Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger

Sinbad and the Eye of the tiger

Director ~ Sam Wanamaker

Writers ~ Beverley Cross, Ray Harryhausen

1977, UK

Stars ~ Patrick Wayne, Jane Seymour, Taryn Power

 

Both the characterisation and dialogue veers between bad and bland, and often the story depends upon stupidity (“Are you looking for THIS? And THIS?” “Let me try this magic potion on a mosquito that looks like a bee!…”) and there’s a streak of inconsistency and daftness, as if this is just a first draft script.

 

“Best to keep him caged,” then he’s playing chess on deck, etc).

Or:

“Sounds like an earthquake!”

“There can be only one possible answer!”

“The witch…!”

Oh, so “earthquake” wasn’t the logical answer?

Or:

How does he think he’ll win the fight on the stairs?

Or:

One minute Trog fears the temple entrance; the next he’s helping them lift the lock on the door.

            Or:

The gull-foot seems to be forgotten about.

 

And a little casual sexism and racism and full of both impressive and bad matte work. But you don’t really go to a Harryhausen film for the script (by Harryhausen and Beverley Cross) we’re here for Harryhausen creations and in that we can be satisfied. The opening ghoul attack is promising, but mostly it’s oversized animals rather than monsters. The Minaton radiates inhuman menace (apparently Patrick Mayhew was the stand-in, having just been ‘Star Wars’ Chewbacca) and the Trogolyte and the baboon out-act everyone else. Whereas Margaret Whiting gives the hammiest villain she can ham, the subtlety and nuance of Harryhausen’s amazing work on the baboon is perhaps lost because it is not making realistic the fantastic but realising something more recognisable and by extension, less magical.  Of all the sets, it’s the journey through the ice tunnels with all the frescos of frozen victims that impresses most.

 

 

It's then a weaker work ~ yes, the Minaton creates a bit of a shudder of intimidation although its demise is a bit ignoble; the baboon is a fascinating achievement, but we live in a time w

here realistic sci-fi talking racoon is just a standard and one of a rash of CGI realistic critters on offer at any cinema season. Of course, ‘Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger’ came out the same year as ‘Star Wars’ and a new age was obviously being ushered in. The realism given a fantastical dinosaur in ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ is astonishing, and yet there is always a place for going back to old-school stop-motion, because being aware that it is the work of one man’s dedication is still thrilling and jaw-dropping. So there is still awe and pleasure in Harryhausen’s effects work, but it is a shame that more strength of story doesn’t ward off datedness.