While his sixth and eight voyages have gone unrecorded, Sinbad that dashing Arab adventurer and stop-motion’s favourite son, had a whale of a time on his seventh. It’s an early Ray Harryhausen carnival of monstrosities, but one of his most delightful, even if Kerwin Matthews Sinbad looks bland compared to Patrick Wayne let alone the prancing, razzmatazz of Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
While the script dallies with some typical guff about Sinbad’s commitment issues in marrying Kathryn Grant’s Princess Paris — he’s but a carefree sailor — there’s not much required of these childish but enchanting fables: a quest for a magic potion, an evil sorcerer, a stern Caliph, a mystical land hosting a menagerie of creatures David Attenborough, so far, has missed, and idiot proof character name (Sokurah the Magician, Baronni the Genie). Rather sporadically — there were budget and time pressures on the masterful Mr. Harryhausen and his Dynamation — we, and Sinbad of the pointy sword and flappy trousers, get up close and personal with a Cyclops, a skeleton, a dragon and a two headed Roc, as well as a smart-mouthed genie. All terrifically designed and brought to life.
Interestingly, this was the first time the process was used on colour stock, and Harryhausen was worried the joins between real footage and creatures would be obvious. To be honest, the delineations are clear but that somehow that lends to the overall charm.
