Captain Sinbad (1963)

Fantasy films have come a long way from the early days of film making and over the years a few names have become synonymous with the genre. The adventurous stories about the sea voyages of Sinbad have been around for centuries. Different incantations have been seen and with each new version the audience is treated to new and amazing sights. Here we’re given a vehicle for Guy Williams, known for his television roles in Zorro and Lost in Space, that unfortunately does nothing to expand his acting ability but to show that he is very adapt to the action hero role.

Captain Sinbad returns home only to have to battle the dark forces of an evil tyrant who has kidnapped the beautiful princess. Even though a far superior Sinbad film was made in 1958 by Columbia Pictures, in 1963 King Brothers Productions chose to use poor special effects and cheap set design to carry this version. Even though marketed towards a younger audience, the effects don’t carry this fantasy tale where the audience’s attentions are focused. Through the whole film there are a couple effects that do work, the ship being bombarded with huge boulders and the giant hand protecting the tyrants heart. But even for a kids film the acting is stale and the battles seem a little too planned out.

There are many fantasy films out there, old and new, that have strong merits to be watched, and they should be watched by audiences young and old. Fantasy films help expand imaginations and keep them vibrant, and with an imagination that is always in motion your horizons are always changing and becoming more adventurous.