Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) User Reviews (79)

For children when wonder and Imagination were still in vogue!

[lambiepie-2 · 7/10 · 28 June 2003]

(Minor Spoilers)

Let's be honest and a tad realistic about this film, shall we?

By TODAY'S standards, this is a "cheesy" kinda film compared to what technology we've got. And I think at the time of this release we had gotten "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Star Wars" so our expectation levels were running higher for "special effects" and "whimsy" than this.

But I still can get entertainment out of this film.

How?

By remembering how old I was when I saw it and WHOM I was with when I saw it. My family.

I was a child. This film wasn't in my all time top ten, but it was...fun. It was one of those movies local channels threw on Sunday afternoon before or after a televised ball game..or when a ball game was rained out. Come on, admit it..you remember!

And that's the point. This film's special effects were nice..not spectacular..not even up to Ray Harryhausen's standards, but the Harryhausen mark was there which made it entertaining (Admit it, you LOVED the walrus scene!! How 'bout that Cyclops?!?! As a child this was all good! You remember!!).

For very young girls, this Sinbad was REALLY nice to look at back then. For the very young guys, so was Miss Jane Seymour and Miss Taryn Power. Then there was the story which was kinda fun, the adventure which was kinda whimsical and the happy ending where the bad guys got theirs'.

This was done at a time of assuming children would love this kinda stuff. Back then, more would have. Now, most children don't even think "Spy Kids" can give them a buzz.

This movie is about childhood and remembering what it was like to have an imagination and watch a story unfold for nothing but the sheer enjoyment of it...the fun of eating "Good 'n' Plenty", "Snowcaps", "Malted Milk Balls" and Popcorn without thinking about calorie content to make this even more fun to watch...and the "eye candy" of Wayne, Seymour and Power help a so-so story that's really better than a lot of stuff I've seen today that they charge ya $10 a ticket for! Parents may not have liked it as much as the children but that too is part of the fun!

Have a heart when watching this. Watch this as a "fun" romp....as remembering when families watched shows together (..or in my case my dad mumbling under his breath about how the game was due on and he had to sit through this 'crap' first!), the pre-teen tingles of watching a handsome Wayne, young Seymour and/or Power (...ya know...before having breast implants and weighing 95 pounds was mandatory in Hollywood for women to do this kind of film work?!?) and telling your parents you were REALLY interested in the story...really.

Maybe I've got a more "nostalgic" view about this film..its because I'm not looking for academy award winning material with this kind of film, but it does its job of...entertaining...and if you have children and want them to be children for a tad longer, this may be the film fare for them. Or just for you, if you want to curl up with some popcorn and remember "the good old movie fluff days" where special effects were done by hand and stop motion photography by the "grand-daddy" of the genre and a Sinbad movie where Sinbad actually looked like you might imagined him to look like back then and evil characters who were evil and got theirs....pretty much simplified.

Open your mind and when you have a moment...enjoy. Don't take it seriously just sit back... watch...and HAVE FUN..with your children, as a family.

Still holds up pretty well after 26 years

[Apollo_Tweed · 7/10 · 4 December 2003]

After having re-visited Harryhausen's Sinbad trilogy recently, I have decided that this one, overall, compares very favourably with the other two. It is the most epic of the trilogy and has the most ambitious storyline (POSSIBLE SPOILER) involving a voyage into a lost world hidden behind the ice sheets at the North Pole (no doubt an idea partly influenced by Disney's 1974 'The Island at the Top of the World').

The creatures in this one are the least spectacular of the trilogy (THE SEVENTH VOYAGE & THE GOLDEN VOYAGE have better and more spectacular ones) but Harryhausen's artistry is as great as ever and he really should have been given a special accolade for imbuing Kassim the Baboon and the Troglodyte with so much character. It really is remarkable watching them 'act'. Demanding kids may find the creatures disappointing but now that I am older I can appreciate the fine work that went into realising them. Harryhausen's puppet work possesses a tangibility that CGI is only just now coming close to emulating.

I also find that I care about the characters in this film and what happens to them. The woodenness of the acting and the dialogue of the previous 2 films in some way stopped me from caring very much. This picture does not suffer in the same way, as both acting and dialogue, while nothing special, are better here. Jane Seymour is also very easy on the eye and is the best looking Sinbad girl of them all.

Overall, highly recommended for young (but not very young) children and for adults who were kids when it first came out and want to recapture some nostalgic vibes. I feel that this one is best for a sense of epic adventure and empathetic characters, THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD is best for the monsters and THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD is quite possibly the best of the trilogy overall.

7/10 ~ 4/5 ~ Imperfectly Wonderful Ray Harryhausen Fantasy Fun.

[Doctor_Mabuse · 7/10 · 10 March 2005]

Sinbad the Sailor voyages to the mythic northern realm of Hyperborea to restore a caliph from an evil witch's transformation.

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, the follow-up to the classics The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, is an uneven conclusion to Ray Harryhausen's celebrated "Sinbad Trilogy". The troubled production began with a draggy script, budgetary restrictions and an inexperienced director; the film as released suffers from choppy editing, over-length and routine music scoring. One animation highlight (the giant walrus) is obscured by an optical snowstorm. The attractive cast performs listlessly and the villain is campy rather than truly menacing, although former "Doctor Who" Patrick Troughton is delightful as a befuddled wizard.

Yet, for all its flaws, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger remains an entertaining escapade in the old-fashioned Saturday-Matinée tradition. Costuming and settings are colorful and the film looks handsome in widescreen. The quest for the mystical Shrine of the Four Elements has a particularly epic quality with the usual eclectic blend of mythical elements set against the backdrop of the Arabian Nights.

Most importantly, Harryhausen's realistic stop-motion animation is as extraordinary as ever, with two of the animated-puppet creatures -- Kassim the Baboon and Trog the Troglodyte -- successfully functioning as actual communicative characters within the body of the story. Other wonders include insectoid demons, an over-sized mosquito, Minaton the Brass Minotaur and the saber-tooth tiger of the title.

Genuine movie fantasy is a rare commodity, and Ray Harryhausen's vision and conviction shine through the circumstances of production to make this a satisfying final visit to the land beyond Beyond.

DVD release is a gem for Harryhausen fans

[midnightrane · 6/10 · 29 December 2001]

Okay, so the film isn't a masterpiece for anyone involved, but the DVD is worth the price for Harryhausen fans. I won't reiterate a fairly lame plot but to say that a prince is morphed into a baboon and Sinbad must find a way to correct this untimely development in order to repay a friend and win the hand of the lovely Jane Seymour. All in all, the film turns out to be rather entertaining once Patrick Troughton makes it on-screen to flesh-out the dialogue. Overshadowing the movie's multiple shortcomings, however, is the always inspiring stop-motion work of Ray Harryhausen. The Trog and sabre-tooth are two fine creations and while we don't see anything on par with the 7 skeletons in "Jason & the Argonauts" or Medusa from "Clash of the Titans" there are some great moments with other creatures. While to be treasured as one of Harryhausen's last films the DVD also includes the added bonus of "The Ray Harryhausen Chronicles", an in-depth documentary narrated by Leonard Nimoy featuring a bio and interviews with today's FX masters. This and other features combine to make an otherwise average fantasy/adventure film worth a look--if you're a Harryhausen fan and you've got a DVD player. For all the extra features, I'll give the DVD a 6/10.

Enjoyed this film in 1977

[whpratt1 · 6/10 · 13 January 2007]

Enjoyed seeing this film after first viewing this film in 1977 and was spellbound and enjoyed the great acting of Patrick Wayne,(Sinbad) who manages to accomplish his task against the forces of Evil vs. Good. Taryn Power, (Diane) was very beautiful in her supporting role along with Margaret Whiting, (Zednobia). Sinbad has to face the evil powers of a wicked witch who uses all her powers to prevent Sinbad from carrying out his mission. It was nice to see Jan Seymour, (Princess Farah) who was very young and just starting out on a great career on the Silver Screen. In 1974 I really enjoyed that Sinbad film and this was even better when I first viewed this in 1977, it brought back fond memories, however, I love the films today and all the great graphics. This was just a look back at movies we thought were outstanding. They STILL ARE!

A weak Sinbad, but still a first-rate tale.

[G.Spider · 30 October 1999]

A film with animation by Ray Harryhausen. It's a pity he couldn't have animated Patrick Wayne, who's bland performance means he comes across as the least interesting Sinbad. It is Patrick Troughton's excellently enigmatic Melanthius and Margaret Whiting's icy Zenobia who are the real stars of this show.

Sinbad travels to find a way to break the spell which has turned a prince into a baboon, but Zenobia, who has plans to ensure her son is crowned king in the prince's place, calls upon the help of various mythical creatures. The minotaur is by far the best of these and ought to have faced Sinbad and his crew rather than just being crushed in an ignoble exit. Other memorable creatures include a giant walrus, insectoid-faced demons and a sabre-toothed cat. Though the central character of the title is somewhat lacking, this is still first-rate entertainment and genuine escapism, two things somewhat lacking in more recent films.

Wonderful adventure filmed in Spain where Sinbad seeks to restore a prince from monkey spell to which an evil witch has reduced him

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 22 May 2012]

Loose retelling of the ¨ 1001 Arabian nights¨ , based on ancient legends , deals with Sinbad The Sailor (Patrick Wayne) sails to deliver a cursed prince Kassin (Damien Thomas) to a dangerous island in the face of deadly opposition from a powerful witch (Margaret Whiting) . In the mysterious land Hyperboria Sinbad along with a sorcerer (Patrick Troughton) and his crew encounter magical and mystical creatures .

This exciting picture contains swashbuckling , magic , fast-moving plot , thrills , impressive fights among monsters and lots of fun . 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 passable-developed screenplay and engaging acting by the entire performers . The cast is enjoyable with sons of famous actors as Patrick Wayne and Taryn Power and a gorgeous and very young Jane Seymour . Agreeable film but hamhanded and confusing if you seek the hidden plot . Ray can once again claim credit for the unusual and marvelous mythical creatures springing to life , such as Smilodon , Troglodite , Mandril , an enormous mosquito , a giant Morse and many others . The picture belongs a trilogy , produced by Ray Harryhausen and Charles H. Schneer , along with ¨The seventh voyage of Simbad¨ (1958) by Nathan Juran with Kerwin Matthews and Kathryn Grant and ¨Golden voyage of Simbad¨ (1973) by Gordon Hessler with John Philip Law , Tom Baker and Caroline Munro . Great and rousing musical score by Roy Budd . Colorful cinematography by Ted Moore , filmed in Jordan (Petra) and Spain . Rating : Acceptable and passable . The motion picture was professionally directed by the usual actor Sam Wanamaker . Don't watch this one for the screenplay , which almost doesn't exist , otherwise , mildly fun .

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.

Rounds out the trilogy nicely.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 9 July 2010]

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger is directed by Sam Wannamaker and is the third and final Sinbad film that Ray Harryhausen (and his stop-motion creations) made for Columbia after The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. It stars Patrick Wayne (Sinbad), Jane Seymour (Princess Farah), Taryn Power (Dione), Patrick Troughton (Melanthius), Margaret Whiting (Zenobia) and Nadim Sawalha (Hassan). Studio work was done in England, with the exterior location work done in Spain, Malta and Jordan.

Evil sorceress Zenobia has designs on the throne and transforms the heir, Prince Kassim, into a Baboon. Kassim's sister calls on Captain Sinbad for help, who learns that a fabled man by the name of Melanthius may be their only hope. They face a perilous journey to the end of the World (a place called Hyperborea) with Zenobia and her black magic tricks in hot pursuit.

Depending on if you are a fantasy/adventure fan or not may determine how much, if at all, you get from Sinbad & The Eye Of The Tiger. For the film is chocked full of cheese and acting of the hammiest kind. The plot is your standard set up for the irrepressible Sinbad-he must travel to some remote destination to stave off evil and realign the World, and our faith, in the name of good. While it's safe to say that the film is about 15 minutes too long for a Sinbad adventure. On the other side of the coin, tho, fans of the genre and Harryhausen's work are in for a treat.

The cast have as much charisma than you can shake a stick at, perhaps not surprising when you have the offspring of John & Tyrone starring, and the adventure is colourful and dealing nicely in the realm of the fantastique. It also finds Harryhausen on super form as we are treated to skeletal demons, a bronze minotan, a big bad wasp, a gigantic walrus, a trog and a snarling sabre tooth tiger. But best of all is his baboon because the creature is part of the cast from practically start to finish, thus it interacts with the human actors and has a personality all of its own. With one particularly emotive scene a real standout in the Harryhausen/Sinbad trilogy. For the girls is the sight of Wayne in fine physical and swash buckling shape, and for the boys is the twin niceties of Power and Seymour who steadily get skimpier in their attire during the course of the story. Troughton has a good time as the mad/eccentric/genius alchemist, while Whiting owns the film with her delightfully over the top trip into evil villainy.

It's presumed that newcomers to the movie know what to expect going into this one, whilst old fans revisiting it should hopefully find that it's holding up rather well considering the genre it sits in. Good old family fun that may be weak on story but strong on popcorn entertainment value. 7/10

Ray Harryhausen at his very best

[wvcruffler · 10/10 · 13 February 2005]

When I saw this in the theater as a 7 or 8 year old kid, I cried when it finished. It was by far the most captivating movie I had ever seen. I liked it better than Star Wars. The unbelievable stop-motion effects of Harryhausen still look great, even when compared to CGI. Things have not improved much. And Jane Seymore in the belly-dancer outfit! Good Lord! You must see this movie to believe it! The gold minotaur rowing the boat and the fight between the troglodyte and the saber-toothed tiger at the end stand out in my mind so strongly when I think of this movie.Get a copy of this movie, Jason and the Argonauts, and then Clash of the Titans and you have a fantastic Saturday afternoon of movie watching.

I liked this Sinbad movie!

[GOWBTW · 7/10 · 7 April 2007]

I haven't seen many Sinbad movies, but this one I liked very much. I remember seeing the preview when I was younger. And I said to myself, "This movie looks like fun!" The animation in the movie gave it plenty of character. And Sinbad(Patrick Wayne) was a fine man as well. The witch(Margaret Whiting) was a very fiendish woman. She makes all other witches look like amateurs, especially when she used her sorcery. Her only flaw is when her re-transformation from a bird didn't complete itself. It's when her right foot is still a bird's. The growth formula was something when one of the bees drank it. and was later killed by Sinbad. Jane Seymour does a great job playing Princess Farah. She really knows how to control, and tame things that Sinbad couldn't do. The giant walrus, the golden minotaur, and a the vicious saber-tooth tiger gives the movie something to see. I think this movie is very watchable, and very entertaining. I wished it had gotten better reviews than it did. 3 out of 5 stars!

Sinbad: Third time's a harm. The first real blunder of Dynamation!

[Death_to_Pan_and_Scan · 5/10 · 15 July 2006]

The third film is the weakest of the Sinbad trilogy. The trailers should've said "Starring John Wayne's son and Tyrone Powers' daughter!", I wasn't impressed by that casting. Personally, I thought Jane Seymour was one of the casting highlights in this flawed fantasy film. "Eye of the Tiger" not a bad film, but it is also not the great film that some people want to remember it as from their childhood.

I saw these Sinbad films as a child and re-watched them this week. Let's face it; this was the weakest of the 3 Sinbad films and of the 5 films in that Harryhausen boxset. The IMDb voters even seem to agree with me on this. Luckily for us, Ray Harryhausen, special effects genius and one-man workforce, followed this film up with "Clash of the Titans" before retiring thereby leaving the film world on a high note instead of this uncharacteristic stumble. This might have had 7 times the budget of the first Sinbad film (7th Voyage), but it was a big letdown to me after watching much better, more entertaining Sinbad films. If I seem harsh in this review, it is because I have recently re-watched several of Ray Harryhausen's films and some interviews and documentaries in said box set about his work. I know the magic his genius is capable of and I am grading this film against his other films. Some people on IMDb are whining because it came out around the same time as "Close Encounters" and "Star Wars". The real problem isn't that movie visual effects had moved forward, so much as that the work here isn't as impressive as it is in previous Harryhausen films.

The plot was basically a weak mirror of the 7th Voyage plot (gotta help restore a friend to normal, go to some crazy island to obtain magical help and faceoff against a purveyor of the dark arts). Actually all 3 Sinbad films can be vaguely described that way. The script makes some weak/lame turns to get to its destination.

While a friend didn't like Sinbad 'having an afro', I didn't mind Patrick Wayne's look as much as his uninspired acting. He never sold us on the Dynamation effects like Kerwin Matthews or John Philip Law (of Danger Diabolik fame).

THE CREATURES. I am 'grading on a curve' against Harryhause's capabilities from other films. His work here is good (and above what anyone else save possibly Willis O'Brien could do with similar tools), but definitely has been better in his previous efforts. -Golden Minotaur was very cool, but never properly utilized in this film. -bug-eyed demons were unimpressive creations. -sabretooth was fun, but looked more like a stuffed toy than past Harryhausen creations. -Trogolodyte was good. There were also: a baboon, a giant walrus and an overgrown bee. There isn't anything here to compare to his greatest creations: the Cyclops vs. Dragon, the Roc, 6-armed swordfighting Kali, 7 skeletons (in Argonauts), Griffon vs. Centaur, Pegasus, Medusa, etc. He doesn't top himself in this film, which was a letdown for me after seeing his better films.

I also felt that some of the travelling matte work had footage that to my eye didn't quite match up and distracted from the usual wonder of 'Dynamation' I've come to expect. Viewing this in my childhood I probably overlooked this, as an adult I cannot.

The film suffers from an abundance of what I call 'IDIOT PLOT MOMENTS', the likes of which one would expect from a slasher film. This happens too often in entertainment (especially in genre films and TV) when the writers need to get the plot from point A to point B and are either too lazy or lack creativity to get there properly or they are attempting something extremely unlikely for the characters and don't care about undermining the credibility or reality of the world they are creating. There were far too many moments where I wanted to scream at the screen while watching.

**SPOILER WARNING** SUMMATION OF 'IDIOT PLOT POINTS'

The Minotaur is a great mythology creature and could've been a great opponent for an exciting battle with Sinbad's crew, but was totally wasted here. What does he really do? He rows a boat, spears a drowning man and then proves his lack of sentience by pulling a large brick onto himself thereby crushing himself to death. Lame.

Melanthius the supposedly wise sage acts cluelessly so the plot can proceed where the writers want. He captures the witch (already established as highly dangerous and has turned Sinbad's friend into a baboon) and promptly evacuates the room of all other people (who could possibly stop him from his forthcoming blundering). He then reveals the map and key to the enemy and (inadvertently?) tells her where they are headed. Then, after taunting her with a dangerous bee, he gives the bee some of her potentially 'enlarging' potion so that it can become a danger to the crew and the witch can be afforded an escape and further plague the party.

After not running the treacherous witch through with a spear, the party inexplicably forgets to keep a close eye on Zenobia after the death of her worthless son while all watching starry-eyed as the Prince transforms back. Lo and behold Zenobia uses this oversight to possess the frozen sabretooth and attempt her vengeance. This begins the sabretooth vs. Trog battle. I am still annoyed by Sinbad's crew not taking the opportunity to slash the monsters legs thereby crippling its fighting abilities even if it wouldn't seem sporting in a G rated film (not that it stopped Koura from stabbing the Griffon's hindquarters to cripple it in Golden Voyage).

Brilliant magical adventure.

[poolandrews · 8/10 · 19 September 2006]

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger starts with Captain Sinbad (Patrick Wayne) arriving ashore after a long voyage to see his friend Prince Kassim (Damien Thomas) & his sister Princess Farah (Jane Seymour), however he discovers that Kassim has been transformed into a Baboon by his evil step mother Zenobia (Margaret Whiting) using black magic so her son Rafi (Kurt Christian) can become king. In order to prevent this Sinbad agrees to do all in his power to turn Kassim back into a human being & see him take his rightful place as king of his land. First he must find a wise man named Melanthius (Patrick Troughton), but that is just the beginning of the journey that spans continents & is full of danger & evil...

This English production was directed by Sam Wanamaker & I personally liked it a lot, I like all the Sinbad fantasy films & this is no exception. The script by Beverly Cross & producer/special effects man Ray Harryhausen has a simple yet functional story, it has a villain, plenty of monsters & mythical creatures, exotic locations, action scenes, sword fights, black magic & a chess playing Baboon, what more do you want? The film moves along at a nice pace, is never boring or dull & provides terrific entertainment of the kind that will never be seen again. The character's are a bit on the thin side with only Zenobia the villianess standing out as being memorable & the dialogue isn't great either but that's not the reason you would want to see Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger is it? Persoanlly I think it's a magical, hugely entertaining fantasy adventure with plenty of monsters thrown in there for good measure. I really, really liked it, it's as simple & straight forward as that.

Director the late Wanamaker seemed an odd choice, he's much more widely known as an actor & Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger was the only theatrically released film he ever directed, everything else he directed was made-for-TV. Anyway, he does an OK job & he integrates Harryhausen's effects & monsters into the action quite well although no one set piece really stands out as being brilliant, they're all very good but not as memorable as some of the other monsters & fights Harryhausen created for some of his earlier films. I loved the bronze Minatour & he was easily my favourite creature from the film. The special effects don't hold up that well in the light of today's multi million CGI effects but I'd rather watch the magical work of Harryhausen rather than a soulless computer graphic. Interestingly Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger came out the same year as Star Wars (1977) which probably put Harryhausen out of business & just about ended his career.

Technically the film is good, with nice locations, decent effects, costumes, sets & production design. There seems to lots of varying locations as well including the open sea, rocky mountains & a snow covered pole. The acting isn't anything special apart from Whiting who seems to be enjoying herself as she plays it up as the villain.

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger is a terrific film, it has all the elements one wants in a fantasy film such as this. My only question is why is it called Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger? Sure there's a cool sabre-toothed tiger in it but it doesn't have much significance & it's eye is never even mentioned or has any relevance at all. This was the third & final Sinbad film following The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) & The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973).

Flawed but very enjoyable childhood favourite

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 22 June 2010]

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger was something I loved as a child. From a 18 year old perspective, it doesn't enthrall me as much, but it still entertains me, even with its flaws. The screenplay is pretty weak and cheesy, the pacing rather uneven not helped by the fact the film is a tad overlong and Patrick Wayne a dashing if bland Sinbad, but there is still a lot to enjoy. For one thing, the special effects are absolutely incredible especially the chess-playing baboon and the ferocious sabre-tooth tiger and the scenery is breathtaking. Add a nice story, decent direction and a rousing score and you have an entertaining enough adventure. A few acting mentions wouldn't go amiss though. Jane Seymour is fabulously sexy as the Princess Farrah, the late Patrick Troughton is a deliciously enigmatic Melanthious and Margaret Whiting is very icy and chilling as cruel villainess Zenobia. Overall, entertaining and enjoyable, with flaws yes but I recommend it. 7/10 Bethany Cox

The weakest of the Sinbad films, but still has elements of merit for fans

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 21 December 2016]

The third and final instalment of the Harryhausen/Sinbad series and also Harryhausen's penultimate film before retiring from his work. I wish I could say this was a great way to go out, but it really isn't: in fact it's one of the most disappointing Harryhausen films I've ever seen. At least he finished with CLASH OF THE TITANS, which wasn't too bad at all. The problems with SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER are numerous, ranging from the obvious (bad acting) to the surprisingly shoddy stop-motion effects work at some points. And a proper storyline and a smidgen of originality wouldn't have gone amiss either.

The casting agent was obviously on the look out for cheap actors and actresses who were related to more famous personality; hence the casting of John Wayne's and Tyrone Power's offspring in the film. Patrick Wayne has little of the charisma and none of the acting skill of his father - all is forgiven, Kerwin Matthews - and is twice as dull. Taryn Power looks glamorous, but has a pointless role and is similarly lacking in the acting ability department. Chief glamour comes from Bond babe Jane Seymour, an actress whom I have personally always disliked, but she's actually not bad here. Probably because she gets little opportunity to open her mouth, instead flaunting her cleavage and lose her clothes whenever convenient.

Margaret Whiting seems to have come from the melodramatic school of acting, with an eye-rollingly villainous performance. Therefore it's a shame that she's not in the least bit threatening and impossible to take seriously. Patrick Troughton also shows up, wearing a smock and endowed with a grey wig and beard. His role is of a wise old magician, and he's happy to ham it up as much as possible. Fans of British horror of the period will no doubt spot HORROR HOSPITAL's Kurt Christian pop up in a minor role, while Damien Thomas, the evil Count Karnstein from TWINS OF EVIL, plays Kassim who has been transformed into a baboon for much of the film. And that's where the trouble really begins.

I mean, I know this film was of the extreme low budget variety (face it, even a lot of the backgrounds are looking poor here), but wouldn't it have been easier to get a real primate into the film instead of having poor old Harryhausen spending most of his time animating one? As the creature is on screen for nearly the whole running time loads of work must have gone into it and it sadly looks choppy and fake - definitely not one of Harryhausen's best. Also, annoyingly, some of the master's stop-motion effects take place at night, so that it's almost impossible to see what's going on. How infuriating!

The problem with Harryhausen's work here is the lack of originality, which I suppose we can only blame on the auteur himself. Almost ALL of the creatures in the film have been seen elsewhere. The giant wasp was already done in MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, the miniature woman was seen in THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, while the "fleshless ghouls" are just a riff on the bug-eyed aliens in FIRST MEN IN THE MOON. And the bronze statue of Minaton is just a poorly-disguised variation of the Talos colossus from JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS! On the film's plus side, one of Harryhausen's finest creations is in this film, in the shape of a ten foot tall troglodyte (sort of a cross between a Cyclops and a neanderthal), who is exceptionally well-animated and cool-looking. Surprisingly, this creature is also on the side of good for a change, and joins our party on their journey. Jar-Jar Binks he ain't.

Things do at least pick up for an impressive climax set in a pyramid (!), where we see the Aurora borealis getting channelled into the ground or something. There's an impressive battle between the aforementioned troglodyte and a good-looking sabre-tooth tiger and a predictable "collapse" of the building at the very end. The film also receives marks for having one original moment where the explorers travel to an icy region and battle a walrus; at least there was something that hadn't been done before. So, in all, SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER is a film for a) Jane Seymour fanciers, b) Harryhausen enthusiasts, and c) people who enjoy watching old-fashioned adventure yarns and don't mind over-long running times and a lack of acting and story. Not totally worthless, but definitely one of the weakest in the sub-genre, although that still makes it tons better than modern soulless CGI adventure films.

Harryhausen creations carry the day.

[Bynovekka1 · 19 September 2001]

Tip your hat to Ray Harryhausen. His stop motion animation monsters constantly distract viewers from the worst plots and the most awful acting performances within his films. In his third and final Sinbad outing, we again find bad acting personified in the form of Patrick Wayne in the title role. He's stiff as the perverbial board. But unlike John Philip Law in 'Golden voyage of Sinbad' he at least tries hard. And if nothing else, he looks the part.

The rest of the cast is somewhat better. A drop dead gorgeous princess. A aged greek scientist. His attractive daughter. An evil sorceress Queen and her just as evil son.

"Possible Spoilers!!!"

The plot....such as it is.....consists of the following; The aforementioned evil queen makes a monkey out of a soon to be crowded prince.....literally!!! In fact the poor guys been transformed into a baboon to prevent him from taking the throne as king. Hence the evil queen will be the big cheese in the kingdom.

The prince's ultra hot sister seeks a way to save him. To this end she enlists the aid of her soon to be hubby, the square jawed sea captain......Sinbad.

Sinbad informs his intended that the only one capable of helping her is the aformentioned aged greek scientist. The catch is he lives on a far off island and the prince must take the throne by a certain time or the evil queen's son.......who like any good son does everything mama tells him.......will become the new king.

Sinbad and crew set sail to the aged greeks isle. The evil queen pursues. Along the way both party's meet up with a number of impressively constructed Harryhausen visual whammys. Including: Bug-eyed sword wielding ghouls. A metal minator. A giant wasp. A giant stone aged primative. A monstrously large walrus. And a deadly sabertoothed tiger.

It is these non-living charactors that steal the show. But with Harryhausen pulling the strings we the audience would expect nothing less.

Fun Sinbad Adventure with Patrick Wayne, Jane Seymour & Taryn Power

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 12 December 2013]

I don't get why so many people pan this 1977 Sinbad adventure film, the third in a trilogy featuring Ray Harryhausen's special effects creations. The previous installments are 1958's "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" and 1973's "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad."

THE PLOT: Princess Farah's (Jane Seymour) brother, who's about to be crowned Caliph of the kingdom, is turned into a baboon by the envious sorceress Zenobia (Margaret Whiting) who wants her son to be Caliph instead (Kurt Christian). Sinbad (Patrick Wayne) escorts Farah and her baboon brother on a grand adventure to restore his humanity before Zenobia's son is crowned. The long quest includes meeting the wizard Melanthius (Patrick Troughton) and his beautiful daughter Dione (Taryn Power). They travel to arctic regions and along the way are exposed to all kinds of fantastical creatures and supernatural experiences.

Sinbad adventures play like a Middle Eastern version of Conan the Barbarian, albeit with a slightly funner edge and a less dour protagonist. So, if you love Conan you'll likely appreciate all three Sinbad films. And even though I describe it as having a fun edge, don't think "Eye of the Tiger" is goofy. It's not. This is a serious Sinbad adventure, but the protagonists exude the joy and vitality of living.

The items I demand in a Sinbad adventure are obvious: A good casting choice for Sinbad, a great adventure story & locations, a colorful assortment of likable characters & love-to-hate villains, beautiful women, and quality F/X work. "Eye of the Tiger" delivers in all these areas: Patrick Wayne is superb as the titular hero and IMO the best of the three actors who played the character in the trilogy (the others being Kerwin Mathews and John Phillip Law). I don't see why so many criticize him as "wooden" or somehow sub-par. He's perfect for the role and I'm bewildered as to why he didn't have a more stellar career. I know this is blasphemy to some, but I prefer him to his famous father. He's in the same masculine league as Charleton Heston and Burt Reynolds.

The story is everything you'd want in a Sinbad yarn -- grand adventure on the high seas with intermittent supernatural elements. The locations are fabulous -- Jordan, Petra (Melanthius's lair), Malta and Spain. There's even an arctic sequence with snowy locations and fairly convincing studio sets.

The characters are indeed colorful and well-cast. Whiting puts her heart & soul into her role as the witch with a capital "B" and Troughton is charismatic as the likable old magician.

As for women, this is one of the highlights of the film as the young brunette Jane Seymour and blond Taryn Power (Tyrone's daughter) are breathtaking to behold in every scene they appear. The film's worth watching just for Jane & Taryn. As for Harryhausen's effects, they're pretty much the same as his work in his other films, e.g. "Clash of the Titans," "Jason and the Argonauts" and "Mysterious Island." It just comes down to whether or not you like the creature(s) in question. Nothing here is as good as his Medusa and skeleton gang in other films IMHO, but it's a matter of preference. I personally don't find the saber-tooth tiger very impressive, but who can deny the greatness of the troglodyte as a sympathetic animated character? Anyway, the F/X sequences are just icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned. They don't make or break the film. The story, characters and locations are what really matter.

FINAL ANALYSIS: Don't listen to the critics! This is a very entertaining Sinbad adventure on all counts. It's main flaw is that it's too long for it's own good. Regardless, I have a good time whenever I see it and prefer it to the previous two films. Patrick Wayne is a great Sinbad, the story captures your attention, the locations are fabulous, and Jane Seymour & Taryn Power are delectable. It's at least on par with "The Golden Voyage," although I give "Eye" the edge.

The film runs 113 minutes.

GRADE: B

...not a strong Harryhausen-movie, but better than many people say...

[Prometheus9263 · 6/10 · 6 December 2002]

I must say first that I´m a great fan of Ray Harryhausen, and that may have a great influence to my opinion, but that movie isn´t really bad. It has good actors and the best-looking-Sinbad ever (if I should say that because I´m a man...). The effects are, as always in a Harryhausen-movie, excellent, but many people say that it was not for the best that Harryhausen took some creatures from earlier films: that might be partially true, the creatures from the beginning sequence are looking like the selenites from FIRST MEN IN THE MOON, but it is not the right of the master to copy himself? He did also in JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS with the fighting skeletons, where he copied Kerwin Mathews´ fight in 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD against the skeleton that Torin Thatcher took to life. Margaret Whiting (surely a good actress) as the opponent of Sinbad is not very strong. No comparison with Torin Thatcher in 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD or Tom Baker in GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD.

What about the horn of the Trogladite?

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 21 March 2020]

At least Joan Crawford doesn't come along with Trog's ball and doll in the final Sinbad entry of the Ray Harryhausen series of adventure films. It's an enjoyable entry where Sinbad (played here by Patrick Wayne) is on another adventure filled journey to find a cure for the spell put on his friend, Prince Kassim, turning him into a baboon like creature by nasty witch Margaret Whiting (not the singer) in her effort to gain power. Whiting and her companion (Kurt Christian, a far cry from his cowardly young sailor in the previous entry, "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad") follow him and his companions to a mysterious land where they encounter the dangerous looking Trogladite who actually has a soft spot for the ladies (princess Jane Seymour and Taryn Power) andexam in finding what they are looking for. They must hurry though because the baboon Prince is becoming more carnivoras which would prevent them from turning back into this princely self.

Delightfully over-the-top, Whiting transform herself self and ends up being caught where she loses of valuable locked it that contains the blood that could help the prince. This blood turns a common mosquito into a giant man killer, a sight to behold. Among the other fabulous creatures are a battling group of human skeletons with praying mantis like eyes and Whiting's deadly minotaur. It is once again filled with delightful set design and interesting special effects, but coming from the same year as the original "Star Wars", it finds itself overshadowed by that.

Only slightly gimmicky with a moderate element of cutesy interactions between the women, the baboon and the kindly Trog, this builds up in suspense to the very dramatic conclusion where the power of evil meets its match. Patrick Troughton has a nice supporting role as the wise man of the group, and Wayje is a dashing hero. This may be the last of the Ray Harryhausen "Sinbad" films, but it is by no means a forgettable one.

Is this the only film in which the hero gets to fight a gigantic killer walrus?

[JamesHitchcock · 6/10 · 11 September 2008]

Prince Kassim, the young heir to the throne of Baghdad, is magically transformed into a baboon by his evil stepmother, the witch Zenobia, who wants the throne for her own son, Kassim's half-brother Rafi. Sinbad, accompanied by Kassim's beautiful sister Princess Farah, as well as the Prince himself in his monkey form, sets sail in search of a cure. This being a Ray Harryhausen film, much of the plot involves the heroes struggling against various monsters, all animated by the stop-motion process which Harryhausen pioneered. This must be the only film in which the hero gets to fight a gigantic killer walrus. The title "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" may refer to the fact that, having seen off the walrus, Sinbad then has to battle a sabre-toothed tiger, although I am not sure how the "eye" part fits in.

This was the third and last of Harryhausen's films about the legendary hero Sinbad the Sailor, the others being "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" and "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad". It was not, however, Harryhausen's final film; that was to be "Clash of the Titans" from four years later. In the fifties and early sixties his techniques of film-making (which he named "Dynamation" or "Dynarama"), combining stop-motion animation with live action, seemed something new and exciting, opening up new possibilities for fantasy films. By the late seventies they were starting to look old-fashioned; there is little in "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" (which came out in the same year as "Star Wars") to distinguish it from "The Seventh Voyage" which had come out nearly twenty years earlier.

Today, of course, films made using the "Dynamation" process have a very retro feel to them, but I have long had a soft spot for Harryhausen's work ever since I was taken, as a child, to see a double bill of "The Seventh Voyage" and "Jason and the Argonauts" as part of a friend's birthday treat. I would not rate "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" quite as highly as either of those films. The acting is variable; neither Patrick Wayne as the hero nor Taryn Power has the talent or the charisma of their famous fathers, but Margaret Whiting as Zenobia makes a splendidly over-the-top villainess, former Doctor Who Patrick Troughton is good as the wise old philosopher Melanthius and Jane Seymour as Farah looks as lovely as ever. With its fairy-tale Arabian Nights atmosphere, this film can perhaps best be described as the cinematic equivalent of a pantomime, and like most pantomimes serves as very enjoyable family entertainment. 6/10

Really cheesy but lots of fun

[Marta · 10/10 · 7 February 1999]

This is one of my guilty pleasures; everyone makes fun of me because I love this movie. Ray Harryhausen has been panned over this film, but I think he did a fantastic job. It's inventive and eye-catching, and the Minoton is a marvel.

Patrick Wayne is strong-jawed and stalwart as Sinbad, but Jane Seymour, as the princess, obviously hadn't done much acting yet when she made this film. She's really bad in the role of Sinbad's love interest. She beat Bo Derek by 4 years in starting the cornrow hairstyle, and most of her hairdos in this movie are more interesting than her acting. The biggest hoot in the movie is Margaret Whiting as the evil Queen. She's got an accent that won't quit, but as the film goes on that accent begins to fascinate the viewer; she's a really good actress, which surprised me. Even when she turns herself into a seagull.

It's the outlandish creatures, scenes, and settings that a Harryhausen movie always has that are its great charms, and this film is one of the most inventive of his career. Don't expect rocket science when you watch this, just expect to be royally entertained. The new Twilight Time Blu-ray release (December 2013) of the film is a wonder and highly recommended, but hurry and order it today...there are only 3,000 copies available.

Supporting characters rule the ship

[jcholguin · 6/10 · 16 June 2002]

Whenever I think of Sinbad, I always think of creatures, more creatures and then Sinbad and his sword. This movie has some interesting creatures but the whole story revolves around people. A prince is changed into a baboon just before he is crowned as the new ruler. Magic from a witch by the name of Zenobia is the culprit. Sinbad loves the sister of the prince and vows to seek out Melanthius a wise man played wonderfully by Patrick Troughton. Melanthius does not process any special powers except that of knowledge. Is knowledge enough to overcome the evil potions of Zenobia? The baboon, oops, I mean the prince falls in love with Melanthius's daughter Farah, played by Jane Seymour. So the beauty of Farah is used to the advantage of the travelers as a large Trog also falls for Farah. A fair outing for a Sinbad feature, but the real gems of the film are Troughton and Seymour, and of course some creatures to fight.

Great Harryhausen effects make up for poor screenplay

[Alberto-7 · 5/10 · 6 April 2006]

**Some light spoilers** If you compare the three Sinbad movies produced by Charles H. Schneer and Ray Harryhausen, this one is easily the weakest. Firstly, Patrick Wayne is dull as heck in the role of Sinbad. Secondly, the film is much too long. Thirdly, the dialog and story are poor even for this kind of movie. But not to despair there are several great reasons to watch it. The great Harryhausen monsters and the very sexy Jane Seymour are the main reasons. The great locations in Malta, Jordan and Spain are also very well chosen and add to the atmosphere. They seem like mysterious lands where monsters could be lurking at every turn(and usually are). The Harryhausen monsters are great especially the Troglodyte and the chess playing baboon. The Minoton is also cool (only in the animated sequences but certainly not when it is a man in a rubber suit). What can I say about Jane Seymour but WOW!! What she lacks in acting ability she makes up for in screen presence and beauty. Upon re-viewing the film I realized that the Sinbad character does almost nothing useful until the very end when he fights the Tiger. He is mainly there to go along with the other characters and look good. Wayne plays him with almost no personality whatsoever. Taryn Power (Tyronne's daughter) is OK in a secondary role but I suspect she was cast more for her looks than anything else. Margaret Whiting is completely over-the-top as the villainous Zenobia but at least she seems to be having fun with all the corny dialog(her transformation into a seagull is laughable and the only bad special effect in the film). One thing that struck me as odd is with the amount of great location footage shot in this film almost all the closeups were shot in a studio with a blue screen. This is very weird as it is obvious that the main cast are in the long and medium shots, shot on location. Did the producers run out of time or money before shooting the close-ups or what? Overall a good film to see on a rainy day or with a child. If you let your imagination take over it works even better.

Sinbad's final voyage

[ShadeGrenade · 9/10 · 2 April 2010]

Patrick Wayne ( son of John ) was a busy little guy in 1977. Not content with fighting dinosaurs and volcano worshippers in 'The People That Time Forgot', he also starred in Ray Harryhausen's third and final 'Sinbad' epic. Now, for those of us of a certain age, the name Ray Harryhausen conjures up powerful memories. Whenever one of his films opened in '70's Britain, it was as though manna had fallen from Heaven: 'Clapperboard' ( an I.T.V. children's programme about movies ) devoted a two-part special to its making ( featuring interviews with everyone including the tea boy ), clips found their way onto 'Screen Test', 'Blue Peter', and, if you were lucky, 'The Krypton Factor', and bubble gum cards containing action scenes went on sale in sweet shops. There'd be a paperback book ( the one for this film was by John Ryder Hall ) and a poster magazine. Then you'd trot along to the local picture house to get in line to buy popcorn and see the thing ( praying the best seat in the house would not be taken ).

The plots were identical - Sinbad and his crew ( with a pretty girl thrown in for good measure ) are on a dangerous quest to find some mythical artifact which gives its owner eternal life or magic powers or whatever. But an evil wizard would try to beat them to it, and conjure up all manner of grotesque monsters to slow them down. Of course good would triumph over evil at the end. So it is written.

'Tiger' opens with a coronation going badly wrong. Just before young prince Kassan ( Damien Thomas ) is crowned Caliph of Bagdad, he is unexpectedly changed by magic into a baboon. Being an ape can seriously impair one's ability to be a Monarch ( though its never proved much of a hindrance in Britain ), so his comely sister, Farah ( Jane Seymour ) turns to Sinbad for help. He sets sail for the home of benign magician Melanthius ( Patrick Troughton ). There must be a good hairdresser amongst the crew, as everyone's crowning glories looks permanently fresh and clean. Along the way they pick up Dione ( Taryn Power, sister of Tyrone ). Zenobia ( Margaret Whiting ) the evil witch who changed the prince in the first place, gives chase in a barge rowed by a minotaur-like creature ( Peter Mayhew ) with a clockwork heart. What about the monsters? Well there's a giant walrus, a big wasp, a troglodyte, a sabre-toothed tiger, and some weird looking skeletal things who fight Sinbad near the start of the picture. And we've got Jane Seymour and Taryn Power skinny dipping for good measure. All you want from a movie.

While not the best 'Sinbad' ( 1974's 'The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad' scoops that honour ) by a long chalk, this is still good fun, beautifully photographed by Ted Moore and nicely scored by Roy Budd. It drags in parts, most notably the scene where Zenobia changes into a seagull to eavesdrop on her enemies. As 'Zenobia', Whiting chews the scenery nicely. I wish her character's fate had been resolved though, and dear Pat Troughton's wizard anticipates his later role in 'The Box Of Delights' television series.

'Tiger' opened to a mixed critical response, but us kids loved every absurd word of it. No more 'Sinbad' pictures were made surprisingly. Ray went on to make 'Clash Of The Titans' ( recently remade for no apparently discernible reason ) in 1981 before retiring. While his stop motion animations ( or 'Dynarama' as they were grandly called ) may seem dated to modern eyes, to those of us who were there at the time they remain as thrilling as ever. His monsters look as though they were the creation of a genius. Which they were.

Directed by Sam Wanamaker ( Zoe's dad ).

The Worst of the Three, but still fun

[dwankan · 7/10 · 15 August 2023]

I recently re-watched the three Sinbad the Sailor movies, and this was my least favorite of the three, but it only barely falls behind The Seventh Voyage.

There are a lot of things I love about this last installment in the series, and quite a few that had me rolling my eyes.

The plot took a lot of interesting turns that were quite different from the previous two. Some of these were great, but some were not so great.

Jane Seymour wasn't even close to as annoying as Kathryn Grant playing Parisa, but her acting wasn't very good, and she was absurdly overplayed as eye-candy. She's great to look at, but they put very little effort into disguising the fact that she served virtually no other purpose in the film.

Some of the creatures were good, but none were as memorable as the creatures in the first two (the second had the best). The titular "tiger" was the best visually, but it felt very tacked on, as if they'd created the title for the film and then figured out a way to cram a tiger into the plot.

I did enjoy Margaret Whiting as Zenobia, adding a bit of nuance with a female antagonist, but there was virtually no logic to her "magic," a problem the other two films had as well, but this one took it to a new extreme.

All in all, it's a fun film to watch, if you can get past the cheesiness of it. Having enjoyed it as a kid might go a long way toward solving that problem, but if you've never seen it before, it may be far too dated for you.

entertaining but slow, not too memorable

[rebeljenn · 3/10 · 13 May 2006]

'Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger' is an old-fashioned action film about the sailor hero. This time, he tries to defeat a witch who has transformed the rightful king into a monkey so her son can be king. Throughout the journey to defeat her and restore the throne to its rightful owner, Sinbad and the others fight mythological creatures and provide several entertaining action sequences throughout the film. Although it is packed with action, the acting seems a little fake, and the direction seems somewhat lost throughout the film without a strong, defining characters and conflicts as one action sequence blends into another. Overall, it is not too bad for an older action film, but do not expect much in the way of a plot. It could have probably been a better story as the ideas were interesting.