When the evil magician Sokurah (Torin Thatcher) shrinks Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant) to roughly half the size of a Barbie doll, only one thing can restore her: the egg of a Roc. The Roc, of course, is a gigantic bird that lives on the remote island of Colossa. Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) hires a crew of mutiny-minded convicts and sets sail, Sokurah in tow, but runs afoul of a fire-breathing dragon, a very ticked off Cyclops, and an equally crabby two-headed mutant Roc. This swashbuckling adventure was the first installment of the Sinbad films, and decades later it still has the power to hold viewers spellbound. Thatcher is terrific as the sinister, shaven-headed Sokurah, mugging perfectly for the camera, and Mathews is suitably dashing as Sinbad. As in all Sinbad films, though, the real stars are the Dynamation creations of Ray Harryhausen. The art of cinematic special effects has taken quantum leaps since 1958, which makes it so amazing that his work still looks as fine as it does. Harryhausen creates a world of fantasy where dragons and grotesque one-eyed humanoids battle to the death, one where it's very easy for adults to suspend their disbelief and watch the action with the wonder of a child. Seventh Voyage not only set the stage for further Sinbad adventures, but was a landmark film in the fantasy genre, opening doors for sword-and-sandal Hercules epics and countless other excursions. Few films, though, have the artistry that Ray Harryhausen's effects display in this movie. For great escapist fare for kids and adults alike, look no further than the first Sinbad film. --Jerry Renshaw
