The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

So much average

As Good As It Gets

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Shot in the then-dazzling film-process called "Dynarama" - I remember, as a wide-eyed kid of 10, being absolutely struck with total awe while watching this cheesy Fantasy/Adventure picture from yesteryear.With its introduction of several delightfully monstrous, stop-motion creations by effects-man, Ray Harryhausen (including a ferocious, one-horned Cyclops - Wow!) - This pre-CGI film was a child's most spectacularly exciting nightmare come true on screen.But, alas - (As one might expect) - Time (yes-unforgivable time) has not been at all kind to this 1958 Sinbad, the Sailor, production. No. It hasn't.Remembering my excitement as a fascinated child - I honestly did try to cut this 60-year-old relic some nostalgic slack - But, unfortunately - As a jaded viewer of today - I could only grade Sinbad's 7th Voyage with just an "average" 5-star rating.

This is a pretty interesting B-movie with a plot and cast of characters similar to Jack the Giant Killer: Kerwin Matthews stars as the hero of this movie, playing Sinbad who is on a quest to rescue Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant) from evil magician Sokurah (Torin Thatcher). Sinbad must do so to prevent a war.The movie has the classic rescue-the-princess plot element and was actually somewhat entertaining from what I remembered as a kid. You get a lot of fun good guy vs. bad guy action, rescue-the-princess adventures, magic and monster duels from a cyclops and a dragon. In the mix is a supporting character appearance by a young genie (Richard Eyer), an important ally to the heroes.The acting was decent and special effects were also decent for its time.Overall, it's a pretty good action/monster-packed B-movie! Grade B

Top notch entertainment, a vivid fantasy-adventure starring Kerwin Mathews as the heroic Sinbad, who's conned into returning to an exotic isle by a conniving, greedy, grasping magician named Sokurah (Torin Thatcher). Sinbad will have his hands full transporting his beloved, Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant), who's been shrunk to miniature size. Among the magnificent Ray Harryhausen-created monsters he and his friends must vanquish are a Cyclops, a great two-headed bird, and a dragon.This is fun for families, if perhaps somewhat intense at one point, as a Cyclops prepares a sailor for being eaten. The colour photography by Wilkie Cooper is breathtaking, as are the costumes, the production design, and the location shooting. Bernard Herrmanns' rousing score is one of his best. And, of course, the Harryhausen effects are extremely enjoyable - the highlight, as many people will tell you, is the climactic sword fight with a skeleton.Mathews is a handsome and innately likable hero; the lovely Grant is likewise endearing. Youthful Richard Eyer is an appealing child Genie, while Thatcher is a delightfully hammy villain.Director Nathan Juran serves up spectacle with style, crafting some grand escapist fare that still works quite well 57 years later.Eight out of 10.

Of course this film is "dumb and dated." It was made in 1958, for crying out loud. Hence the title of my post.I saw this when I was in school and for the time, it was riveting. I grew up reading Andersen, the Grimm Brothers, and 1001 Nights (the kiddie version, you understand), so films like this one were catnip to me.This is not for young people used to Jurassic Park, Star Wars, and computer games. And I understand that.But if you were a kid way back in the *cough* 20th century, you might enjoy this, if only for nostalgic reasons. I had the chance to see this again on TV, a couple of days ago, and I enjoyed it quite a lot. Dated dumbness and all.