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Sinbad - Legend of the Seven Seas
Actor(s): Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joseph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dennis Haysbert
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: VHS Tape
Creator(s): Editor Tom FinanProducer Dino AthanassiouProducer Jeffrey KatzenbergProducer Jill HopperProducer Mireille SoriaWriter John Logan
Director(s):
EAN: 9780783294117
Format(s): AnimatedClosed-captionedColorFull ScreenNTSC
ISBN: 0783294115
Label: Dreamworks Video
Language(s): English Original LanguageItalian Original Language
List Price: $7.25
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
Number Of Items: 1
Package Dimensions:
Height: 1.1"
Width: 5.4"
Length: 1.1"
Weight: 0.6 lbs.
Product Group: Video
Publisher: Dreamworks Video
Release Date: 2003-11-18
Running Time: 86minutes
Studio: Dreamworks Video
Theatrical Release Date: 2003-07-02
UPC: 678149084030
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com:
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, an animated adventure from the DreamWorks studio, has little connection to the original fables from the Arabian Nights, but it's an entertaining romp nonetheless. Sinbad (voiced by the midwest vowels of Brad Pitt) gets commissioned by the wicked goddess Eris (Michelle Pfeiffer) to steal a magical book called the Book of Peace from the city of Syracuse--but the prince of Syracuse turns out to be a childhood friend of Sinbad's. So Eris steals the book herself and frames Sinbad, making the hero sail to the edge of the world to get it back, accompanied by Marina (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a woman he's secretly loved for years. The movie skillfully blends hand-drawn and computer images. The storyline is surprisingly well-constructed and actually has some thoughts about friendship and personal fiber, while providing all the swashbuckling, derring-do, and cliffhangers you could want. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews Average rating - 4.0
Rating - 1 Date: 2008-12-23
Content: It's difficult to put into words how much I loathe this movie.
This half-baked story involves a "Book of Peace" being stolen by Eris, Greek Goddess of Chaos (aka Hades Lite), who frames Sinbad for the crime. He is going to be killed, but his goody-two-shoes bud Proteus steps in. Proteus agrees to be "substituted" for Sinbad, setting Sinbad free on one condition: that he'll retrieve the Book of Peace. Unfortunately for Proteus, by substituting himself for Sinbad, he also takes on that pesky death sentence. If Sinbad doesn't return, he dies. So Sinbad galumphs off to save Proteus with his crappy sidekick dog and his PC crew. Proteus' fiance Marina stows aboard to crack the whip, because who else will lecture everybody on how women are just as good as men? Then she instantly attains +1000 sailing points in a moment of enlightenment (because her name is Marina, GET IT) and is suddenly capable of piloting this boat without any help but that of aforesaid crappy sidekick dog. There are many lame placeholder fights, forced character changes, horrible dialogue ("Who's bad? Sin-BAD!"), and horrible voice acting.
Let's take a look at the animation. Horrid. Jarring, crappy CG elements are easily picked apart from their traditionally animated counterparts; they simply look too different from each other and never meld to form a competent whole. Character designs were bland and instantly forgettable, and stylistic elements sometimes appeared more like deformations (for example, Sinbad has unfortunate stumpy elephant legs). Colors were just as jarring and cheap looking. For the first time, I feel led to comment on the characters' clothing -- it was all so, well... blah. Almost like the clothes were drawn on as a second thought, and almost never fitting or interesting. When all is said and done, judging by animation alone, Sinbad looked for all the world like an ambitious Saturday morning cartoon.
That said, there are a few moments where the animation shines. The sea of sand stands out in particular, and Eris' transformations and magic are sometimes quite good. These shining moments, unfortunately, are few and far between.
Secondly, I hated all of the characters. They were practically forced together. Proteus was far too good; I did not understand his friendship with Sinbad at all. Marina was our necessary feminist lecturer (bleagh, why?). Sinbad was a jerk, a shallow and unlikable one; and before anyone says, "That's the point!", may I bring up Jack Sparrow and the protagonists of Road to El Dorado? It's possible to be likable and a ruffian; Sinbad fails this, and miserably, too.
I also want to stress my hatred of the politically correct crew on board Sinbad's ship. Every single person is of a different race, which is downright goofy in the ancient era where Sinbad is set. Not only is there a samurai hangin' out on board (what?), there's a Mexican guy with an obnoxious accent and an even more obnoxious name ("Rat"). Rat's existence is mind-boggling, because Sinbad is, you know, IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. In the ancient days. By ancient days, I mean, "b.c.". You can't even say that Rat is from Spain because back then, Spain and Spanish didn't exist. Look, multicultural arrangements are great... if they make sense, if they're natural and not forced and preachy. But in ye olden dayes, they just weren't all that common; those Chinese twins would have had to cross thousands and THOUSANDS of miles by foot and camel just to sail with Sinbad (Equal Opportunity Employer). I'm so sick of obvious PC pandering; how many people really think that if a multicultural group isn't portrayed, kids are going to go crazy and join the KKK?
The greatest sin is the story, which is unimaginative, uninspired, and NOT linked to the original Sinbad in any way at all. The original Sinbad is a Muslim out of the Middle East; this Sinbad is in, uh, Ancient Greece? That's when I realized that Sinbad's name was the only thing carrying this movie. It was just tagged on there because it was instantly recognizable. Without it, nobody would remember this movie. That's because it hasn't an ounce of originality or a story worth squat. I can't believe that the producers of this dreck didn't think to take from the rich world of the 1001 Nights... oh, that would have taken too much effort, I suppose. All that bothersome reading!
There is no reason to watch this. It is the epitome of lazy animation. You won't even want to let your kids watch the awful thing because of the double entendres, and chances are they'll get bored at the forced romance. There's just nothing redeemable about this.
Skip this one. Watch some Disney flicks.
Summary: Scheherazade Is Rolling
Rating - 5 Date: 2008-11-02
Content: The legend of Fa Mulan was one of my favorite stories as a Chinese-American growing up in San Francisco some decades ago. I now live abroad and generally make it back to the Bay Area every summer. The year that "Mulan" was released, I didn't get to San Francisco until after its initial theatrical run. I did find it at a smaller neighborhood theater and my father immediately agreed to see it with me. To my great surprise, what we saw was a special version dubbed in Cantonese. My Chinese wasn't good enough to catch most of it, but I could understand enough to not have to pester my father with questions throughout the movie. About halfway through, he asked if I could recognize the voice of the captain. I couldn't, and with a smile he told me it was Jackie Chan. My father passed away almost three years ago, so that is now a very cherished memory. However, leaving it at that would diminish the impact that the movie had on me on its own merits: I was very impressed by its depiction of the rite of passage against enormous odds of a conflicted protagonist who just happened to be a non-Caucasian. Eddie Murphy was outstanding, Jerry Goldsmith contributed one of his last great scores, and my father didn't complain TOO much about the watering down of the original story. As entertaining as "Kung-Fu Panda" is, it absolutely pales in comparison to the style and grace of "Mulan." And Jackie Chan's part is much meatier anyway!
Summary: One for Dad
Rating - 4 Date: 2008-10-20
Content: This is not one of Dreamworks better known animated movies, but it's worth seeing nonetheless. The graphics are quite good, and the story entertaining enough. The title is a misnomer-there's little of the authentic Sinbad from the Arabian Nights tales, rather the Sinbad character in the movie is closer to Odyesseus and Johnny Depp- but who cares, it's good fun.
Summary: Pretty good
Rating - 1 Date: 2008-08-25
Content: I was not at all impressed by Dreamwork's take on Sinbad. This movie is a cheese and baloney sandwich *with the exception that a cheese and balony sandwich is somewhat filling* because it has has some of the cheesiest lines ["lets get wet!"]["Who's bad Sin-bad"] and full of baloney. Why would Marina choose Sinbad over Proteus anyway, oh thats right she wanted AN ADVENTURE ON THE HIGH SEAS! OH WHOOPIE! And oh boo hoo Proteus is so boring, Proteus who was willing to die for Sinbads crimes when Sinbad would probably just leave him hanging. Sinbad is irresponsible and cocky so his suddenly "seeing the light" never fully convinced me as a viewer.
Sinbad: a SINfully Bad movie
Summary: Why do people like this?
Rating - 5 Date: 2008-07-03
Content: Some of you may remember the preview for this movie being something like this: "From the creators of Shrek--- fart jokes!" I thought I would hate this movie. I was absolutely wrong.
It's deep. It's emotional. It's entertaining for all ages, has beautiful art, animation and design, great music, and a profound message. Why can't more movies be like this?
Summary: Surprisingly fantastic!
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