Jason and the Argonauts (1963 version) (4½ Stars)

The Gods are best served by the ones who want their help least.

I don't know why I didn't watch this film in May 2013 when I watched a series of Ray Harryhausen's films after his death. In fact, I assumed that I did watch it then, but my film diary doesn't list it, so I know that I didn't. Even if nobody ever read it, my blog is important to me to remind me of what I watched and when. Back to September 2010, at least. I wish I had started my blog years earlier, at the latest in 2003 when I bought my first DVD player. I'm pretty sure that "Jason and the Argonauts" was one of the first films I bought on DVD, but I can't remember the last time I watched it. I just know that it was before September 2010.

I decided to watch the film again today after watching the new version yesterday. It's good to compare them with one another. Without criticising the new version at all, I have to admit that the original version is better. Something about it is just magical. I couldn't help feeling a tingle of excitement when the first of Ray Harryhausen's big effects happened, namely the giant statue of Talos creaking into life. Magnificent! And the skeleton battle must be one of the most thrilling battles on film ever.

The DVD that I watched today is fuzzy in parts. It was remastered for Blu-ray in 2010. Tempting. I might invest in a replacement.