Year: 1958
Director: Nathan Juran
Country: UK
Language: English
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is best known due to the extraordinary (at the time) animation by the legendary Ray Harryhausen. The process of animation, specifically made for the film, was coined "Dynamation" (dynamic animation). Producer Charles H. Schneer decided that he and Ray needed a gimmick to sell this technique, and distinguish the model animation technique from cartoon animation, which was not taken seriously at the time. The brand was a success due to its heavy promotional campaign.
When a princess (Kathryn Grant) is shrunken by an evil wizard (Torin Thatcher), Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) must undertake a quest to an island of monsters to cure her and prevent a war.
Ray Harryhausen is best known for his innovative stop-motion animation techniques, and this film is perhaps the best showcase of his talent. We witness a cobra-woman, a fire breathing dragon, a possessed skeleton warrior and- perhaps the most epic of monsters- a raging cyclops. With this picture Harryhausen reinvents the Monster movie and makes it accessible for entirely new generations.
Much of the acting is subpar, but the little that is great is great where it counts. Kerwin Mathews proves an adequate hero with enough wit, charm and testosterone to grab our attention and keep it throughout the run-time. A rousing score by Bernard Hermann, complete with eye pleasing swashbuckling action scenes, proves to be a rather entertaining and memorable time.
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is an iconic drive-in film that is an easy recommendation due to its technical innovation, enduring charm, and top-notch entertainment value. I watched this film as a child & if I ever have a kid of my own I will certainly show this brilliant feature to them.
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