12 Herculean Myth and Monster Movies, Part II
The Sirens of Greek mythology were beautiful creatures who appeared as women with beguiling voices that would lure sailors to shipwreck and die on the rocky shores of their island homes. The most famous of those sailors who encountered the Sirens was the great hero Odysseus, so it is no surprise the Sirens made an appearance in the Coen Brothers' bluegrass folk comedy "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," which is loosely based on "The Odyssey."
5. "Excalibur" (1981) - Merlin
Before there was Dumbledore, before there was Gandalf, there was Merlin. This archetypical wizard of Arthurian legend is the one on whom virtually all subsequent fictional wizards are at least partially based. Sorcerer, sage, teacher and mentor, Merlin is the inspiration for the older, wiser counselor figure in so many fantasy stories and films. The late Nicol Williamson stole the show with his portrayal of Merlin in 1981's "Excalibur," a performance that mixed impish wit and charm with menace and gravitas.
4. "Aladdin" (1992) - The Genie
Genies, or djinn as they are called in Arabian mythology, are said to be magical, other-dimensional "beings of free will" with great magical powers. Genies have personalities much like humans that range from good to evil to neutral or aloof. It is the fact that they have free will that makes them vulnerable to being coerced into granting wishes. As Robin Williams' manic energy in "Aladdin" demonstrates, nothing drives a free spirit crazier than being imprisoned in a tiny lamp for a thousand years.
3. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006) - The Kraken
The early days of sailing the open sea were both terrifying and deadly, so naturally, many cultures have tales of horrible monsters of the deep. The Kraken is perhaps the most primal of them all, a mass of slimy, writhing tentacles that can crush a sailing ship like a twig and send its occupants to a watery grave. Unlike its famous predecessor from the original "Clash of the Titans," the kraken in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" actually resembles the giant squid-like creature of legend rather than a humanoid fish man.
2. "Clash of the Titans" (1981) - Medusa
While it was the kraken who featured in the climax to "Clash of the Titans," it was Medusa )(and the genius of Ray Harryhausen) that stole the show. The suspenseful showdown between the the hero Perseus and the cursed Medusa — and her petrifying stare — was the highlight of the film and the tense, predatory movement and sounds of Harryhausen's stop-motion effects just made this creature seem that much more deadly.
1. "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" (2013) - Dragons
There is something elemental and terrible about dragons, so much so that nearly every culture and mythology throughout history has some form of dragon myth — despite the fact that the real world has nothing close to flying, fire-breathing reptiles. Dragons represent so many things that frighten human beings: power, savagery, greed, cunning, cruelty. Those traits mean they are tailor-made for the role of villain in heroic myths. And no dragon epitomizes the Western ideal of dragons more than Smaug from "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug." Tolkien masterfully weaved most of the essential fantasy archetypes (elves, dwarves, wizards, dragons) into his world of Middle Earth, and in Smaug he embodies all our expectations of mythic movie monsters.