Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

The third and final instalment of the Harryhausen/Sinbad series and also Harryhausen's penultimate film before retiring from his work. I wish I could say this was a great way to go out, but it really isn't: in fact it's one of the most disappointing Harryhausen films I've ever seen. At least he finished with CLASH OF THE TITANS, which wasn't too bad at all. The problems with SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER are numerous, ranging from the obvious (bad acting) to the surprisingly shoddy stop-motion effects work at some points. And a proper storyline and a smidgen of originality wouldn't have gone amiss either.The casting agent was obviously on the look out for cheap actors and actresses who were related to more famous personality; hence the casting of John Wayne's and Tyrone Power's offspring in the film. Patrick Wayne has little of the charisma and none of the acting skill of his father - all is forgiven, Kerwin Matthews - and is twice as dull. Taryn Power looks glamorous, but has a pointless role and is similarly lacking in the acting ability department. Chief glamour comes from Bond babe Jane Seymour, an actress whom I have personally always disliked, but she's actually not bad here. Probably because she gets little opportunity to open her mouth, instead flaunting her cleavage and lose her clothes whenever convenient.Margaret Whiting seems to have come from the melodramatic school of acting, with an eye-rollingly villainous performance. Therefore it's a shame that she's not in the least bit threatening and impossible to take seriously. Patrick Troughton also shows up, wearing a smock and endowed with a grey wig and beard. His role is of a wise old magician, and he's happy to ham it up as much as possible. Fans of British horror of the period will no doubt spot HORROR HOSPITAL's Kurt Christian pop up in a minor role, while Damien Thomas, the evil Count Karnstein from TWINS OF EVIL, plays Kassim who has been transformed into a baboon for much of the film. And that's where the trouble really begins.I mean, I know this film was of the extreme low budget variety (face it, even a lot of the backgrounds are looking poor here), but wouldn't it have been easier to get a real primate into the film instead of having poor old Harryhausen spending most of his time animating one? As the creature is on screen for nearly the whole running time loads of work must have gone into it and it sadly looks choppy and fake - definitely not one of Harryhausen's best. Also, annoyingly, some of the master's stop-motion effects take place at night, so that it's almost impossible to see what's going on. How infuriating! The problem with Harryhausen's work here is the lack of originality, which I suppose we can only blame on the auteur himself. Almost ALL of the creatures in the film have been seen elsewhere. The giant wasp was already done in MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, the miniature woman was seen in THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, while the "fleshless ghouls" are just a riff on the bug-eyed aliens in FIRST MEN IN THE MOON. And the bronze statue of Minaton is just a poorly-disguised variation of the Talos colossus from JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS! On the film's plus side, one of Harryhausen's finest creations is in this film, in the shape of a ten foot tall troglodyte (sort of a cross between a Cyclops and a neanderthal), who is exceptionally well-animated and cool-looking. Surprisingly, this creature is also on the side of good for a change, and joins our party on their journey. Jar-Jar Binks he ain't.Things do at least pick up for an impressive climax set in a pyramid (!), where we see the Aurora borealis getting channelled into the ground or something. There's an impressive battle between the aforementioned troglodyte and a good-looking sabre-tooth tiger and a predictable "collapse" of the building at the very end. The film also receives marks for having one original moment where the explorers travel to an icy region and battle a walrus; at least there was something that hadn't been done before. So, in all, SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER is a film for a) Jane Seymour fanciers, b) Harryhausen enthusiasts, and c) people who enjoy watching old-fashioned adventure yarns and don't mind over-long running times and a lack of acting and story. Not totally worthless, but definitely one of the weakest in the sub-genre, although that still makes it tons better than modern soulless CGI adventure films.

It would be easy to rip apart this film. After all, compared to the special effects of today this all looks very quaint and primitive. However, even with the obviously fake creatures made by Ray Harryhausen and the many fake looking props, there is a certain escapist charm about this film. So, if you can turn off that pesky brain and just relax and enjoy, you'll like "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger".the film has an interesting cast. Two children of very famous actors are in some of the leading roles--Patrick Wayne (son of John) plays Sinbad and Taryn Power (daughter of Tyrone) plays a lesser character, Dione. In addition, the queen of mini-series (Jane Seymour as the Princess) and an ex-Dr. Who (Patrick Troughton--as the smarty-pants scientist) round out the cast of good guys. On the side of evil is the snarly scene-chewing Margaret Whiting as Zenobia. She has apparently turned the Crown Prince into a baboon so that her own son can take the throne. However, there is a minuscule chance that Sinbad can somehow find a way to turn him back--but first he needs to find the legendary smarty-pants, the alchemist Melanthius (Troghton). Once Sinbad and his group of friends find the smarty dude (more on that later), they make there way towards the Arctic regions to find the power of the ancients and transform the baboon into his gold old self--especially since his sister refuses to marry Sinbad unless her brother is restored.The film is full of lots of action, grand vistas and silly Harryhausen stop-motion thingies. In many ways it's a throwback to older films (as most of his best work was from the 50s and 60s) and the style of film is much like an old Universal or RKO adventure film. Fun and silly---even if the handsome Wayne has all the charisma in this film as a piece of toast.why all the white folks? left Melanthius alone with dangerous witch

If you ever wondered what movies you should be watching in high resolution technology this one should be on top pf the list. You want to see the details on the bronze minotaur (called Minaton here) the intricate patterns on the thousands of fabrics, and precious jewels, the different eye lash-layers on "evil" queen Zenobia and the expanse of ultra blue seas.The third of Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad films has apparently gotten a bad rap over the years, which I can not understand. It may be for Beverly Cross' script and some of the performances, notably Patrick Wayne as Sinbad, which I happen to think is totally fine and entertaining, but may not be perceived as such for those searching for dramatic acting. This rap should be disregarded as it is not only largely unfair, but inadequate in noting the entertaining values of this movie. No doubt it could have been better, but as an exciting adventure it is more than good, thanks to a strong cast and Ray Harryhausen's excellent animation.The story is about Kassim, the caliph of Baghdad, who mysteriously disappears at the very moment of his coronation. Sinbad, arriving in Baghdad both to sell his merchandise cargo, and also to see again his love interest, the caliph's sister played by a luscious, very young Jane Seymour. He is drawn into a trap, by Rafi, a dark handsome prince played by Kurt Christian set in a magnificent tent, which includes belly-dancing entertainment. His mother, the evil dowager queen Zenobia, played Margaret Whiting, who is more than familiar with the black arts is behind this plan and all others, as we know just by looking at him, that Rafi has no brains or sense of direction. Barely escaping an attack by three sword-wielding fire skeletal creatures, Sinbad finds Kassim's sister and a baboon, which is actually prince Kassim, as transformed by the magic of queen Zenobia so her own son could be caliph. At this very point we should wonder if this 'evil' woman is not actually just career oriented. In New York she would have been directing a real estate emporium or huge corporate conglomerate, maybe both, where Rafi could have just looked good in the publicity ads as she ruled ruthlessly; yet in time she would have done the charity balls, she would have even sponsored some cultural causes, eventually she would have been perceived as a pillar of society. It's all a matter of perception and historical placement, above all Location, location, location!In order to break Zenobia's spell on Kassim, Sinbad enlists an adequately wise and aged wizard, Master Malanthius and his sexy daughter, the hyper blond, hypnotized-looking Dione (Taryn Power), who also has some of the most vapid dialog in the movie. They meet in the ancient city of Petra, where the wizard lives, and the scene of arrival, and seeing the city through a rock is totally rewarding as a reason to see the whole film, it is so well done and awesome. All have to set sail for Hyperborea, a land at the North Pole magically immune to the polar region's snows. However, Zenobia and Rafi are following. Zenobia had actually had a confrontation scene by Sinbad's ship when she arrived in a feathered and veiled litter and argued with the silly vizier who was trying to look his best in a day-wear saffron and gold ensemble that was striking for the pheasant feathered adornment of his turban that looked like the whole bird was alive, and in heat. Zenobia has decided to enlist help too. She will be aided by a mechanical beast, a bull-headed robot created by Zenobia, and animated with a golden heart, baptized with the name Minaton, close enough to the ancient Minotaur of the labyrinth story. Although great looking as an accessory he is just an elaborate rowing machine in their metalized ship that looks more like an early submarine. The first thing they do is crush the spies that the vizier had set to watching their moves, against a rock as they start on the pursuit, an appropriately delightful moment of evil indulgence.The best part of the movie is Zenobia's transformation into a seagull so she can leave her ship and spy on Sinbad in his. She takes a potion and has a series of very erotic spasms in her elaborate bedchamber, and suddenly she is the bird. Her flight is not as lucky, once arrived, she transforms into a miniature version of herself and is unfortunately discovered by the baboon, who wrecks her plan, only after much difficulty she manages to change back to the seagull and escape, but there is not enough potion left when she turns into herself: She is left with a huge foot of a seagull attached to her leg instead of her human foot, and will stomp her way through the rest of the film.This film features quite a bit of character animation by Harryhausen. The baboon Kassim looks totally real playing chess and most of all in his dramatic scene when he sees himself in a mirror, and despairs over his change. Trog, a prehistoric giant who "is as frightened of us as we of him," as Malanthius sweetly remarks, is a direct ancestor of Shrek, and looks frightening yet endearing. Kassim and Dione manage to befriend Trog, and when Kassim is finally liberated of Zenobia's spell, we feel genuine regret as Trog is killed by Zenobia, again transformed, this time as Smilodon the tiger of the snows. This battle is unusually gruesome, and absurd, yet an exciting delight to watch as both her and Sinbad are endangered by falling ice spears.The happy ending in the coronation of Kassim as caliph allows us to admire in detail the Jewelled splendor of his court, the plasticized Formica of the rings, the unique, early zircons and other stones are all mystifying, specially when thrown together with pearls and feathers.

Prince Kassim, the young heir to the throne of Baghdad, is magically transformed into a baboon by his evil stepmother, the witch Zenobia, who wants the throne for her own son, Kassim's half-brother Rafi. Sinbad, accompanied by Kassim's beautiful sister Princess Farah, as well as the Prince himself in his monkey form, sets sail in search of a cure. This being a Ray Harryhausen film, much of the plot involves the heroes struggling against various monsters, all animated by the stop-motion process which Harryhausen pioneered. This must be the only film in which the hero gets to fight a gigantic killer walrus. The title "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" may refer to the fact that, having seen off the walrus, Sinbad then has to battle a sabre-toothed tiger, although I am not sure how the "eye" part fits in.This was the third and last of Harryhausen's films about the legendary hero Sinbad the Sailor, the others being "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" and "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad". It was not, however, Harryhausen's final film; that was to be "Clash of the Titans" from four years later. In the fifties and early sixties his techniques of film-making (which he named "Dynamation" or "Dynarama"), combining stop-motion animation with live action, seemed something new and exciting, opening up new possibilities for fantasy films. By the late seventies they were starting to look old-fashioned; there is little in "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" (which came out in the same year as "Star Wars") to distinguish it from "The Seventh Voyage" which had come out nearly twenty years earlier.Today, of course, films made using the "Dynamation" process have a very retro feel to them, but I have long had a soft spot for Harryhausen's work ever since I was taken, as a child, to see a double bill of "The Seventh Voyage" and "Jason and the Argonauts" as part of a friend's birthday treat. I would not rate "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" quite as highly as either of those films. The acting is variable; neither Patrick Wayne as the hero nor Taryn Power has the talent or the charisma of their famous fathers, but Margaret Whiting as Zenobia makes a splendidly over-the-top villainess, former Doctor Who Patrick Troughton is good as the wise old philosopher Melanthius and Jane Seymour as Farah looks as lovely as ever. With its fairy-tale Arabian Nights atmosphere, this film can perhaps best be described as the cinematic equivalent of a pantomime, and like most pantomimes serves as very enjoyable family entertainment. 6/10