Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
2/4
Starring (voices): Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Joseph Fiennes
Rated PG for Adventure Action, Some Mild Sensuality and Brief Language
If "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" had any less substance, it wouldn't exist. With cliched characters and a plot that is less complicated than its premise, this would-be swashbuckler is a misfire no matter how you slice it.
Sinbad (Pitt) is a fun-loving pirate who intends to steal the Book of Peace as one last score before he and his crew retire to Fiji. Of course, that means taking it from the rightful hands of his childhood friend Proteus (Fiennes). Just then, they are attacked by a wicked monster and Sinbad is pulled overboard. He is "saved" by Eris, the Goddess of Discord (Pfeiffer), who offers him a deal: steal the Book of Peace for her, and she will give him anything he wants. Sinbad accepts, but reneges on the deal. Eris then impersonates Sinbad and steals the book for herself. Convicted of the crime, poor Sinbad is sentenced to death. But Proteus volunteers to take his place until Sinbad can retrieve it. Now Sinbad is off to confront Eris, with Proteus's fiancée Marina (Zeta-Jones) tagging along to make sure that Sinbad doesn't screw over her lover.
I'd have to say that about 75% of the film is action, which should give you an idea of how thin the story actually is. To be fair, the film has a lot of energy and the animators worked really hard to create some eye-popping imagery, but with so little to support them, it doesn't take long for interest to lag and boredom to set in. At times it feels like a video game rather than a movie. Sinbad is faced with an obstacle that requires a lot of derring-do, and just when things get calm, Eris appears to make his life miserable. Conveniently, there was a video game tie-in with this movie. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that the video game was the dominant force in creativity as far as story and structure were concerned.
The voice acting is also lackluster. Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones do what they can with ill-suited roles. I have no doubt that they were cast more for their name recognition rather than if they fit the parts (which they don't). Joseph Fiennes appears in the thankless role as the one-note heroic third wheel. The film was made when he was flirting with A-list status (a thankfully brief period that never came to pass...I guess Hollywood sometimes does the right thing every now and then). Fiennes' dramatic range could charitably be called limited, but here at least he doesn't embarrass himself. Primarily because he doesn't have many lines or anything especially taxing to do. The real scene stealer is Michelle Pfeiffer who is deliciously fun as Eris. Her colorful performance as the wicked Eris is hugely enjoyable to watch, almost as much as James Woods' performance in "Hercules." It's obvious that Pfeiffer is having a ball, and I had just as much fun watching her character.
"Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" isn't a good film, but at least it's a harmless way to pass the time. Kids may enjoy it, but it doesn't come close to movies like "Pirates of the Caribbean," "The Mummy" or "Atlantis: The Lost Empire." If you see streaming on Netflix, it's diverting. But there are other, better movies to spend your time with.
Starring (voices): Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Joseph Fiennes
Rated PG for Adventure Action, Some Mild Sensuality and Brief Language
If "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" had any less substance, it wouldn't exist. With cliched characters and a plot that is less complicated than its premise, this would-be swashbuckler is a misfire no matter how you slice it.
Sinbad (Pitt) is a fun-loving pirate who intends to steal the Book of Peace as one last score before he and his crew retire to Fiji. Of course, that means taking it from the rightful hands of his childhood friend Proteus (Fiennes). Just then, they are attacked by a wicked monster and Sinbad is pulled overboard. He is "saved" by Eris, the Goddess of Discord (Pfeiffer), who offers him a deal: steal the Book of Peace for her, and she will give him anything he wants. Sinbad accepts, but reneges on the deal. Eris then impersonates Sinbad and steals the book for herself. Convicted of the crime, poor Sinbad is sentenced to death. But Proteus volunteers to take his place until Sinbad can retrieve it. Now Sinbad is off to confront Eris, with Proteus's fiancée Marina (Zeta-Jones) tagging along to make sure that Sinbad doesn't screw over her lover.
I'd have to say that about 75% of the film is action, which should give you an idea of how thin the story actually is. To be fair, the film has a lot of energy and the animators worked really hard to create some eye-popping imagery, but with so little to support them, it doesn't take long for interest to lag and boredom to set in. At times it feels like a video game rather than a movie. Sinbad is faced with an obstacle that requires a lot of derring-do, and just when things get calm, Eris appears to make his life miserable. Conveniently, there was a video game tie-in with this movie. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that the video game was the dominant force in creativity as far as story and structure were concerned.
The voice acting is also lackluster. Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones do what they can with ill-suited roles. I have no doubt that they were cast more for their name recognition rather than if they fit the parts (which they don't). Joseph Fiennes appears in the thankless role as the one-note heroic third wheel. The film was made when he was flirting with A-list status (a thankfully brief period that never came to pass...I guess Hollywood sometimes does the right thing every now and then). Fiennes' dramatic range could charitably be called limited, but here at least he doesn't embarrass himself. Primarily because he doesn't have many lines or anything especially taxing to do. The real scene stealer is Michelle Pfeiffer who is deliciously fun as Eris. Her colorful performance as the wicked Eris is hugely enjoyable to watch, almost as much as James Woods' performance in "Hercules." It's obvious that Pfeiffer is having a ball, and I had just as much fun watching her character.
"Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" isn't a good film, but at least it's a harmless way to pass the time. Kids may enjoy it, but it doesn't come close to movies like "Pirates of the Caribbean," "The Mummy" or "Atlantis: The Lost Empire." If you see streaming on Netflix, it's diverting. But there are other, better movies to spend your time with.
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