7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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. It was this film that lead to the casting of Tom Baker in his most iconic role. The 4th Doctor in 'Doctor Who'.
Starring: John Phillip Law, Caroline Munro, Tom Baker (I), Douglas Wilmer, Martin ShawFamily | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
While 2013 might be remembered by a lot of film fans for the losses of stars like Peter O'Toole or Paul Walker or James Gandolfini, for those with an interest in the “below the line” (to use show business parlance) craftsmen, perhaps the saddest death of the year was Ray Harryhausen. Harryhausen at least lived to the ripe old age of 92, but his passing seemed to be a none too subtle reminder that the days of practical special effects may largely be a thing of the past. Stop motion animation still has its adherents of course, as my hometown of Portland has proven with the former Claymation Studios which morphed into Laika and produced such recent outings as Coraline and ParaNorman, and with such well known filmmakers as Tim Burton (Frankenweenie) and Nick Park (Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Collection) continuing to ply their craft in this medium. But with the increasing dependence on CGI for virtually all visual effects these days, stop motion is seen as something almost intentionally ironic and “retro”, a throwback rather than an evolving art form. Harryhausen will no doubt remain the single best known artisan in this medium, one who gave hordes of baby boomers some of their most memorable cinematic thrills in films like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts. His two 1970s era Sinbad films aren’t usually listed at the top of his impressive oeuvre, but they’re both hugely enjoyable on a basic level and they each offer substantial delights in the now arcane methodology of “Dynamation”.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1. This is another stellar looking high definition transfer from the almost always reliable Columbia – Sony. Colors are gorgeously saturated and vivid looking, with a glut of rich royal purples, blues and reds to keep the eye entertained. Fine detail is remarkable (look at the weave of Koura's turban and veil in screenshot 10). The film is obviously awash in optical effects, which necessarily bring with them added softness and grain. That said, grain is very heavy and kind of mottled looking at times, even in shots that aren't opticals, including some of what was probably the second unit footage aboard the boat (see screenshot 6). There's also some slight but noticeable flicker in the very first scene, which soon disappears and never recurs. Overall, though, this is a beautifully organic looking presentation which more than adequately preserves the lustrous cinematography of Ted Moore (famous for his work on several James Bond features).
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad features a nicely repurposed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that does a good work of encompassing the listener in several set pieces like the big, thunder and lightning filled storm that blows Sinbad and his crew to Marabia. Still, the best feature of the widened soundtrack is probably the wonderful music of Miklos Rozsa, which sounds spectacular. Dialogue is never lost in the mix (though some of the faux "eastern" accents are a bit thick), and fidelity remains strong and true throughout this offering. Purists may decry the lack of the original sound mix here, but what's here isn't overly artificial sounding and should please most discriminating audiophiles.
Younger (more cynical) types may not find The Golden Voyage of Sinbad as immediately captivating as some of Ray Harryhausen's earlier work (including his earlier Sinbad effort), but those who still delight in their inner child will probably find enough vestigial wonder here to enjoy this lesser but still entertaining film. Columbia has offered up another great looking transfer, and while supplements aren't especially numerous, this release comes Recommended.
1958
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1977
Ray Harryhausen Signature Collection
1963
Limited Edition to 3000
1960
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1961
The Son of Kong
1933
1981
1983
1976
2013
1974
1989
1962
2014
1977
2014
1982
1981
Screamers / L'isola degli uomini pesce / Something Waits in the Dark
1979
1966