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Original title:The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
Category:Movie / Action / Adventure / Fantasy
Released:1973
Director:Gordon Hessler
Actors:John Phillip Law,Caroline Munro,Tom Baker
Writer:Brian Clemens,Brian Clemens
Budget:$982,351
Duration:1h 45min
Video type:Movie

Rating 6.8: Votes 284

1973 John Phillip Law Caroline Munro Tom Baker Gordon Hessler

Short summary

Sinbad and the vizier of Marabia, followed by evil magician Koura, seek the three golden tablets that can gain them access to the ancient temple of the Oracle of All Knowledge.

Sinbad and his crew intercept a homunculus carrying a golden tablet. Koura, the creator of the homunculus and practitioner of evil magic, wants the tablet back and pursues Sinbad. Meanwhile Sinbad meets the Vizier who has another part of the interlocking golden map, and they mount a quest across the seas to solve the riddle of the map, accompanied by a slave girl with a mysterious tattoo of an eye on her palm. They encounter strange beasts, tempests, and the dark interference of Koura along the way.

Trailers "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)"

The captioner decided to have some fun with Prince Koura's lines. The first time Koura says his unintelligible magic spells to summon the dark spirits against Sinbad and his crew, the captions read, "SSFUP AOCOC ROF OOKCUC MI", which is "IM CUCKOO FOR COCOA PUFFS" spelled backwards. The next time, the captions say "TTIBBAR YLLIS. YLNO SDIK ROFERA XIRT", which is "TRIX ARE FOR KIDS ONLY. SILLY RABBIT." backwards.

This film helped Tom Baker get the role of the Fourth Doctor in Доктор Кто (1963). Producer Barry Letts went to see it shortly after Baker was recommended for the role.

Actor Robert Shaw was a friend of producer Charles H. Schneer, who persuaded him to play the Oracle of All Knowledge. As a favor, Shaw agreed, but requested that he not get any credit for the role, as he felt that the genre was beneath him. (He was extremely popular at the time.) His face was heavily swathed in make-up and his voice electronically altered by a sound engineer. Shaw was paid £5000 for just 20 minutes of work. (Contrary to legend, Shaw was not running for the role of Sinbad.)

Christopher Lee was a front runner for the role of Koura.

Ray Harryhausen paid tribute to one of his inspirations, The Thief of Bagdad (1940), with this film. Both had the same composer, and Kali's dance copies many moves of the six-armed robot in the 1940 film. The Hindu-style temple in the 1940 film is echoed in the Hindu-style carvings of Lemuria, and the look of the Lemurians is based on the 1940 film as well; there are other echoes and influences to be seen by those familiar with both films.

The Griffin, which fights the One-Eyed Centaur, was originally going to be a Neanderthal man, according to Ray Harryhausen's early concept art for the project (illustrated in charcoal pencil). The "Neanderthal man" concept would later be realized into the Troglodyte in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977).

When Sinbad and the others land on Lemuria, a cliff along the left side of the beach is covered with carvings. According to an interview given by Ray Harryhausen, the cliff doesn't exist. The scene was shot on a popular beach in Spain, and the cliff is a matte painting added to hide all the spectators.

Miklós Rózsa was one of Ray Harryhausen's original choices (along with Max Steiner) to score The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), but Charles H. Schneer persuaded Harryhausen to agree to hire Bernard Herrmann instead. While Herrmann ended up scoring four of Schneer and Harryhausen's films, he was not available for The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973), so Harryhausen finally got his wish to have Rózsa score a Sinbad movie.

As of this film, "Dynamation", the name of Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion effects technique, was rebranded as "Dynarama".

The is the second of three Sinbad films that Ray Harryhausen made for Columbia. The others were The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977).

A "Valley of the Vipers" sequence was devised by Ray Harryhausen. This would have featured both real snakes and giant animated snakes. However, this sequence was unused, as producer Charles H. Schneer was afraid of snakes (and argued that the scene would upset pregnant women).

In Spain, the film was released in Barcelona on August 18, 1975, and in Madrid on December 22, 1975.

Orson Welles was initially cast as The Oracle, but his agent asked for an extremely high fee for the expected three days of voice work. Robert Shaw, who was on vacation in Spain, did the work in one day.

Takis Emmanuel is dubbed by Robert Rietty

Graham Faulkner was offered a major role in this.

User reviews

Author: Dead Samurai

Ignore pointless comparisons about how it pales in comparison to Lord of the Rings. This isn't Lord of the Rings, nor is it Citizen Kane. Why some fools insist that every movie must be measured by the yardstick of their own personal favorite I will never understand.

If you're so spoiled by state-of-the-art computer graphics where each creature has an entire team of people working on it, and can't appreciate the human creativity and craftsmanship of great stop-motion animation, don't waste your time on this movie, go watch the latest Pixar release.

Harryhausen's work is remarkable not because it's the most realistic animation ever, but because he was able to achieve remarkable things with sculpture and movement on a budget comparable to today's 30 second ad spots.

Tom Baker steals the movie. He's terrific as the evil sorcerer, villainous but with enough humanity to his character to make him at least somewhat sympathetic.

Author: Flamekiller

'Golden Voyage' is much better than the later 'Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger' and equal to the earlier 'Seventh Voyage of Sinbad'.

The Harryhausen creatures are impressive. Stop motion animation does give solidity to the image, more so than the usual CGI effect. There are some fine ones here including a one eyed centaur, a homunculus, a griffin, a six armed statue, a ship's wooden figurehead. The story is standard but the effects, the locations and the plot weave together well. There is also a dry humour in the dialogue which is entertaining. Scenes like the sword fight with the six armed statute (with six swords!) or the final confrontation at the fountain of wisdom (or something like that) are exciting. The great Miklos Rosza's music adds considerably to the atmosphere.

John Philip Law is OK as Sinbad and does attempt an Arabian accent unlike the usual English one, but the role isn't Shakespearean and he does well enough. Caroline Munro looks splendid in her costume, low cut almost everywhere. The rest of the cast support well.

Tom Baker is excellent as the villain Koura. He makes him sympathetic; what drives him is common to all people. He just uses different means to gain his ends. He dominates the scenes he is in and it is a pity that more big screen roles never came his way. He was the best 'Doctor Who' in the BBC series, in my opinion of course.

A good fantasy romp to appeal to the adventurer in all of us. Did I mention Caroline Munro's costume? Oh, I did.

Author: Ericaz

After Sinbad (Jon Phillip Law) happens upon a strange gold "bauble" while at sea, his ship ends up at a town where a similar gold piece is kept by a Vizier (Douglas Wilmer), whose city is threatened by the evil prince Koura (Tom Baker). Sinbad, his crew, the Vizier, and two other people from the town begin an adventure to solve the mystery of the "baubles".

This is a fine fantasy/adventure film, and definitely one worth watching by any fans of the genre, as well as Ray Harryhausen fans. Mostly excellent, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad also has a couple of flaws that brought my score down to an 8 out of 10.

The main problem is that the film tends to meander at times. There are also a few minor problems with direction or editing, such as the less-than-convincing sword fight in the cave near the end of the film. Also, the mostly episodic nature of the script lessens the overall impact. It often feels like a string of short stories arbitrarily strung together, although in the end, the overarching goal ties the film together well enough.

But what "short stories" those are! The script, production/set design and costumes easily propel you into a captivating fantasy world, and Harryhausen's creatures, as always, are a delight to watch. No, they're not exactly realistic--no more realistic looking than cgi, in my opinion--but I'm not looking for realism when I watch a film like this. I'm looking for brilliant artistry, especially if it has a horror edge, and Harryhausen's stop-motion animated creatures fit the bill.

Most of the scenarios in the film are cleverly conceived. They're constantly leading to intriguing puzzles that have to be solved by our heroes, somewhat similar to a fantasy role-playing computer game, which films like this surely influenced. This maintains a gradually heightening suspense throughout the length of the film, as each puzzle tends to be more difficult than the previous one, and most are accompanied by fascinating beasties of some kind.

Although this genre is not usually noted for its fantastic performances, everyone in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad does a great job. Even as a Doctor Who fan who grew up watching the Tom Baker era of that show, it took me awhile to figure out who Baker was here. He is a joy to watch as a slightly campy villain. An even bigger joy to watch was Caroline Munro, who is breathtakingly beautiful. And Law, as Sinbad, is completely convincing and cool.

As long as you don't expect a masterpiece, you should have a lot of fun watching this film.

Author: Coiwield

Made 14 years after The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad, this follow up is ,unsurprisingly, not as good, but that WAS a ground breaking classic. Perhaps sensing that they could not top the first film, the filmmakers give this movie a slightly different feel. If 7th Voyage was full of colour and size, Golden Voyage is somewhat darker and less spectacular. Most of the action occurs at night or in caves, while none of the creatures are especially large. This makes Golden Voyage slightly less of a delightful romp, but it's certainly not just a rehash. There is a strong sense of the uncanny to some scenes,such as the villain's resurrection of the tiny humunculus, or the coming to life of the ship's figurehead.

The pace is possibly a little two leisurely, but the action is still terrific, the showstopper being Sinbad and his men battling the 6 armed statue of the Indian goddess Kali, a masterpiece of effects and editing. Tom Baker is the most sinister of all Harryhausen's villains, and Miklos Rozsa's wonderfully rich and grand score never fails to provide excellent backing. It's very different from Bernard Herrmann's classic Harryhausen scores, but as effective.

Despite their flaws, there is a wonderful innocence to these Harryhausen films. A modern version would be filled to the brim with CGI, hyperactive editing, 'clever' laughs that show that no one is bothering to take any of this seriously ,etc....... Is that really an improvement?

Author: FreandlyMan

Ah, yes; Ray Harryhausen and Sinbad. This is my favorite of the Sinbad films. Yes John Phillip Law is not an a-list actor; but, for once, he's not bad. Tom Baker is outstanding as the evil wizard. Carolie Munro is the breast, er, best sight in the film.

Harryhausen really captures the atmosphere of the Arabian Nights. There is adventure, mystery, terror, love, comedy, and some pretty good sword fights. I'll put the six-armed Kali up against the skeleton from the Seventh Voyage of Sinbad any day. And Tom Baker's wizard is far more evil.

Look, forget about CGI and enter the world of Dynamation! You'll have a good time. Now, where's that scene where Caroline Munro.........

Author: Mardin

Contrary to a previous viewer's opinion, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is a wonderful, exciting film. The plot is a bit complex as a malevolent sorcerer races with Sinbad against time to secure a missing piece of an amulet that will insure the holder of powers beyond imagination. John Phillip Law is a pretty decent Sinbad, and the rest of the cast is quite adequate with Caroline Munro busting out of her outfit as both a figurative and literal standout and Tom Baker is very good as the evil magician. The real star once again, however, is Ray Harryhausen. His stop-motion creations are all very good. This time round we get a gargoyle-like homonculus, a wooden siren, a griffin, a centaur, and the image of six-armed Kali. The action sequences are riveting and the pace of the film is nice and brisk. Very entertaining!

Author: Whiteflame

This film was a big hit in 1974 and many other Sinbad films have been made and there is no comparison to our new films today, it was a great success in the 70's and is enjoyable to view and enjoy the great acting of John Phillip Law (Sinbad) and his woman companion, Caroline Munro(Margiana) who battle all the evil spells and evil powers that Tom Baker,(Koura) tries to use against Sinbad. Every time Koura uses the Evil Powers, his face begins to look like an old man and he even gets weaker and weaker. There is clashing of swords and deep pits of hell Sinbad falls into and he still manages to fight the bitter struggles of Evil vs. Good. Caroline Munro gives a great supporting role and Tom Baker is completely in control of his role as a very EVIL Demon. Enjoy this Sinbad from the Past, it is worth watching.

Author: Topmen

How can you not love this film .. it's difficult to imagine that anyone could pan the astounding performance of John Phillip Law as Sinbad ..

His turn as the beloved Arabic pirate is more adventureous than the boring and cardboard studio fave, Kerwin Matthews and far better than the bland and horrific Patrick Wayne ..

The special FX of Ray Harryhausen are his best to date ..

The plot is solid and the talent pull this tale off without a hitch or glint of camp which is generally the norm in a cult film such as this..

This is Saturday afternoon television at its best ...

Onward and upward with John Phillip Law all the way ..

Author: Skilkancar

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Love that Ray Harryhausen". As far as Harryhausen's effects go, this is a very adventurous effort for him. The animated ship figurehead,AWESOME!, the six arned statue, BRILLIANT!, and the epic monster summoning battle at the end is a dream come true. I can't believe the griffon got beat by that brain-dead centaur. And Tom Baker! Hell yes! He is my favorite actor. His portrayal of Doctor Who is the best. Someone made the comment that this came out the same year as the dungeon's and dragon's game and that it came out right before star wars and how it doesn't live up to expectations and blah blah etc... Well, feel free to rent the Dungeons and Dragon's movie that came a few years ago done with that oh so wonderful computer animation we have now. What a joke, other than the special fx from star wars, Rob Bottin(The Thing) and a select few others, Harryhausen's effects are the best! Buy this movie!

Author: Jonide

I saw this movie with my 8 year old daughter on a big-screen TV in 2006 for the first time since seeing it in its original format in a theater as a kid when it was released. I couldn't remember why the movie made such an impression on me as a boy but now it's obvious. There's everything present for good escapist entertainment: imaginative, exotic settings, lot's of classic Ray Harryhausen creatures, acting that's not too serious but not so self-aware that the cast behaves like it's a joke, a fun script and Caroline Munro - in all of her G-rated plunging cleavage wonder, even if most of her dialogue is spent repeating the same line: "Sinbad look!" (probably because poor Sinbad was too distracted by her presence to pay attention to the approaching monster). Munro was probably the deciding factor in making the film a stand out when I was pre-adolescent male! Oh yeah, and my daughter loved it! Don't bother waiting for the next $400 million overproduced Hollywood fantasy epic. Just go rent or buy this and enjoy!

Author: Villo

This truly is a great adventure film.

Like many others, this Film was part of the canon of my childhood's imagination and fascination, now more or less mature or at least bearing a manly hair on my chin, this movie still captivates me. In fact it has aged like a fine whine, to use a snobbish metaphor.

The movie's plot is decent but a little rhapsodic, nevertheless the story progresses in such a way, that it keeps your attention. The Script is witty and spiced with enough simple poetry to create the world of medieval middle-eastern lore, despite creating characters that are slightly void but still serve as interesting players in this tale.

Of course there's the mouth-watering Carolin Munro, whose customs only seem to grow more revealing as the movie progresses. Her sweaty, glistening décolleté during the climactic battle between good and evil, seems almost to "doubly" upstage Harryhausen's effects.

But of course the special effect take center stage in this film. This movie still features one of the most beautiful scenes of stop-motion animation. The dance sequence of the Kali statue (To all those who have critique that it is not Kali but Shiva: go burn some incense and watch boring fantasy-trilogies, ye hippies!) and subsequent fight between Sinbad and the six swords wielding Goddess is simply breathtaking. (I still get little jolts of pleasure every time I see Kali descending the stairs from her shrine and hearing the metallic clangs of her feet as she slowly dances down the steps, her arms sensually moving.)

Not only are the effects beautifully executed,the entire cinematography surrounding the creatures is brilliantly done, building suspense and delivering an exciting sequence when the "monsters"(Sorry Ray) appear. (There are no ill-filmed scenes of ugly designed monsters simply bursting through doorways with out tension-building here, thank God)

And Miklos Rosza's golden-age film score only adds to the enjoy of this Movie

I highly recommend this movie to those, whose senses aren't dulled and surfeited by decadent CGI effects of these days and would like to see a stimulating visual feast.

Booyah!

Author: Swift Summer

Despite many outings, including the poorly-received animated opus of 2003, Scheherezade's most famous hero has never made much impact on the big screen, compared to less likely but more politically correct freebooters such as Robin Hood. It must be that there's no underlying message, such as Up-Yours to the Man, in these tales of Baghdad's intrepid sailor & explorer of mythical lands. One of the best efforts was this film made just before "Star Wars" compelled B-budget adventure movies to take to outer space & "Raiders" made stunning visual excess the duct tape of plot holes. A mysterious golden tablet leads Sinbad's ship into an alliance with the gold-masked vizier of Moravia (Wilmer) & a race against time against sorcerous Prince Koura (Baker) to find a power that will confer either the means to stop Koura or make Koura unstoppable. Law is game in the lead, deftly playing Sinbad between earnestness & camp, but still looks a bit like a fugitive from the Mod Squad. Actresses get short shrift in these films unless they get to be villainesses, but no such luck for the ladies here. The beautiful but unfashionably voluptuous Monroe, whose career hit its high point here, isn't more than the obligatory decoration & damsel in distress. Her scenes with Law are too awkward to be either romantic or campy. Harryhausen's Dynarama effects are the star, as usual, making all the films he treats a cut above average, at least. They are up to the task here, with the fight against the six-armed Kali not far short of the classic climax in "Jason & the Argonauts," but are not quite his best. Supporting parts give the film unusual & pleasant depth, including Wilmer's pessimistic Vizier & especially Shaw as the cautious but valiant second-in-command, Rashid. It's Baker who makes the film as Koura, effectively depicting the torment he brings upon himself in his evil ambition. The film is generously endowed with sage, ostensibly Arab sayings from Sinbad & others, notably "Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel." Koura gets the best ones, though, including "He who searches for pearls should not sleep" and my favorite, "He who is patient, obtains." Darth Vader's "I find your lack of faith disturbing" was a better catchphrase for an America made, perhaps, less credulous by Vietnam & Watergate. The subsequent "Eye of the Tiger," which featured the stunning young Jane Seymour in the stereotyped decorative role, wasn't up to the unpretentious old-fashioned fun of "Golden Voyage." Sinbad remains in his hidden harbor, waiting for an effort like Boorman's "Excalibur" or Milius's "Conan"--and perhaps also an end to America's ugly image of the Persian Gulf--to make sail again.

Author: Dark_Sun

The pic talks about the hero Sinbad and his extraordinary and surprising adventures . Loose retelling of the ¨ 1001 Arabian nights¨ , based on ancient legends , deals with Sinbad The Sailor (John Philip Law) who travels until an island to discover a fountain of fantastic power with the aim to heal a Vizier (Douglas Wilmer) . Simbad sets off in search of the fountain and aboard a ship along with a motley crew (constituted by an enticing Caroline Munro , Martin Shaw , Aldo Sambrell and Kurt Christian) . They will have to face off several dangers : Homunculos , ominous monsters , giant animals and villains (Tom Baker and henchmen) .

In the movie there are mythology , emotions , adventures , fantasy , swashbuckling and it's pretty bemusing . It is an exciting fantasy-adventure full of special effects created by means of stop-motion technique by the magician Ray Harryhausen . The runtime is adequate with various incidents and sub-plots . Harryhausen works his animation magic around a well-developed screenplay and engaging acting by the entire performers . Ray can once again claim credit for the unusual and marvelous mythical creatures springing to life . The confrontation amongst the protagonist and enemies along with monsters is mesmerizing and fascinating : impressive duel between ¨Goddess Kali¨ with amount of arms and Sinbad , great monsters as the centaur and the breathtaking scale models are made by the Dynamation system , by means of stop-motion . The motion picture is the best from ¨Sinbad trilogy¨ : ¨The 7th voyage of Simbad (directed Nathan Juran with Kerwin Matthews and Kathryn Grant)¨ and ¨Simbad and the eye of tiger¨ (directed Sam Wanamaker with Patrick Wayne and Jane Seymour)¨ . The film obtained much success and achieved enough Box Office . Good production by Charles H. Scheneer habitual of Harryhausen's films . Cinematography by Ted Moore is colorful , brilliant and shining and classic music composer Miklos Rozsa creates a magnificent and astounding score . The motion picture is rightly directed by Gordon Hessler . The yarn will appeal to fantasy and fancy imagination movies buffs . Rating : Above average . Well catching .

Other pictures about the great hero Simbad are the following : ¨Sinbad the sailor¨ (1947) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr , Maureen O'Hara and Anthony Quinn ; ¨Sinbad of the seven seas¨ by Enzo G Castellari with Lou Ferrigno and John Steiner and the cartoon movie ¨Simbad the legend of seven seas¨ (2003) produced by Dreamworks , a combo of computer generator and hand-drawn animation by Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson with voices from Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta Jones .

Author: Amis

John Phillip Law dons the turban last worn by Kerwin Matthews (OK, so Kerwin Matthews didn't actually wear a turban), Caroline Munro is a pleasingly pneumatic maid of mystery, and Tom Baker makes a splendidly sinister master of magic. Plus there are exotic locations and a fabulous score.

And who cares? We want Ray Harryhausen's creatures! let's be fair, a bad script and poor production values could have fatally harmed Harryhausen's movies: fortunately, in this one (16 years after the previous Sinbad venture), all the backup is great, which enables Ray's creations to shine.

And there are some wonderful creations in this entry, although my favourites have to be the 6 armed Kali - a sword fight to rival the skeletons from Jason - and the cyclops/centaur as is full of character as the cyclops from 7th Voyage.

Whenever I watch this movie it transports me to the land of my imagination, just as it did when I first watched it all those years ago. Which, I suspect, is exactly what Mr H hoped for.

Author: Groll

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is directed by Gordon Hessler and stars John Phillip Law (Sinbad), Tom Baker, Caroline Munro, Douglas Wilmer, Takis Emmanuel & Martin Shaw. It includes a score by composer Miklós Rózsa and features stop-motion effects from Ray Harryhausen (this one in Dynarama). It's the second of three Sinbad films that Harryhausen made for Columbia, the others being The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). The plot sees legendary sailor Sinbad come into possession of a tablet dropped onto his ship by a mysterious flying creature. The tablet is one part of a map which greatly intrigues Sinbad so he wears it as an amulet. However, the tablet was bound for evil magician Koura (Baker) who now wants it back as it will lead to The Fountain Of Destiny. Can Sinbad, aided by the Grand Vizier Of Marabia (Wilmer), fend off Koura before he gets the rewards from the fountain to use for his evil ways?

A smooth adventure piece that's low on plotting but high on magical mystery fervour. More known for directing horror films, Hessler does an admirable job in not letting the thin story bog the movie down. Sometimes with Harryhausen led movies the stop-motion creations end up being the sole reason for watching the film. And while, as always, they are the best thing in this movie, they give the film an Arabian Nights feel to the piece, managing to charm and engage enough to round it out as a full film viewing experience. Yes the cast are sub-standard B listers, with John Law and Munro featuring, one thinks, for looks (cool beard and turban look) and bosom (whoosh!) respectively. While Tom Baker's pantomime villain act could never become tiring; such is the fun he and the audience are having with it. But this be a good old yarn that's spun well in conjunction with Harryhausen's effects. Here we are treated to a vengeful ships Figurehead, a Centaur, a winged Griffin, a tiny Gargoyle and best of the bunch-the goddess Kali, a six armed statue that is brought to life by Koura. The latter giving a moment to rival that of Talos' awakening in Jason & The Argonauts. Look out for Robert Shaw who features uncredited as the "Oracle Of All Knowledge". Rózsa adds the aural joy with mystical Arabian flavours, and Ted Moore's cinematography brings the gorgeous colours and costumes to life.

Good wholesome family entertainment. 7/10

Author: BlackBerry

Sinbad the Sailor makes port in Moravia, wherein he learns of the legendary island of Lemuria, said to contain a fountain of untold riches. He sails in search of this paradise but is followed by the evil Prince Koura, who has his own reasons for wanting the treasure ...

This middle picture is my favourite of the three Ray Harryhausen / Sinbad movies (he co-wrote, co-produced it and supervised the special effects), loosely based on the tales of the Arabian Nights / Scheherazade. It's a cracking good story featuring plenty of swordfights, a guy with no face, a forgotten continent, a fountain of eternal youth, a battle with a one-eyed centaur, a griffin and the six-armed Hindu goddess Kali, and a busty slave-girl with a weird tattoo. The adventure gallops along at a fine pace with great characters, plenty of intrigue, scares, good-natured humour ("Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel !") and mystical moments. What makes it so enjoyable is the terrific cast; Law is a great dashing hero, ably supported by Shaw and Christian, but especially Baker and Munro, two of the finest British cult actors of all time. Baker is about as Arabian as The Beatles but he is perfect in this role; gleeful in his fanaticism but also tormented and even pitiful, as his black arts consume his body and soul. It's a terrific example of a younger actor (he was forty) playing a tricksy old knave. Munro is equally fabulous, adding so much frisson and glamour to the antics and getting the tone of the piece spot-on. She's one of the most fun and most beautiful actresses of the seventies - don't miss her in Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter and The Spy Who Loved Me. The other stars of course are Harryhausen's wonderful Dynarama special-effects creations; Kali in particular is just stunning, but they are all amongst the most beautiful stop-motion animation ever done. Add to this the eye-catching locations (it was shot in Majorca), goofy art design (with elements of Aztec, Hindu, Buddhist and Persian culture all chucked in together) and a great score by Miklós Rósza that could be from a movie forty years older, and you have a tremendous escapist family adventure film. The voice of the Oracle is an unbilled Robert Shaw.

Author: Hra

With a raft of wonderful Ray Harryhausen effects and a great cast (including the brilliant Tom Baker and the impossibly sexy Caroline Munro), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is excellent fantasy entertainment for the whole family. The story may be fairly forgettable stuff, but the fantastic creatures and spectacular set-pieces still have the power to capture the imaginations of young and old alike.

This time around, Captain Sinbad and his men must travel to a mysterious island to find the third piece of a golden tablet that, when completed and placed in a magic fountain, will give youth, untold riches and a cloak of deception (which makes the wearer invisible). Also along for the ride is a badly scarred vizier who wears a golden mask, the young son of a rich merchant, and a beautiful slave girl (Caroline Munro, looking devastatingly gorgeous in a skimpy outfit revealing her ample, sweaty cleavage).

Unfortunately, hot on their trail is the evil magician Koura (Tom Baker) who will do anything to ensure that it is he who benefits from the powers of the tablet. On their travels, Sinbad and his companions must contend with Koura's sorcery, and also do battle with an assortment of marvellous monsters, including a winged homunculus, a centaur, a wooden siren and an animated statue of Kali, complete with a sword in each of her six arms!

Probably my favourite of the three Harryhausen Sinbad movies (Golden Voyage was preceded by The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and followed by Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger), this great adventure film delivers enough spills and thrills for even the most fussy of adventure-film fans.

Author: Zeleence

A genuinely good flick to watch with little kids. A real family movie in the old-fashion sense of the word. True, it is not as good as the 1958 Kerwyn Mathews "7th Voyage of Sinbad" but still a lot of fun for the little ones. Does drag a little bit at points for the elders though (hence the presence of the gorgeous Caroline Munroe to keep us awake !). Tom Baker camps it up as the villain and ditto John Philip Law as the "hero" of this piece. The dancing Kali sequence is very, very impressive, although disagreeably short, and is worth watcing the movie for alone. Great special effects from Ray Harryhausen - ignore the petty critics. Trivia: Kurt Christian (playing "Harun") turned up in the 1978 Sinbad flick. Where is he now ?

Author: Berenn

Brave sailor Sinbad (an engaging performance by John Phillip Law) goes to the island of Lemuria in search of the mystical Fountain of Destiny. Assisting Sinbad on his perilous journey are the badly scarred Grand Vizier (solid Douglas Wilmer) of Marabia, ravishing slave girl Margiana (a positively enchanting turn by the gorgeous Caroline Munro, who looks smoking hot in skimpy outfits), loyal crew member Omar (the always excellent Aldo Sambrell), and a helpful oracle (an unrecognizable Robert Shaw under extensive make-up). Out to thwart Sinbad is wicked and powerful black wizard Prince Koura (superbly played by Tom Baker of "Dr. Who" fame), a surprisingly complex and strangely sympathetic villain who needs to find the Fountain of Destiny to regain his youth. Director Gordon Hessler, working from a witty script by Brian Clemens (who also gave us the terrific "Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter"), ably creates a charming magical atmosphere and maintains a steady, if occasionally rather sluggish pace throughout. Ray Harryhausen's wonderfully lifelike and expressive stop-motion animation creatures include a tiny winged flying homunculus who spies for Koura, a ship's wooden siren masthead which comes dangerously alive, a sword-wielding six-armed Kali statue, a ferocious gigantic cyclopean centaur, and a golden griffin who fights the centaur in an especially exciting set piece. Ted Moore's rich, vibrant cinematography, Miklos Rozsa's lush, rousing, spirited score and a perfectly pitched sincere tone of awestruck wonder further enhance the overall superior quality of this immensely enjoyable fantasy adventure delight.

Author: Amarin

WARNING: May Contain Spoilers

"The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" continues the magic of Ray Harryhaussen's unique style of animation and his love of exotic mythology. Understandably, the film's special effects pale in comparison to the CG eye-orgies of today, yet the real strength of the movie rests in the portrayal of the fantasy realm itself.

In the second installment of the Sinbad trilogy, director Gordon Hessler crafts a much darker realm than "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" and a much more believably Arabic one than "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger". Sinbad is now pursued by a Dark magician on his journey to an uncharted island. This desolate and dangerous island supposedly holds the prize of incredible power to which both Sinbad and his Nemesis hold keys. Along the way he confronts a number of Harryhaussen's most stunning creations to date, including a six-armed living statue, a cycloptic centaur, and a griffon. The island itself is a beautiful array of ancient ruins, mysterious oracles, and a labyrinth of underground caverns. Color contrasts intermingle seamlessly as gigantic fountains bubble red water and green temple interiors are antagonistic to the dusty sandstone of the surface.

The characters in "The Golden Voyage" are also much more distinct and memorable in this installment. The dark prince Koura is sinister in his machinations, yet vulnerable as he ages each time he summons up his dark powers. The grand vizier's scarred face is hidden behind a placid gilded mask and the clumsy Haroun never fails to spark a laugh. John Philip Law's Sinbad is a quieter, more subdued captain than Kerwin Matthews' macho portrayal in the previous installment, yet he performs his role with stern concentration.

Overall, the film is exceptional not through its special effects or set design, but for the personal feel it portrays as a whole. An earthly design pervades the exotic locales and fearsome beasts which is lacking in many of the fantasy films today. Harryhaussen remains Hollywood's most legendary effects artist because he understood the importance of allowing imagination to precede the effects themselves. Fantasy, even relating the darkest story, can still have a sense of warmth.

Author: Adorardana

WARNING: REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

As with the later Eye of the Tiger, this is another load of slow, dated fantasy nonsense with blacked-up actors pretending to be Arabic. As with Tiger, it also features a Doctor Who actor in a lead role. In 1977 Patrick Troughton had long left the part. His performance here helped Tom Baker to get it the following year. He's pretty good, using that voice and those eyes to striking effect, though as with Tiger, Sinbad (why is the hero's name a blend of two Western words for evil?), here played by John Phillip Law, is about as interesting as a bag of sugar.

There seems to be no real beginning with these films; who is Sinbad? Where does he come from? What makes him tick? It's assumed we already know, or don't care, as we're dropped in what feels like the middle of events, Sinbad already in mid voyage. His crew are similarly dull - "Captain, he who walks on fire will burn his feet" says one of them in what some might call stating the sheer bloody obvious. Even Sinbad himself joins in, doling out such considered advice as "you cannot pick up two melons with one hand." Maybe not, but if they were Caroline Munro's I'd have a try. Poor Caroline has nothing to do, save stand around showing off her toned, tanned midriff and cleavage - for which I am eternally grateful.

Sinbad claims his voyage will take "two or three years", and in a touch of screen realism it certainly feels like it. However, it's certainly more appealing than Tiger as the plot and character dynamics are not continually disrupted to make way for Ray Harryhausen's stop motion effects. When they do appear, they're there to supplement the action, rather than replace it. As always, they're variable - the Gryphon, Homunculus and Centaur leave something to be desired, but the ship masthead and Kali are quite effective.

I wonder how people of differing religions view these films? Sinbad's Muslim crew speaks frivolously of Allah, while Buddhism is checked and evil Hindu Goddess Kali dances to a sitar soundtrack. I doubt Christianity would have been treated with such trivialised disdain.

Ultimately though, the predictable narrative - Sinbad goes on quest, bad guy makes multiple failed attempts to defeat him with poor special effects, Sinbad eventually kills him and saves the day - does little to compel. It also has a false ending to add to the misery, carrying on for a good twenty minutes just when you think it's all over. When the ending proper does finally arrive, it features a fountain of blood, which might be disturbing for younger viewers.

Author: Tygolar

Sinbad's Golden Voyage although a good flick, didn't seem to quite stack up with his first film, the "7th Voyage". The characters of Sinbad, Koura and Vizier all had solid performances but weren't as likable as a view. Margiana, played by Caroline Munro had a phenomenal screen presence but didn't have the acting chops to play Sinbad's female love interest. Koura and Sinbad's quest to hunt down the golden pieces that together bring eternal youth was a solid start. Also Koura clay-mated miniature gargoyles were an awesome touch to draw the viewer in. However, the middle of the film fell flat up until the end, which itself was rather disappointing. There were some good clay-mated creatures, especially Kari the six-armed swordess, but the others weren't as impressive. It's kind of cool knowing Robert Shaw played The Oracle at one scene but I wish he had an actual physical performance. Still worthy of a watch but was a let down on my first watch.

Author: Falya

Boy, I'll tell you that when this was new, it was great. This was before Lucas and Spielberg made it impossible to have a straight ahead adventure film with no winks at the audience.

This was when special effects were more believable because the monsters were so unlike humans.

This was before Arabs became equated with uncontrollable anger, and instead could be seen as mysterious and wise. Indeed, so thorough is our acceptance of the Arabian perspective here that the inner, more primitive (and unrefined) magic is Hindu. A very cool touch.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Author: Jusari

I saw it when it came out, and it still seems to have everything going for it (and I'm not prejudiced about EVERY Harryhausen film). Among other things, Ray Harryhausen has always had a knack for taking mythological things and actually "turning them up a notch" - a combination Cyclops and Centaur, a Centaur-Griffin battle, and so on. John Philip Law really looks the part as Sinbad (that joke about no actor looking dignified in a costume definitely doesn't work in his case). As others here say, Tom Baker made a great villain, with a sympathetic side. And Caroline Munro - that kind of speaks for itself. It takes about one minute to develop a crush on her in that movie. But one other thing this one has, which many Harryhausen movies don't (and don't really TRY to) is a very good comic relief character, the sort of lazy teenager, slacker, so to speak (Haroun?), who's Shanghaied on the ship ("Please show me to my cabin."). Even John Philip Law (someone you wouldn't think of as a comic actor) had some funny moments with that actor. And it even had a running joke that worked - "Tie up your camel". (Of course, you have to hear that in the film for it to make sense.)

Author: Yozshujind

Sinbad was made just a few years before I was born. A lot of my (slightly) older friends speak very highly of this adaptation and reminisce about it with much fondness. Throughout my childhood I managed to accidentally catch the odd few minutes here and there and, I have to say, I always liked what I saw.

This is the first time I have ever seen the whole film. In short, I was bored. The first half dragged and I found myself idly browsing my laptop for other things to amuse me. I was just on the verge of turning it off when it suddenly picked up.

Ultimately, I'm glad I stuck with it (and not just for Caroline Munro's outfit). The second half features much more action, better sets, many more monsters and even a bit of tension thrown in there.

It's a good romp. I'd give it a solid 3/5. But I'm guessing that if I'd watched it more when I was younger I'd probably regard it with a bit more nostalgia (like I do with the awful Star Crash *blushes*). You have to like a bit of cheesiness to sit through it, but, if you can appreciate the time and effort put into the sets and monsters, you might get something out of it.

Did I mention Caroline Munro's costume?

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Complete credited cast:
	John Phillip Law	-	Sinbad
	Caroline Munro	-	Margiana
	Tom Baker	-	Koura
	Douglas Wilmer	-	Vizier
	Martin Shaw	-	Rachid
	Grégoire Aslan	-	Hakim (as Gregoire Aslan)
	Kurt Christian	-	Haroun
	Takis Emmanuel	-	Achmed
	David Garfield	-	Abdul (as John D. Garfield)
	Aldo Sambrell	-	Omar
	Ferdinando Poggi	-	Kali Stand-In (as Fernando Poggi)

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