(1963) As a child I saw the 1958 movie The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad more often than any other movie, amazed by its Cyclops and other fantastic cinematic inventions. Another odyssey, this mythological adventure from director Don Chaffey and screenwriters Jan Read and Beverley Cross (based on the 3rd-century BCE Greek epic poem "The Argonautica" by Apollonios Rhodios), driven forward with Bernard Herrmann's score in the sails, rises above its predecessors with Ray Harryhausen's pre-CGI visual special effects.

Twenty years after Pelias murdered King Aristos of Thessaly along with his two daughters and took the throne for himself, he is rescued from drowning by a man with a single sandal, as had been prophesied. The goddess Hera (Honor Blackman), who had taken Aristos's son into her protective custody, told Pelias: "Zeus cannot drive men to do what you have done. Men drive themselves to do such things, that the gods may know them and that men may understand themselves."

Not realizing that he has saved the life of his father's usurper, Jason (Todd Armstrong) accepts Pelias's challenge to seek the magical fleece of the winged, golden-haired ram, having the power to heal, bring peace, and end plagues.

When Jason says he won't pray for supernatural intervention because doesn't believe in the gods, Hermes transports the hero-to-be to Mount Olympus where Zeus and Hera (who has been given permission by her husband, the king of the gods, to grant Jason five requests for divine assistance) direct him to sail for Colchis at the end of the world.

He selects a crew from among the ablest Greeks by holding a series of contests of strength and courage; his sturdy ship is the Argo, named after its renowned builder, Argus.

On the Isle of Bronze, the crew, desperately in need of food and water, come under the attack of the bronze statue of Talos the Titan after Hercules (Nigle Green) and Hylas disobey Hera's instruction not to take anything other than nourishment. Escaping from the giant, they land on Phrygia where the blind prophet Phineas, tormented by a pair of harpies, directs them, once they've met his price for guidance, to Colchis through the Clashing Rocks.

Barely eluding disaster, Jason then saves a woman from a sunken ship who turns out to be Medea (Nancy Kovack), the high priestess of the goddess Hecate on Colchis. With her help Jason manages to steal the Golden Fleece from King Aeetes (Jack Gwillim), who rightfully accuses them of being pirates and thieves - but first battling the seven-headed hydra guarding it and then the skeleton warriors who grow out the ground seeded with the creature's teeth - depriving his people of peace and prosperity. All is but a sport to amuse the cruel gods.

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