Gaudy and Cheesy, but Charming and Colorful Fantasy aimed directly at the Children's Matinée. This is an Outrageously Ambitious (for its minuscule budget) Fun-Fest that is Energetic and almost Every Scene is Punctuated with Chintzy SFX and Puppetry with a Background of Candy-Colored Costumes and Sets.The Small and Confined Studio is Loaded and Crammed with Wild Wonderment and Claustrophobic Calamity. It is one of those that is Fondly Remembered by Youngsters who were Entertained in Theatres and on TV.Never Reaching the Artistry of Ray Harryhausen's Signature Series and had No Hope of Achieving Anything Near the Respect or Money Making Ability of other Similar Movies that were Popular at the Time, it made up for it with Audacity and Flaunted its Limitations Front and Center for Everyone to Ogle.Guy Williams (TV's "Zorro" and "Lost in Space") seems to be having Fun, Frolicing through the Staged Fantasyland and Racing to Rescue the Princess. There are Villains about and Monsters to be Slain and Everyone, including the Audience, is having a Grand Ol' Time while it is all Unreeling.

It's been about 30 years since I saw this as a kid and now I just recently bought it on the new remastered WB Archives DVD. DID I WASTE MY MONEY?...Heck No! It was even better than I remembered. Wonderful fun, beautiful colors, great imagination and those surreal sets, WOW, WOW, WOW. Any lover of fantasy and whimsy will love this movie providing that they have an imagination to make up for any production shortcomings. The computer effects generation of movie goers who need to be spoon fed scene by scene a depressing story with lots of vulgarity should stay away from this one. This is a fine and super fun movie for the whole family.

The reviews/comments listed here are hilarious, especially the one from Karadhe Kahn. Really hilarious. I laughed in genuine appreciation. I just posted a review for THE MAGIC SWORD and could not resist coming here either. I saw CAPTAIN SINDBAD in first release and was completely enchanted as an 8 year old. Some things were unforgettable: the big thumping fist in a glove, the princess becoming a bird, and the 'jelly' heart in a box, pulsating away. We all screamed in 1963 at the lovely Metro Cinema Bondi Junction Australia. I saw it again in the 70s as an adult and was flabbergasted at how easily I could see the strings on everything and how bargain counter all the costumes were. Until tonight I didn't realize the spelling was different to SINBAD either. Jeez 42 years later I still find out weird things about this very enjoyable film. Watch it with kids and have a great time. Yes it is sort of crummy, but the color and the scary fantasy works well and the circus sideshow like faces are great. especially in a turban. Yes, it is the Zorro actor Guy Williams later to be LOST IN SPACE.

Through many viewings I've enjoyed this Sin(d)bad film much more than any in the better-known Columbia/Harryhausen series, which I thought had great monsters but dull stories and heroes. This one has it all: gorgeous color photography, interesting plot and characters, and unusual monsters (including an invisible (!) dragon. The late Guy Williams is fine as Sinbad, and more mature and dignified than any in the Columbia films. And Pedro Armendariz, in one of his last roles before his untimely cancer-related death, is simply wonderful as the villain, El Karim. This film (produced by the same folks who gave us "Gorgo") is aimed at young audiences, but I've watched it with viewers of varying age, and never run across anyone who wasn't delighted with it.