The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

Director: Nathan Juran

Starring: Kerwin Matthews, Torin Thatcher

Run Time: 84 mins

Certificate: U

Plot Outline: Sinbad has to set sail to a dangerous island when the Princess he was supposed to marry is shrunk down by a scheming magician. Only on this island can he find the special ingredient for the cure to work. But he must overcome a multitude of problems including a mutinous crew, a man-eating cyclops, a fire-breathing dragon, a giant two-headed bird and then come face to face with the magician himself, Sokura.

The Review: I can't exactly write an impartial review of this film as it's my favourite film of all time. Never mind anything overly dramatic or Oscar-winning, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is the film that I can never tire of watching. It helped that I watched it as a kid and I was really into monsters and dinosaurs at the time so seeing these sort of creatures come to life on the TV was amazing. It was etched on my mind and it still is to this day. It celebrated it's 50h anniversary in 2008 and although the special effects may look a bit creaky in places (and that's few and far between if you ask me) and there's loads of continuity problems, it still manages to enchant me in it's magical grip from start to finish. I've watched it that many times that I can recite lines of dialogue before they happen. I can imagine myself being there on the island, fighting alongside Sinbad and his crew. It may sound a little nerdy but when you love a film so much, it's hard not to get caught up in it all. Historically, the film is of great significance and as such, was selected for preservation in the USA in the National Film Registry. As of 2008, there were around 500 films in there and it joins the likes of The Godfather, Citizen Kane and Casablanca in the record books. It was a pioneering film in the special effects field and without it, you wouldn't have got the likes of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But do you care about any of that when you are a kid? As an adult I can recognise the importance that this film holds but the reason I love it so much as it that it takes me back to my childhood. This film makes me feel forever young!

The acting is from the golden age of Hollywood where the hero had to look dashing, the Princess look charming and the bad guys just look evil. And the three main characters here do just that. Kerwin Matthews makes for a very serviceable Sinbad (I don't really think anyone else who took up the role comes anywhere near to his performance) and his interaction with the special effects is top drawer. This is back in a time when these sorts of effects-driven films were few and few between and actors had little to no experience of acting out scenes with effects that would be inserted later. Kathryn Grant does what she has to do with the role of the Princess but she's only there to act as the plot driver and get Sinbad to go back to the island. Also worth mentioning is Alfred Brown as Sinbad's faithful second-in-command, Harufa. The guy gets all of the best "comedy" lines in the film but unfortunately things don't work out especially well for him at any point in the film! It's Torin Thatcher who steals the show as Sokura, the evil magician. He hams it up in places and then acts deceitful and thuggish in others. He knows how to act in certain scenes, giving wry smiles of disapproval or casting menacing looks to Sinbad. The rest of the cast is filled with suitably rough-looking Spanish actors who are simply there to provide the food for the various monsters that Sinbad encounters.

However they all know that they're taking second place to the special effects. Nothing is going to upstage Ray Harryhausen from working his magic and this is arguably his best film. His painstakingly-detailed stop-motion animation is just breathtaking when you think there was no team of animators working on a computer - just him working around the clock. It's a labour of love and you can see clearly the passion he had for making these creatures come to life. He was inspired by King Kong to become a special effects maestro and it's a fitting tribute to him that countless special effects gurus (and just filmmakers in general) have entered the business inspired by Harryhausen. From the moment the cyclops comes raging out from the cave, you can't help but be amazed. It's my favourite Harryhausen creation and my top movie monster. It's got personality which is something CGI has a hard time conveying. It looks badass and it's unique roars and cries will echo in your head for a long time after watching. The fight with it pummeling men under huge tree trunks is excellent revenge for it just being speared in the back by one of them. The camera angles also make the monster seem more terrifying with wide-shots adding to the sheer scale of the beast and numerous close-ups of it's face giving you a glimpse into it's mindset. One of my particular favourites is a subtle moment when it's roasting a sailor on a giant spit. For a brief moment it licks it's lips in anticipation of it's upcoming meal. The fire-breathing dragon looks awesome but it doesn't have a lot to do except provide the token monster vs monster fight at the end. The only criticism that I'd have with Harryhausen's monsters is that they all look the same as his other monsters - the cyclops being a re-working of the Ymir from 20 Million Miles to Earth, the fire-breathing dragon being The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms and so on. I'm guessing it's a practical reason that he just re-used old models but it's a bit obvious, especially in his later films. The skeleton duel here set the standards that Harryhausen would blast later on in Jason and the Argonauts. One final positive is the musical score by Bernard Herrman. It's a pounding, pulsating piece which gives each of the monsters it's own signature tune. He would work with Harryhausen on a number of effects films but it's the soundtrack to this one which really stands out.

Final Verdict: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is my favourite film of all time and it's easy to see why. With it's eternal child-like innocence and sheer escapism, it's hard to dislike in any shape or form. Forget Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. Nothing beats this fantasy film for sheer thrills and entertainment. It would be cliché to say that they don't make them like this anymore but it's true. I doubt people will remember the likes of 10,000 BC in 50 years time.

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