Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas Review; Wait what does the Book do again?

 

Guess what? We have another Dreamworks film! This time it’s the 2003 movie Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. Bless this little movie’s heart, in same ways it wants to try but it feel very half-hearted.

A pirate name Sinbad wants to steal this treasure called the Book of Peace, really movie that is the best name you could think up? He wants it so he retire to Fiji. So Sinbad attack the ship the book in on, on its way to Syracuse. As he attacks, the Goddess of Discourse Eris sends Cetus, sea monster as she wants the book too. Sinbad sees that the Book is guarded by his childhood pal, Proteus, the Prince of Syracuse. Cetus attacks and Sinbad and Proteus fight it and Sinbad leaves without the book but he gets knock off into the sea and mets Eris.

Eris tells Sinbad to get the book for her and she will give him riches. Sinbad makes his way to Syracuse but abandons the plan when he sees Proteus‘ fiancee Marina. Eris however disguise herself as Sinbad and steal the book. Sinbad is arrested and claims Eris did it. Proteus defend his pal offers himself in Sinabd place. Sinbad is told to go to Tartarus, Eris’s realm to get the book back in ten days or Proteus will be executed. Sinbad agrees buy decides to head to Fiji.

However Marina, Proteus‘ sea loving gal sneaks on the ship and pays Sinbad to go Tartaus. They get into a few scrapes from Eris like Sirens and the Roc and Sinbad and Marina go from disliking each other to love. Sinbad also tells her the the reason he left Syracuse ten year prior to the movie is because he feel in love with her but she was promised to Proteus.

So they make it to Tartarus and Eris reveals her whole plan, that she knew Proteus would sacrifice himself to Sinbad and that Sinbad would be a jerk and not return if he could get the book which would leave Syracuse in chaos without an heir, Eris makes Sinbad a deal that if Sinbad truthfully tells whether he will return to Syracuse to accept blame and be executed she will surrender the book. Sinbad say he will but she calls him a liar. However as Protues is about he be beheaded Sinbad shows up accepts his death. But then Eris shows up and gives back the book because when gods makes a promise they have to keep it. So everyone is happy and Proteus gives up Marina and she and Sinbad hit the open sea together the end.

Let’s just tackle the BIG issue with this movie. Sinbad is Persian in origins not Ancient Greek. This movie have nothing to do with Sinbad or any legends of the seven seas. Sinbad was just used in the title for name recognition. Hey, if you want to tell a Sinbad story great, do it but this isn’t one. And hey, if you want to tell the story of Ancient Greek Pirates who have to deal with evil scheming Godess, fantastic that is great but don’t use Sinbad’s name, use one of the Ancient Greek Pirates, or make something up. I suppose Sinbad could be Persian since he only mentioned he lived in Syracuse at only point in his life and he said nothing about where he was born, so the film could have mitigated Sinbad’s origins and the style but they didn’t so it an issue.

Also this films get some other things wrong, like Fiji. I’m going out on a limb here, Fiji wasn’t known to the Ancient Greeks. Maybe I’m wrong but Ancient Greeks Shipping routes kept to the Mediterranean and Fiji is in the South Pacific. I get that Sinbad is explorer and goes everywhere but it’s just on those things that takes you out of the movie, like Sinbad using the word Sushi. Since I’m being am nitpicking for fun, Sushi’s origins in Japan can be traced to 8th century.

Also while I’m on a nitpicking spree, Tartarus wasn’t Eris‘ hangout it was used a dungeon of torment and the prison for the Titans. Anyway now let’s just talk about the film proper.

Sinbad is a Small Big movie. It has adventure but aside from some minor character development it doesn’t mean to much too in the ending . Also when it comes down to it the resolution is handle very quickly. It’s a small story told like it’s a big sweeping epic when it’s not. If it wasn’t for Eris padding out the movie the adventure part , which is the selling point, wouldn’t have happened.

Also this movie took it’s conclusion from Hercules where the Gods keeps their word but the humans don’t.

Then we have our characters. Sinbad is a rouge al la 1940’s Pirate movies. Really he is fine, sort of snarky but he’s fine . Proteus is nice I guess, he does have much of a character outside proper gentlemen who can fight type. Marina is feisty but that is all I can really say about her. The dog is fun.

But really the only character I liked was Eris, who is just this femme fatal type but I think part of her charm is her animation.

The animation is odd. It’s a combination of Hand drawn characters with CG everything else. For the background it was fine for the most part but the monsters looked bad and sometimes the characters against the CG backgrounds looked awkward. The only time it worked was with Eris and that is because they kept her otherworldly and in dark so the contrast wasn’t as strong and meld better.

Also the sirens looked Way better than Cetus, that island thing, Roc and Tartarus.

That being said why don’t the character wear Grecian clothes? Again just takes me out of the movie. Like Eris in a chiton could have had really animation. I’m not sure what the rest of character are wearing though it looks vaguely Arabic expect the movie clearly has that Greek setting. It’s weird unless they were supposed to be in lost in execution?

Despite it’s weird decisions Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is just a okay but boring movie. It just feels like it was giving about 50%.

So Marina’s name means the Sea and Sinbad loves Marina which means he loves the sea. Ha, so clever, It’s just like The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, muir also means sea in Old Irish.