10 Good Greek Mythology Movies from 1963 - 2013

This is a video that I made today (Jan 3, 2014) which features clips from each film on this list.

The Greek myths of days gone by have enticed, and continue to entice, many people around the world. It's no surprise then that filmmakers have jumped at the opportunity to make movies about them. Below, I'm going to list 10 good greek mythology movies, both old and new, that I think you should watch. Here they are:

1. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

Jason and the Argonauts tells the story of the Greek hero Jason (played by Todd Armstrong) and his Argonauts who go on a quest to find the Golden Fleece. One of the main reasons this movie is so famous is because of the stop-motion animation by Ray Harryhausen who passed away just recently. It's definitely a classic which is worth seeing.

Cast: Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Laurence Naismith, Gary Raymond, Honor Blackman

2. Clash of the Titans (2010)

One of the more recent films on the list, Clash of the Titans hit theatres in April 2010 and made a significant amount of money at the box office. This movie tells the story of Perseus (played by Sam Worthington) who seeks to prevent the gods of Olympus from destroying the Greek city of Argos. The film has plenty of action in it and although it's not as good as some other fantasy action movies out there, it is one of the better films about Greek mythology in my opinion.

Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Jason Flemyng

3. Wrath of the Titans (2012)

Wrath of the Titans is the sequel to Clash of the Titans and again follows Perseus (played by Worthington) who must rescue Zeus (played by Liam Neeson) and defeat the titans who have been unleashed on the earth. This is a good sequel to the first Titans movie and is definitely worth watching if you've seen the first one.

Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Edgar Ramirez, Rosamund Pike

4. Troy (2004)

Troy is the first Trojan War movie on the list and is probably also one of the best movies on the list. The film features several famous actors/actresses such as Diane Kruger, Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom. It won several awards and was nominated for several more including an Academy Award for costume design.

Cast: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brian Cox

5. Hercules (1997)

Hercules is an animated movie by Disney and follows the story of the title character (voiced by Tate Donovan) who must reclaim his divinity. This film has great actors such as Danny DeVito, James Woods and Rip Torn and has won several awards. It's definitely a great film to watch and an especially good animated film.

Cast: Tate Donovan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Rip Torn, Susan Egan

6. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

This film is based on a book called “The Lightning Thief” from the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series of novels. The movie is directed by Chris Columbus (perhaps best known for directing Mrs. Doubtfire, Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films) and features several notable actors such as Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean and Uma Thurman. The movie follows Percy, son of Poseidon, who learns of his divine identity and must prove to the gods that he hasn't stolen Zeus' lightning bolt before it's too late.

Cast: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson, Jake Abel, Sean Bean

7. Immortals (2011)

Immortals is based on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and the War of the Titans. It centers around Theseus (played by Henry Cavill) who must fight against a king named Hyperion (played by Mickey Rourke) who seeks a weapon called the Epirus Bow. Overall, Immortals is a good action movie and certainly a good film about the myths of ancient Greece.

Cast: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Luke Evans, Freida Pinto, Stephen Dorff

8. The Odyssey (1997)

The Odyssey is a TV miniseries that was shown in two parts in 1997. It's based on the Homeric poem “The Odyssey” and features many of the events that were written about in the poem. The film has several prolific actors/actresses including Christopher Lee, Armand Assante and Greta Scacchi. The movie was nominated for two Golden Globes (best miniseries and best actor) and several other awards. It's definitely a good classic movie to watch.

Cast: Armand Assante, Bernadette Peters, Isabella Rossellini, Eric Roberts, Greta Scacchi

9. Helen of Troy (2003)

Helen of Troy is another TV miniseries and another film on the list about the Trojan War. It puts an emphasis on the character of Helen in addition to telling the events of the Trojan War. The film features several great actors/actresses such as Sienna Guillory, Rufus Sewell and John Rhys-Davies. It was nominated for a primetime emmy in addition to several other awards.

Cast: Sienna Guillory, Matthew Marsden, Rufus Sewell, John Rhys-Davies, Emilia Fox

10. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)

Sea of Monsters is the sequel to The Lightning Thief and is based again on the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. It hasn't hit theatres yet (it's due to come out at the beginning of August), but if the first film was any indicator, this movie should be pretty good.

Cast: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson, Jake Abel, Sean Bean

How about you guys? What are your favourite Greek myth films? Did I leave any out, or put any in that you thought weren't great? Let me know in the comments.