Common Sense Note
Most children study the Greek and Roman myths in school, and those who have will especially enjoy this movie.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Nell Minow
Plot: This is the story of Perseus (Harry Hamlin), the son of Zeus (Laurence Olivier), king of the gods, and Dana", a mortal princess. As half god and half mortal, Perseus is the subject of great interest from Mount Olympus. Zeus is so angry when Dana" and Perseus, are thrown into the sea by King Acrisius, Dana"'s father, that he orders Poseidon to destroy Acrisisus' kingdom. When he grows up, Zeus sends him a divine sword, shield, and helmet. A face speaks to Perseus from the shield, and tells him to fulfill his destiny. When he sees the princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker), he says, "I have found my destiny." He helps Andromeda break a curse, and they are married. But she is cursed again when her mother says that Andromeda is more beautiful than the goddessThetis. In 30 days she must be sacrificed to a monster called the Kraken. Perseus must go to see the three blind witches (who share one eye by passing it between them) to ask how to defeat the Kraken. The witches tell Perseus that the only way the defeat the Kraken is with Medusa, the monster who turns to stone anyone who looks at her, and whose blood is poison -- "a titan against a titan." Perseus fights Medusa by watching her from the reflection in his shield.
The thirty days are almost up. Perseus has to find Pegasus to get back in time. He sends the owl to find Pegasus and arrives just as Andromeda is chained to the rock, with the Kraken approaching. As he flies in, he falls off Pegasus and drops Medusa's head. The owl retrieves it, Perseus holds the head before the Kraken, the Kraken is turned to stone, and the curse is over. "My son has triumphed," says Zeus. "Fortune is ally to the brave."
Discussion: There are many interesting issues here, as in the myths themselves, about destiny and free will. As the gods plot, they pick up small clay figures of the people they are influencing. Zeus may be the leader of the gods, but even he is not all-powerful, which is what makes Perseus' triumph meaningful to him.
The gods claim Perseus' good qualities as their legacy. "What if one day courage and imagination become everyday mortal qualities? What would become of us?" one asks. "We don't have to worry about that," replies Zeus. "There is sufficient cowardice, sloth, and mendacity on earth to last forever." He notes, however, that "Even if the gods are abandoned or forgotten, the stars will never fade, never. They will burn until the end of time." Children may enjoy thinking about why it was that the ancient Greeks thought all good qualities came from the gods, and how the gods were as dependent on people as the people were on the gods.
Questions for Kids:
When do the gods intervene in the lives of the humans in this story? How much power do they have? How can you tell?
Why must Perseus lose each of his divine gifts?
What does Ammon mean when he asks, "When will they ever learn?"
Why was Thetis angry when Casseopeia said her daughter was more beautiful? Does that remind you of any other stories?
What does it mean when Perseus says "I have found my destiny"? What do you think destiny means? How will you know your own destiny? To what extent to we make our own destiny?
Connections: The Medusa character also appears in "The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao." There are also about a dozen movies about Hercules, but unfortunately most of them range from poor to dreadful, like "Hercules in New York," featuring a very young Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose dialogue is dubbed by someone else.
The special effects in this movie are the best example of the fine work done by Ray Harryhausen. Before the days of computerized special effects, he led the field. In this movie alone he used many different techniques, including miniatures, animation, and optical effects. Some other examples of his work are "Mighty Joe Young," "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad," and "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers." Another one of his best is "Jason and the Argonauts," also based on the Greek myths, which raises similar themes about free will.
This movie features many of the finest British actors, including Laurence Olivier ("Wuthering Heights," "Hamlet," "Pride and Prejudice," "A Little Romance") and Maggie Smith ("The Pride of Miss Jean Brodie"). Fans of television's "L.A. Law" will recognize Harry Hamlin as handsome attorney Michael Kuzak.
Activities: Most children study the Greek and Roman myths in school, and those who have will especially enjoy this movie. As pointed out at the end of the movie, there are constellations named after Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus and Cassiopeia. Children might like to read a book on the constellations or visit a planetarium to try to find them. There are a number of excellent books about mythology for children, and children always enjoy writing their own myths.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentBrief nudity, including nursing mother, Andromeda getting out of the bath. |
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ViolenceBloody combat with swords, scary monsters, characters killed |
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LanguageNone |
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Social BehaviorAndromeda is rather spirited, insisting on accompanying Perseus for part of quest, but she is still pretty much an old-fashioned damsel in distress |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoNone |
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