Search - Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger on DVD

A Much Better Film Than Given Credit For

Michael Daly | Wakefield, MA USA | 11/05/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The third of Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad films has gotten a bad rap over the years for Beverly Cross' script (which Harryhausen co-authored) and some of the performances, notably Patrick Wayne as Sinbad. The rap is largely unfair, for the film is quite entertaining, though admittedly flawed (mostly because of Sam Wanamaker's choppy direction), thanks to a strong cast and Ray Harryhausen's always-pleasing animation.The story revolves around Kassim, the caliph of Baghdad, who mysteriously disappears around the time of his coronation. Sinbad, arriving in Baghdad both to sell cargo and also to see the caliph's sister (Jane Seymour, who here plays a princess and still looks like one 22 years later), is drawn into a trap by Rafi (Kurt Christian) and his evil mother, the witch Zenobia (Margaret Whiting). Barely escaping an attack by three sword-wielding fire mutants (Harryhausen's stop-motion swordfights always seemed to get better with each passing film), Sinbad finds Kassim's sister and a baboon - Kassim, turned into such by Zenobia.To break Zenobia's spell, Sinbad and crew enlist a wizard, Master Malanthius and his daughter Dione (Taryn Power), and must sail for Hyperborea, a land at the North Pole immune to the polar region's frost. But Zenobia and Rafi are following, aided by a mechanical beast known as Minaton.This film features quite a bit of character animation by Harryhausen. His monsters have always had distinct personalities - only Harryhausen could make a rampaging Allosaur like Gwangi villainous and completely sympathetic all at once - but here he imbues them with ever greater warmth, not only in the baboon Kassim (the most chilling scene comes when the animated Baboon sees himself in a mirror, and is driven to grief. Some have criticized the scene because Kassim has known he was a baboon for a great deal of time, but it makes sense that he would still come to grief upon actually seeing himself in a mirror) but also in Trog, a prehistoric giant who "is as frightened of us as we of him," as Malanthius notes. Kassim and Dione befriend Trog, and when Kassim is finally liberated of Zenobia's spell, we feel genuine regret as Trog is killed by Zenobia, now taking the form of a Smilodon (the titular tiger). This battle is unusually gruesome, and ranks a close second to Gwangi vs. the styracosaur as Harryhausen's finest animated clash. An unusually high number of matte FX shots are used, adding nicely to the fantasy element of the film. In all, the film succeeds quite well."

A real trip

Rachel Kingman | New Jersey | 11/28/1998

(3 out of 5 stars)

"well, the first time I saw 'Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger', I was 5 years old, home from school watching afternoon television with the smell of Vicks in my nose...and let me tell you, it really added to the already amazing special effects of this movie. I would highly recommend it... not only does it have the devastatingly beautiful young Jane Seymour, but Sinbad is quite dashing, and the monsters and scenarios are genuinely intriguing. The animation, especially on the Tiger and in the Tiger/Cyclops-monster battle scene is amazing for its time, and the man who created it must have had the patience of a saint. The movie is worth watching just for its old-style animation effects alone. Beleive me, the images of it come back in your dreams."

Totally enjoyable SInbad film

Chad Harry | 12/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I really liked this film, I dont see why some dont, it has great stop animation and Patrick Watne was not that bad as Sinbad. This movie still excels in being a great fantasy film. It was a shame this would be the last SInbad film to be released(LIVE ACTION I MEAN). Maybe one day someone will get smart in Hollywood and realize SInabad is a great cvhracter and needs some treatment."

A Fun Adventure Romp

K. Fontenot | The Bayou State | 01/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While it's definitely not the best Ray Harryhausen "Sinbad" adventure, it's sure does stand tall against a lot of its modern competition. Flip on any SciFi Channel or network television remake of any of the wonderful Sinbad adventures, and you'll find that "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" is a whole lot more fun. It features wonderful, over-the-top acting and camp from Margaret Whiting as the evil Zenobia and the always excellent Patrick Troughton (the classic "Doctor Who") as the wise and wiley Melanthius. It also features excellent stop-motion animation from the godfather of modern special effects, Ray Harryhausen.



In this adventure, Sinbad (Patrick Wayne, the Duke's boy) and company take port in Charak, where Princess Farah (Jane Seymour) is distressed over the condition of her brother, Kassim, who has been turned into a baboon by stepmother and local witch (in more ways than one) Zenobia. You see, in order for Sinbad and Farah to get married, the Caliph has to bless their union. The only problem is that the would-be Caliph, Kassim, is unable to do so because of his primate problem. With no one to properly take the throne, Zenobia has plans to put her son in power and rule the kingdom through him.



In order to save both Kassim and their love for one another, Sinbad, Farah, and Sinbad's crew set off to find the old mystic, Melanthius. He seems to be the only person capable of helping them. To stop Sinbad, though, Zenobia and her son animate a bronze Minaton (think Minotaur but really shiny) to row their own boat in pursuit. After finding Melanthius and his beautiful daughter, Dione (Taryn Power), the group sets out to find a mysterious pyramid that can save Kassim's life. The only problem is that if they get there too late, Kassim will lose all sense of humanity and fully become a baboon. Can Sinbad save the day? Will he survive the attacks of a giant walrus, a wicked killer bee, demons, a Troglodite, and a sabre-toothed tiger? Stay tuned to find out.



This film is G-rated, but I should note that there is some brief, non-sexual nudity involving Seymour and Power that some may not appreciate their children seeing. To be honest, though, the nudity involves a sunning/bathing scene and will most likely not provoke certain "thoughts" except for in the minds of a particular demographic of young males. Parents should preview this part of the film, though, if nudity is a problem for them. Viewers should also know that the violence in this film is quite a bit excessive in some spots with youngsters in mind, especially when the Trog and the sabre-toothed tiger have a run-in. This might put off some smaller children more than the brief nudity.



This tale, while not up to par with the other Sinbad adventures that Harryhausen oversaw as special effects head, features two of his best creations: the Trog and the baboon. The Trog's emotions bleed through and actually becomes a legitimate character. The same can be said of the baboon. The baboon plays games with his sister, shows fear and anger, and even falls in love with Dione as the film rolls along. Do not let the less-than-spectacular plotline ruin the chance to see these two creations in action.



I recommend this tale to anybody who loves old-fashioned adventures. I highly recommend it to fans of special effects development over the years. Be sure to check out other Harryhausen creations as well. Most of the stories are in the monster/epic adventure vein, but they are all wonderful stories. You'll enjoy them all."