The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

(On Cable TV, June 2020) Fantasy films weren’t as plentiful in the 1950s as they are today, so the all-out thrills of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad made a mark on an entire generation, and for good reason. As a fantasy spectacle, it’s still potent today. The special effects alone are worth a look, considering that they’re from master step-motion animator Ray Harryhausen and there are a lot of them. His creatures are still remarkably effective today, carrying both menace and personality. It’s a good fit for a film that’s still filled with charm and perhaps even more so today, given the dated nature of it all—arch dialogue, overdone musical dues and rough-hewn optical effects can either feel old-fashioned or old-school, depending on your perspective. The adventure with an eastern twist is not particularly complex in matters of narrative, but that helps it stay perfectly accessible today. Considering the amount of work that went into illustrating Sinbad’s fantastic voyages, it’s not a surprise if the film clocks shorter than expected at 90 minutes or so. It’s remarkably obvious why The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is still considered a milestone of fantasy filmmaking’s history.