I've seen this film numerous times over the years, both on the big screen and on tv/video, and it manages to hold its own, due simply to the fact that the story is none-too complicated and the animation effects are so deftly executed by the legendary Ray Harryhausen, whose accomplishments are all the more remarkable when you consider that he animated the Cyclops, the dragon and others WITHOUT the use of CGI or other electronic technology.
I'd recently had the good fortune to attend a 45th anniversary showing of this film (with Harryhausen in attendance) and TWO theatres were packed, with men and women, ages 6 to 60. They clapped, they laughed (there are a few unintentional, yet timely laughs to be found in the film's dialogue, with its references to "...the safety of Baghdad" and "...the future of Baghdad") and they cheered when the evil sorceror met his fate. And in perhaps the best testimonial that a film could get, everyone was SMILING as they left the theatre...
I'd recently had the good fortune to attend a 45th anniversary showing of this film (with Harryhausen in attendance) and TWO theatres were packed, with men and women, ages 6 to 60. They clapped, they laughed (there are a few unintentional, yet timely laughs to be found in the film's dialogue, with its references to "...the safety of Baghdad" and "...the future of Baghdad") and they cheered when the evil sorceror met his fate. And in perhaps the best testimonial that a film could get, everyone was SMILING as they left the theatre...