Pretty cheesy for the most part, though entertaining, and the effects, while dated today, were impressive for 1981. At least that's what we thought as 10 year olds when it came out. If you enjoy Greek myths, like I do, and haven't seen this film, be aware that it mangles the real tales, so if you insist on authenticity, you'll be disappointed. Hamlin is very stiff as Perseus, but whoever played the pitiable yet sinister, satyr- like Calibos, (obviously aped from Shakespeare's Caliban in The Tempest) did a very good job. Plus, the look on Poseidon's face when The Kraken is first unleashed, where he stares mouth agape for about a full minute, alone makes it worth seeing.

Really, really, really lame. Harry Hamlin looked so out of place, especially after you've watched LA Law.

The last well-known Harryhausen production, with the best-known of the casts. Harry Hamlin plays the son of Zeus with a fair amount of detached swagger and prerequisite action. Sir Laurence Olivier is the top dog himself, barking out impassioned orders to Maggie Smith and Ursula Andress. Heft in Burgess Meredith for sage comic relief, and you've got the makings for an entertaining movie. But you didn't flip it on for them, now, did you? The effects are what you came for, and there were some great ones, like the scorpions, the cerberus, and Medusa (perhaps the high-water mark of Ray's storied career). That being said, I personally found some of the other FX to be, shall we say, unsatisfying. The Kraken didn't impart much in the way of fear (the torso was WAY bigger than the tail, and the flailing octopus arms looked silly at times); the legs of Pegasus didn't look right when in flight; Calabos kept changing sizes with each camera angle; and Boobo.....well, the less said about him, the better. Notorious for Judy Bowker's nude scene coming out of the sacrificial bathtub (I'm still not convinced that's HER back porch), and the amount of dough spent on production. A great get on DVD, and should be in any fantasy fancier's arsenal.