It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is a prime example of a mixed bag. I really couldn't stand many of the actors; Caroline Munro is nice eye-candy, but not much more, and Aldo Sambrell feels wasted, and don't get me started on the 'comic relief' of the young kid with the big hair and goofy attitude). And the first half hour especially, or the first half really, is flatly directed and poorly written stuff.Two things keep this afloat though: the Harryhausen effects (though they take time to really get going, it's really the six-armed buddha-statue, and the Minotaur and falcon-beast that steal that part of the show, though a bat-spy is kinda cool), and, actually more than Harryhausen, Tom Baker. Just his eyes are the stars of the movie. At first I thought he'd come off kind of like a second-rate Anthony Quinn from Lawrence of Arabia- kind of an Arab minstrel show. That goes away very quickly, and he really digs in to the heart and soul of his character. He is a dastardly villain this Prince Koura, going after these three golden trinkets that will give him the fountain of youth. And of course he conjures monsters and every time he does it makes him old and weak.But keep an eye on his intense, sky-blue eyes and how he moves his face and mannerisms, or just the fervor his Koura has when he is searching through the golden chests inside the part of the temple for the piece as Sinbad and his men (and woman) approach: you almost want him to get it, just by the nature of how bland Law is. He might have been a fine Diabolik, but that was without a lot of his face showing. It has the similar problem as Jason and the Argonauts - matter of fact, the similar structure of a Man on a Voyage on a Ship (he even gets some crew, though a lot of the men are already assembled ad the start) - only with Argonauts, the effects were really masterpieces of effects work.Here, frankly, Harryhausen has his moments, surely for the climax of creatures, but he has not one but two creaky statue-monsters this time (the woman on the ship that break off and attacks the men is OK, but feels like a retread of Talos from Argonauts), and the final fight involves an invisibility trick that hasn't aged well, one of those rare times watching a movie with practical effects where I wished for CGI of all things.So even with him it's not all aces. Still, there's a part of me that has an admiration for this fluffy stuff meant to really keep kids in 1973 occupied on a Saturday afternoon. For that, it is a low matinée-worthy price. And Baker especially, well, one can see why he was picked as the Fourth Doctor after this movie. He really is the reason to see the movie more than anyone else: a fully embodied, passionate, crazed and even sympathetic villain.

Sinbad (John Phillip Law) and friends search for the third piece to a map that leads to the Fountain of Destiny. Along the way they must deal with the evil magician Koura (Tom Baker) and the many threats he puts in their way. These threats are brought to life by special effects legend Ray Harryhausen.Wonderful fantasy adventure film, highlighted of course by the Harryhausen creations: homunculi, centaur, griffin, ship's figurehead come to life, and a six-armed Kali idol. But we also have Tom Baker having great fun playing the villain Koura and the beautiful Caroline Munro as Margiana, whose cleavage steals the picture. It's solid pure entertainment and my personal favorite of all the Sinbad movies.

Many Adventure films before RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK are great films but perhaps do not gel with our current conception of "adventure". This is one that does. It is an old-fashioned tale certainly, but it was deliberately retro in 1974 too. The action scenes are exciting and imaginative. Harryhausen's effects are vivid, tangible and fluid; a world apart in artistry to the effects in something like last year's joyless CLASH OF THE TITAN update. The characterisation and performances are above average for the genre too; John Phillip Law is a charismatic and photogenic Sinbad, and it's a great shame he didn't stay on for SINDAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER. Tom Baker is a marvellous villain, who under the circumstances is rather restrained. Kurt Christian does brilliantly with a role that could have easily been lazy comic relief, but ends up as more, holding his own in the drama and fight scenes. And Caroline Munroe was one of the best Bond girls and is simply stunning here.All in all, THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD is a great watch for anyone of any age who wants some good old fashioned adventure fun.

This story unfolds effortlessly with noble characters who take us on a spontaneous adventure. It is a spin on the original story from "1,001 Arabian Nights." John Philip Law makes a dashing Sinbad, and he and his costars do a great job of underplaying. Even the villain is likable. This movie is a feast for the eyes with amazing costumes, sets, and Ray Harryhausen's legendary special effects. I love the historical and anthropological references to the evil eye, the temple of faces at Ankor Wat, the Gryphon, and a multi-armed Kali doing best version of Bharata Natyam. I also appreciate the message of fighting evil with bravery, positive attitude, etc. This is a great movie for kids.