Sinbad the Sailor makes port in Moravia, wherein he learns of the legendary island of Lemuria, said to contain a fountain of untold riches. He sails in search of this paradise but is followed by the evil Prince Koura, who has his own reasons for wanting the treasure ...
This middle picture is my favourite of the three Ray Harryhausen / Sinbad movies (he co-wrote, co-produced it and supervised the special effects), loosely based on the tales of the Arabian Nights / Scheherazade. It's a cracking good story featuring plenty of swordfights, a guy with no face, a forgotten continent, a fountain of eternal youth, a battle with a one-eyed centaur, a griffin and the six-armed Hindu goddess Kali, and a busty slave-girl with a weird tattoo. The adventure gallops along at a fine pace with great characters, plenty of intrigue, scares, good-natured humour ("Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel !") and mystical moments. What makes it so enjoyable is the terrific cast; Law is a great dashing hero, ably supported by Shaw and Christian, but especially Baker and Munro, two of the finest British cult actors of all time. Baker is about as Arabian as The Beatles but he is perfect in this role; gleeful in his fanaticism but also tormented and even pitiful, as his black arts consume his body and soul. It's a terrific example of a younger actor (he was forty) playing a tricksy old knave. Munro is equally fabulous, adding so much frisson and glamour to the antics and getting the tone of the piece spot-on. She's one of the most fun and most beautiful actresses of the seventies - don't miss her in Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter and The Spy Who Loved Me. The other stars of course are Harryhausen's wonderful Dynarama special-effects creations; Kali in particular is just stunning, but they are all amongst the most beautiful stop-motion animation ever done. Add to this the eye-catching locations (it was shot in Majorca), goofy art design (with elements of Aztec, Hindu, Buddhist and Persian culture all chucked in together) and a great score by Miklós Rósza that could be from a movie forty years older, and you have a tremendous escapist family adventure film. The voice of the Oracle is an unbilled Robert Shaw.
This middle picture is my favourite of the three Ray Harryhausen / Sinbad movies (he co-wrote, co-produced it and supervised the special effects), loosely based on the tales of the Arabian Nights / Scheherazade. It's a cracking good story featuring plenty of swordfights, a guy with no face, a forgotten continent, a fountain of eternal youth, a battle with a one-eyed centaur, a griffin and the six-armed Hindu goddess Kali, and a busty slave-girl with a weird tattoo. The adventure gallops along at a fine pace with great characters, plenty of intrigue, scares, good-natured humour ("Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel !") and mystical moments. What makes it so enjoyable is the terrific cast; Law is a great dashing hero, ably supported by Shaw and Christian, but especially Baker and Munro, two of the finest British cult actors of all time. Baker is about as Arabian as The Beatles but he is perfect in this role; gleeful in his fanaticism but also tormented and even pitiful, as his black arts consume his body and soul. It's a terrific example of a younger actor (he was forty) playing a tricksy old knave. Munro is equally fabulous, adding so much frisson and glamour to the antics and getting the tone of the piece spot-on. She's one of the most fun and most beautiful actresses of the seventies - don't miss her in Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter and The Spy Who Loved Me. The other stars of course are Harryhausen's wonderful Dynarama special-effects creations; Kali in particular is just stunning, but they are all amongst the most beautiful stop-motion animation ever done. Add to this the eye-catching locations (it was shot in Majorca), goofy art design (with elements of Aztec, Hindu, Buddhist and Persian culture all chucked in together) and a great score by Miklós Rósza that could be from a movie forty years older, and you have a tremendous escapist family adventure film. The voice of the Oracle is an unbilled Robert Shaw.