By Michael Rosen-Molina
Daily Bruin Staff
Think about “Hamlet” and “The Lion
King.” The story is a familiar one: good king rules kingdom
wisely, evil brother kills him and snatches throne, good
king’s exiled son returns to exact revenge and restore order,
son gets sidetracked on quest for a golden sheep.
Okay, maybe not quite that familiar. Set to air this Sunday at 9
p.m. and conclude on Monday night, NBC’s latest miniseries
“Jason and the Argonauts” brings the classic Greek saga
to the small screen for two nights of fun and fantasy.
Jason London stars as the immortal hero who returns to confront
his villainous uncle Pelias (Dennis Hopper). With his usual oily
charm, Hopper’s Pelias promises to renounce the throne of
Ioclus if Jason can obtain for him that one thing which his heart
desires above all else: The Golden Fleece.
Not one to back down from a challenge, Jason sets out to recruit
the greatest heroes of Greece to man his ship. His strapping crew
grows to include Zetes (Rhys Miles Thomas), whose eyes are so sharp
that he can see stars during the day; Laertes (Charles Cartmell),
an agile tumbling shepherd; Orpheus (Adrian Lester), a minstrel
with a painful past; and Actor (Kieran O’Brien), a
“reformed” thief with severe dental problems. Oh, and
then there’s Hercules (Brian Thompson), too.
The special effects, courtesy of the incomparable Jim
Henson’s Creature Shop, rise above the shoddy computer
imaging that distinguishes most television miniseries, especially
the pair of vicious harpies that plague the blind prophet Phineas
(Derek Jacobi). Although they cannot compare to the most basic
movie monsters, they are still head-and-shoulders above the
laughably cheesy effects of other series like “The 10th
Kingdom.”
The harpies are rancid, ragged creatures, all leathery bat wings
and wicked maws gaping in skeletal faces. Sea god Poseidon appears
as a living island rising out of the ocean, a craggy stone giant
with mossy seaweed beard and hair.
Opting for a more classical tone instead of the more obvious
kitsch appeal, “Jason and the Argonauts” is in the
tradition of ’60s Greek epics, full of action and adventure,
sweeping seascapes and jovial, manly camaraderie.
Brian Thompson’s Hercules is the perfect embodiment of
this ideal. No Fabio-esque Calvin Klein model pretty boy, this
Hercules is a Steve Reeves-like adventurer, a rugged, jolly brute
who commands respect but can laugh with the best of them.
Not above a little playful self-deprecation, Thompson’s
Hercules is also a self-absorbed bore, regaling the crew with
tedious tales of his 12 labors. The crew may not have any faith in
this baby-faced Jason kid, but Hercules would follow the
inexperienced captain to the pit of Hades and who’s going to
argue with him?
Pollux and Castor, the Gemini twins, were favorites of the gods,
known for their strength and beauty. Here, they are reduced to a
pair of comically bickering quarry workers. Their scenes are
mercifully brief, however, and remain amusing instead of growing
tedious, unlike the notoriously annoying “Wolf” of
“The 10th Kingdom.”
For the most part, “Jason and the Argonauts” remains
true to the spirit of the original Greek legend.
Audiences should be grateful that a brief visit to the island of
Lesbos does not result in a single anachronistic double entendre
regarding lesbians. Natasha Henstridge makes a lackluster cameo as
the undersexed queen, Hypsipyle.
Also, Zeus and Hera are not the improbably loving couple from
the Disney version, but the same old philandering vulgarian and
spiteful virago pair that generations of mythology connoisseurs
have come to know and love.
Some aspects of the legend have been changed to appeal to modern
sensibilities: The crew of the Argo now includes Atlanta (Olga
Sosnovska), a royal archery woman crossing over from another Greek
myth. Atlanta is the series’ obvious choice for a token
liberated woman.
Although one would hardly have expected to find such a character
on any historical Argo, “Jason and the Argonauts”
handles Atlanta’s presence with surprising ease, fluidly
integrating her into the story. Many series would use the lead
female as an excuse to make heavy-handed statements on sexual
equality, but here Atlanta’s status is never questioned.
From the start, she is treated as any other crew member. A woman
who actually accomplishes stuff rather than simply spouting
“liberated” platitudes is a refreshing change in the
television world.
“Jason and the Argonauts” ends with Jason’s
triumphant return home and his ensuing overthrow of Pelias. Of
course, the true story did not end there: Jason went on to have an
affair which enraged Medea enough to kill their children. But this
is a rollicking adventure, not a tragedy, and if it leaves out some
nit-picky details, it still all turns out well in the end.
TELEVISION: “Jason and the Argonauts” airs May 7 and
8 at 9 p.m. on NBC.