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Editorial Reviews
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This 1974 entry in the Sinbad franchise is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the film's production values are quite good, and of course the Ray Harryhausen effects are as beautiful as ever. The set design (especially for the scenes inside the cavern) is striking and inventive, and there's Miklós Rózsa's score gracing the soundtrack. On the other hand, the story definitely tends to drag a bit, and Law's indeterminate accent often wavers toward a weird Slavic inflection. Pointing to the film's age, Law and company often tend to look like poncey rock stars with their long hair, beards, and harem pants. That's all nitpicking, though; the action segments, though they're fewer and farther between than in other Sinbad films, redeem the movie with Harryhausen's incredible artistry. It's worth owning just to see the fluid, complex movements of the animated Kali flailing away at six men with her swords. And of course, scream queen Caroline Munro never looked better as the slave girl Margiana. This is rich, well-crafted fantasy fare that the entire family can enjoy. --Jerry Renshaw
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1)The script. This is usually a weak element in the Harryhausen-Schneer movies, with the narrative haphazardly woven around monsters conceived before the script was written. But "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" surprises: the script is charming and poetic, sounding exactly they way we would always like an Arabian Knights adventure to sound. Just a few lines of Koran-inspired maxims are enough to whisk you back to childhood innocence. The plot is simple but exciting, and villain Koura is a wonderful nasty. And the monsters make sense; they have a good reason to appear.
2)The performances. Usually in this series, actors make up part of the budget-saving: adequate at best, laughable at worst. But John Phillip Law makes a fine Sinbad: taciturn, stoic, exotic, and tough...he really matches our vision of what the legendary sailor should be. But it is Tom Baker (later to be the most famous Dr. Who) who steals the show as evil sorcerer Koura. He doesn't try to play the baddie for camp value, doesn't try to make him funny, but instead plays him as sinister and cold-blooded as possible. Great voice intonations as well. Oh, Caroline Munro is in the film, too. I don't really know about her acting, but it doens't really matter with those outfits she almost wears. You'll see what I mean...
3)The monsters. Each one is a clever Harryhausen masterwork. The final battle between and griffin and the centaur is fantastic, even if the griffin appears rather abruptly. But the scene with the six-armed statue of Kali is what you will remember: a symphony of flashing swords and stunning stop-motion genius. The actors deserve credit here for convincingly fighting with air.
Finally, all this is presented in pristine DVD widescreen. And there's a good documentary on all of Harryhausen's work, with extensive interviews with the master himself and rare footage of his test movies and failed film projects. Get this film. The kids will love it, but you'll love it even more.
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