WARNING: REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
As with the later Eye of the Tiger, this is another load of slow, dated fantasy nonsense with blacked-up actors pretending to be Arabic. As with Tiger, it also features a Doctor Who actor in a lead role. In 1977 Patrick Troughton had long left the part. His performance here helped Tom Baker to get it the following year. He's pretty good, using that voice and those eyes to striking effect, though as with Tiger, Sinbad (why is the hero's name a blend of two Western words for evil?), here played by John Phillip Law, is about as interesting as a bag of sugar.
There seems to be no real beginning with these films; who is Sinbad? Where does he come from? What makes him tick? It's assumed we already know, or don't care, as we're dropped in what feels like the middle of events, Sinbad already in mid voyage. His crew are similarly dull - "Captain, he who walks on fire will burn his feet" says one of them in what some might call stating the sheer bloody obvious. Even Sinbad himself joins in, doling out such considered advice as "you cannot pick up two melons with one hand." Maybe not, but if they were Caroline Munro's I'd have a try. Poor Caroline has nothing to do, save stand around showing off her toned, tanned midriff and cleavage - for which I am eternally grateful.
Sinbad claims his voyage will take "two or three years", and in a touch of screen realism it certainly feels like it. However, it's certainly more appealing than Tiger as the plot and character dynamics are not continually disrupted to make way for Ray Harryhausen's stop motion effects. When they do appear, they're there to supplement the action, rather than replace it. As always, they're variable - the Gryphon, Homunculus and Centaur leave something to be desired, but the ship masthead and Kali are quite effective.
I wonder how people of differing religions view these films? Sinbad's Muslim crew speaks frivolously of Allah, while Buddhism is checked and evil Hindu Goddess Kali dances to a sitar soundtrack. I doubt Christianity would have been treated with such trivialised disdain.
Ultimately though, the predictable narrative - Sinbad goes on quest, bad guy makes multiple failed attempts to defeat him with poor special effects, Sinbad eventually kills him and saves the day - does little to compel. It also has a false ending to add to the misery, carrying on for a good twenty minutes just when you think it's all over. When the ending proper does finally arrive, it features a fountain of blood, which might be disturbing for younger viewers.
As with the later Eye of the Tiger, this is another load of slow, dated fantasy nonsense with blacked-up actors pretending to be Arabic. As with Tiger, it also features a Doctor Who actor in a lead role. In 1977 Patrick Troughton had long left the part. His performance here helped Tom Baker to get it the following year. He's pretty good, using that voice and those eyes to striking effect, though as with Tiger, Sinbad (why is the hero's name a blend of two Western words for evil?), here played by John Phillip Law, is about as interesting as a bag of sugar.
There seems to be no real beginning with these films; who is Sinbad? Where does he come from? What makes him tick? It's assumed we already know, or don't care, as we're dropped in what feels like the middle of events, Sinbad already in mid voyage. His crew are similarly dull - "Captain, he who walks on fire will burn his feet" says one of them in what some might call stating the sheer bloody obvious. Even Sinbad himself joins in, doling out such considered advice as "you cannot pick up two melons with one hand." Maybe not, but if they were Caroline Munro's I'd have a try. Poor Caroline has nothing to do, save stand around showing off her toned, tanned midriff and cleavage - for which I am eternally grateful.
Sinbad claims his voyage will take "two or three years", and in a touch of screen realism it certainly feels like it. However, it's certainly more appealing than Tiger as the plot and character dynamics are not continually disrupted to make way for Ray Harryhausen's stop motion effects. When they do appear, they're there to supplement the action, rather than replace it. As always, they're variable - the Gryphon, Homunculus and Centaur leave something to be desired, but the ship masthead and Kali are quite effective.
I wonder how people of differing religions view these films? Sinbad's Muslim crew speaks frivolously of Allah, while Buddhism is checked and evil Hindu Goddess Kali dances to a sitar soundtrack. I doubt Christianity would have been treated with such trivialised disdain.
Ultimately though, the predictable narrative - Sinbad goes on quest, bad guy makes multiple failed attempts to defeat him with poor special effects, Sinbad eventually kills him and saves the day - does little to compel. It also has a false ending to add to the misery, carrying on for a good twenty minutes just when you think it's all over. When the ending proper does finally arrive, it features a fountain of blood, which might be disturbing for younger viewers.