Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Sam Wanamaker

Writers:

Beverley Cross (screenplay)
Beverley Cross (story) ...

Release Date:

15 July 1977 (West Germany)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

New!! Sinbad's Boldest And Most Daring Adventure!

Plot:

Sinbad The Sailor sails to deliver a cursed prince to a dangerous island in the face of deadly opposition from a powerful witch.

Plot Keywords:

Prince | Sinbad | Princess | Witch | Baboon

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Patrick Wayne	...	Sinbad
Taryn Power	...	Dione
Margaret Whiting	...	Zenobia
Jane Seymour	...	Princess Farah
Patrick Troughton	...	Melanthius
Kurt Christian	...	Rafi
Nadim Sawalha	...	Hassan
Damien Thomas	...	Prince Kassim
Bruno Barnabe	...	Balsora
Bernard Kay	...	Zabid
Salami Coker	...	Maroof
David Sterne	...	Aboo-Seer

Also Known As:

Sinbad at the World's End

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Finland:K-12 (1977) | Finland:S (1991) | Ireland:G | USA:G | Australia:G | Sweden:11 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Andor Films

Trivia:

An actor in make-up originally was to play the Troglodyte but animator Ray Harryhausen said they were striving for "that fantasy effect that [King Kong (1933)] had, that wonderful never-neverland of fantasy". So he created the creature himself.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Sinbad is sailing through the icebergs he calls 2 degrees to port, but points to starboard.

Quotes:

Hassan: [Encountering a giant bee] Look at that bee
Zabid: That's not a bee, it's a mosquito

Movie Connections:

Featured in Science Fiction Film Awards (1978) (TV)

Far-Out Tale Involving Sinbad

Okay, the story for this film, already stated to some length, is obviously weak. A prince turned into a chess-playing baboon is taken to the Artic to go to some mystical land, Hyperbalia or something like that, so that he can resume his former shape. The legend basis of this film is almost non-existent as we see a pyramid at the the northern-most part of the world that is guarded by an ice-covered sabre-tooth tiger. Hmmm...okay, Ill buy. In the process of this "world", we see images of Egyptian, Indian, and even Greek deities abounding throughout. Boy, what travelers all these folks were! Story notwithstanding. This film is fun if not ridiculous. Patrick Wayne easily makes the weakest and least-interesting Sinbad. An in-grown toe nail oozes more passion. The female leads are "fleshed" out with Jane Seymour and Taryn Power(daughter of Tyronne Power). Seymour has moments that show her ability to act; Power has no such moments. The real plusses come from supporting players Patrick Troughton( a former Dr. Who) and Margaret Whiting as the evil Zenobia, foil to Sinbad and his baboon-changing-back-to-prince plans. Troughton plays Melanthius, the wisest man on earth, yet makes one inept, incredibly stupid mistake after another when the ship is visited by Zenobia ala gull. Watch and see if his actions make any sense to you. Troughton CAN act though and brings some much needed life to the human cast of the film. The real joy of the cast is Whiting playing this thickly-accented evil persona chewing up as much scenery as she can. Watching her hobble about and use her eyes was a real hoot! But like any other Harryhausen film, the "real" cast takes a backseat to the animated ones. The film definitely has a weaker array of creatures for a Harryhausen film, and no one stand-out creature, but there are some good ones like the gold Miniton(minitour), the sabre-toothed tiger, and the Trogolyte, a creature that exudes a great deal of emotion for a figure such as this. The giant walrus was a bit lame as were the creatures created out of flames by Zenobia in the beginning of the film. Harryhausen and Producer Charles Schneer still deliver some good action and effects amidst the very, very weak script(co-written by Harryhausen), the mediocre direction of Sam Wanamaker, and the listless performance of Patrick Wayne.