Golden Voyage of Sinbad, The (1973)

Golden Voyage of Sinbad, The (1973)

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“There is a third part still to be found; it must be found!”

Synopsis:
Shortly after finding a mysterious gold amulet, Sinbad (John Phillip Law) encounters an evil magician (Tom Baker) desperate for the amulet, and is launched on an adventure involving a beautiful slave girl (Caroline Munro), a disfigured Vizier (Douglas Wilmer), and several magical creatures.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Fantasy
  • Ray Harryhausen Films
  • Search
  • Witches and Wizards

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary writes, this “tenth collaboration of Charles H. Schneer and model-animation genius Ray Harryhausen” — “the second of three Sinbad movies” — was made “17 years after The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” and while it’s “not as enjoyable as that classic, it still is quite entertaining.” He points out that although the “picture is a bit slow,” “it contains five excellent Harryhausen creations: a six-armed, dancing, sword-wielding statue”:

… “the Siren figurehead on Sinbad’s ship that Koura [the magician] brings to life”:

… “a tiny, ugly, winged Homunculus that serves as Koura’s spy”:

… “and a centaur and griffin, whose battle is a highlight.”

The final sword battle between Sinbad and his nemesis Koura — involving a “shield of darkness” — is also nicely handled.

I’m essentially in agreement with Peary’s assessment. This escapist fantasy is a little slow at times, but it’s creatively filmed, and Harryhausen’s unique creations are always worth watching. Meanwhile, Munro is gorgeous eye candy:

… and Baker is effectively evil as a magician whose very life is predicated upon locating the mythical fountain of youth.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine performances by the cast
  • Ray Harryhausen’s creature effects
  • Magical sets
  • Ted Moore’s cinematography

Must See?
Yes, for Harryhausen’s effects, and as an overall good show.

Categories

  • Good Show

Links:

2 thoughts on “Golden Voyage of Sinbad, The (1973)”

  1. This gets my vote as the best of the three Sinbad films made by Harryhausen. Agree with all points above bar the criticism of the film being slow. Like all of RH’s this has a real sense of awe and wonder about it and the cast are particularly strong. That said, I wish Munro wasn’t dubbed by someone else.

    Not as quite as good as Harryhausen’s best (Jason and the Argonauts, Clash of the Titans) this is not far below those classics though. Recommended as a good show but I’d say that it’s not essential viewing for FFs (see Jason and Clash).

  2. Rewatch (7/23/22). Only for fans of the series.

    A reasonably engaging adventure tale that mainly comes alive during the Harryhausen sequences. As Sinbad, Law is a bit bland but serviceable.

    There is an occasional lapse in logic but that’s not supposed to matter with this kind of story. Sinbad fans, esp. young ones, may not mind if the flick is sometimes a bit slow-moving.

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