Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger

A film with animation by Ray Harryhausen. It's a pity he couldn't have animated Patrick Wayne, who's bland performance means he comes across as the least interesting Sinbad. It is Patrick Troughton's excellently enigmatic Melanthius and Margaret Whiting's icy Zenobia who are the real stars of this show.

Sinbad travels to find a way to break the spell which has turned a prince into a baboon, but Zenobia, who has plans to ensure her son is crowned king in the prince's place, calls upon the help of various mythical creatures. The minotaur is by far the best of these and ought to have faced Sinbad and his crew rather than just being crushed in an ignoble exit. Other memorable creatures include a giant walrus, insectoid-faced demons and a sabre-toothed cat. Though the central character of the title is somewhat lacking, this is still first-rate entertainment and genuine escapism, two things somewhat lacking in more recent films.