The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is the first of three Sinbad films produced by Charles H. Schneer with special effects by Ray Harryhausen followed by The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). It is presented in “Dynamation, the new miracle of the screen,” according to the opening credits and in Dynarama, according to the UHD packaging. On Harryhausen’s Wikipedia page, “Dynamation” is described as “a technique he created…which split the background and foreground of pre-shot live action footage into two separate images into which he would animate a model or models, seemingly integrating the live-action with the models.”
Buy The 7th Voyage of Sinbad from Movie ZyngSinbad (Kerwin Mathews) is traveling with his fiancee Parisa, Princess of Chandra (Kathryn Grant) to Bagdad where they will marry and unite their countries. They stop at the island of Colossa and find Sokurah (Torin Thatcher) the Magician pursued by a stop-motion, cloven-hoofed cyclops because he stole a lamp. Sokurah calls forth a genie, whose powers can’t be “used to work harm,” but helps them all escape. However, the lamp is lost after the cyclops throws a rock, capsizing their boat.
In Bagdad, Sokurah foresees war between the two countries of the wedded couple. After Parisa is shrunk to inches-tall, a mission back to Colossa is required to retrieve roc eggshell to restore her. Sinbad offers prisoners pardons but shortly after setting sail, some talk of mutiny. They eventually lock up Sinbad and his supporters. They pass an accursed island where demons scream and drive men mad. Sinbad already knew of the island and suggests they put wax and cloth in their ears, reminiscent of The Odyssey, and then retakes the ship in a scene that runs too long.
Colossa is filled with great adventure due in part to the monsters Harryhausen and his team have brought to life. Aside from the aforementioned cyclops and roc, the island also contains a fire-breathing dragon and an animated skeleton, all of which are so lifelike and believable.
The video has been created from a new 4K restoration of the original camera negative and has been given a 2160p/ HEVC / H.265 encoded transfer that presented in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. It is also equipped with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible). The image is a mixed bag. At times, so sharp a focus that delivers great depth and texture details and such rich, colorful hues in scenes dealing with just humans or just monsters. When the characters are combined in frame, the image is soft and dim, even though the interaction is impressive as it repeatedly, Such as when Sinbad and the skeleton fight, it looks like they both are making contact with their swords and shields. Film grain is apparent and gets thicker during the special-effect shots and day-for-night shots.
Audio is available in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Mono. Dialogue is clear and located in front center channel. Ambient effects appear in the channels, such as the scene where they pass the island of demons and the storm rages around the listener. Composer Bernard Herrmann’s score evokes the setting and the mood as it fills the surrounds and makes good use of the sudwoofer.
Special Feature on UHD:
- The Harryhausen Chronicles (SD, 58 min) – Narrated by Leonard Nimoy, a 1998 documentary made by film historian and author Richard Schickel, includes interviews with Ray Bradbury, George Lucas, and Dennis Muren, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor and Creative Director of Industrial Light & Magic, and a winner of nine Oscars.
Special Features on Blu-ray:
- Audio Commentary – the participants are Harryhausen, visual effects experts Phil Tippet and Randall William Cook, author Steven Smith, and Arnold Kunert.
- Remembering The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (24 min) – Harryhausen discusses the making of the film
- The Harryhausen Legacy (26 min)– A number of industry folks sing the praises of Harryhausen, including visual-effects artists such as John Dykstra, the Chiodo brothers, and Rick Baker, along with directors John Landis and Joe Dante, and famous fans Forrest J.Ackerman and Bob Burns.
- The Music of Bernard Herrmann (27 min) – Biographer Steve Smith puts the famed composer in the spotlight.
- Photo Gallery (10 min)
- “Sinbad May Have Been Bad, But He’s Been Good To Me” Music Video (3 min)
- A Look Behind the Voyage (12 min) – An older featurette about Harryhausen and the film.
- This is Dynamation (Special Effects) (3 min) – A promo for the film and its special effects.
- Ray Harryhausen – Interviewed by John Landis (12 min) – Focuses more on Jason and the Argonauts.
Although the script and characters of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad don’t offer much depth, the realization of the fantastical creatures, which were brought to life by talented artists, is captivating and must have been mind-blowing for audiences back in 1958. The UHD presentation does the best it can, although is limited in some instances by the source. Fans of the movie and of Ray Harryhausen should enjoy digging through all the extras.
