Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Film Title

The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad

Director

Nathan Juran

Starring

  • Kerwin Mathews as Sinbad
  • Kathryn Grant as Princess Parisa
  • Torin Thatcher as Sokurah
  • Richard Eyer as the Genie
  • Alfred Brown as Harufa

Boasting a whole lot of excitement and the amazing stop motion skills of Ray, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad is fun with a capital F that retains a magical quality to it that never dims. So sit down and be transported into a daring time of quests and magic that is hard to resist.

Legendary adventurer and captain Sinbad is travelling back to Baghdad when his ship is driven towards a strange island known as Colossa. Going ashore with his crew,  Sinbad encounters Sokurah, a magician fleeing from a Cyclops and grasping a magic lamp. Managing to escape the large beast through the use of the lamp and the genie inside, Sokurah comes aboard with Sinbad. He explains that he needs the lamp, which was lost when running away, but Sinbad is reluctant to return to the island. Sinbad is to be married to the beautiful Princess Parisa, who has journeyed with him on his voyage. Their marriage will unite two countries in peace and love, benefiting from the fact they are so very much in love with each other. On their return to Baghdad, things take a turn. Sokurah, angry that he’s been refused , secretly uses his magic powers to shrink Parisa to miniature height. This plays into his plans as Sinbad is desperate to regain his soon to be wife and potentially stop any violence between the two nations. Sokurah tells them that if they want to reverse her shortage of stature they must travel back to Colossa and acquire the egg of a giant bird to make a potion that will reverse the magic. What Sokurah really wants is to get his dirty hands on the magic lamp and use it for his own greed. Sailing back to Colossa with a doubtful crew, Sinbad knows that this journey isn’t going to be easy as he must battle against an array of marvellous creatures if he wants any chance of Parisa getting back to normal again and preventing any animosity between two kingdoms.

Nathan Juran contributes pleasing direction that allows events to be one entertaining adventure by being unobtrusive and letting the effects and magic take deep hold over the audience. The main thing that The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad is rightly remembered for is the quite wonderful stop motion animation of Ray Harryhausen. His personal stamp is there whenever any of the succession of beasts appears; his craftsmanship is something to be greatly admired and marveled at for the sheer dedication and thought gone into it. Harryhausen was a master of spectacle and extraordinary sights and it is for all to see in this excellent fantasy film. From the angry Cyclops to the two-headed bird known as the Roc, the mind of Harryhausen conjured up such greatness and a feeling of otherworldly possibility. At the time of release, his creations must have been revolutionary and met with amazement. The same can still be said now as without his guidance and talent, modern animation and visual advancements may not have been crafted in order to emulate some thing of his greatness. Swashbuckling adventure and fantasy are at the forefront of this flick, starting from the beginning and never letting up. This is a movie the whole family can enjoy as it has something for everyone. It provides pure escapism into a magical tale of heroic deeds and unusual creatures that is rollicking and bracing in almost every aspect. We never seem to see movies such as this anymore, but it’s probably for the best as modern movies may miss out on that special something these fantasy/adventures had. The exotic flourishes of the score from the majestic Bernard Herrmann only heighten this gloriously magical fantasy extravaganza.

Kerwin Mathews is handsome choice for Sinbad and while not the world’s greatest actor, his physicality and masculinity are extremely appropriate for the part of the legendary adventurer. Kathryn Grant is beautiful and sweet as the Princess whose plight is what brings the story into action. The two make a very attractive couple in this magical tale of heroism and danger. Torin Thatcher is made for playing villainy and he plays to that with relish. Just looking at his intense and often alarming eyes, he exudes a slimy sense of power and nastiness. In support there is the young Richard Eyer starring as the boy Genie who can grant any wish and Alfred Brown as Sinbad’s loyal friend Harufa.

The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad is good old-fashioned adventure at its height with imagination and thrills galore. For a movie that the whole family can love and for an adventurous time, you can’t go wrong with The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad.