling Antinoo (Raf Baldasarre) have usurped the kingdom , taken his throne and imprisoned his spouse queen (Rodan) named Creusa (she's actually Medea who later to be revenged Jason , killing their sons) . Jason assembles a motley , brave crew formed by a valiant band as Orpheo (Massimo Girotti, father of Terence Hill or Mario Girotti) , Euristeo (Luciano Marin) , among others . Jason has to climb an enormous sculpture where is the Golden fleece . Jason successfully leads his crew of would-be heroes throughout a series of outstanding adventures . They're confronted by a heinous witch named Gaia at an island of women called Lemmos . Besides , he embarks in the ship a stowaway named Atlanta , she's condemned to death but the philosopher , musician Orpheo , a love expert , saves to her(as the poem says , Orpheo actually accompanied the Argonauts though his love for Euridice was much later) . They sail unharmed along sea storm , suffering thirsty , famine and incredible adventures , encountering a giant monster (made by Carlo Rambaldi : ET) and a scheming witch . The film even rips off from Homero's Odyssey , when there appears a giant bearded Cyclops (such as Kirk Douglas in Ulysses by Mario Camerini) and Jason hurls a lance into his only eye .

As usual in Musclemen films here appears the choreographic girls dancing and lots of action with several adventures including spectacular fights , storms , witchery, and some good effects . This elaborate recounting is well directed by Riccard Freda although with little relation with the poem by Apolonio of Rodas . The film contains an evocative and spectacular music by Carlo Rustichelli . Fun for the whole family though it tends toward the ponderous at times but for the most part , it's a marvelous movie . Other adaptations about this classic story are the following : Jason and the Argonauts (1963) by Don Chaffey with Todd Armstrong and for TV (2000) by Nick Willing and with Jason London.