Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years (Box Set)

Advantages: A great story on a great disk.
Disadvantages: Err, No.

...the Cyclops. He begs Sinbad to return to the island, but is disappointed with Sinbad's refusal. On their return to Baghdad the sorcerer casts a spell on the Princess Parisa, the soon-to-be wife of Sinbad, shrinking her to a tiny size. This has our hero sent on a treacherous mission to save her. This sorcerer's evil plan is to make Sinbad undergo a dangerous quest back to the Island of Colossa, and the layer of the menacing Cyclops. Much peril and treachery await Sinbad on this voyage, and will he conquer all to save the woman he loves. The best thing about this film is the outstanding effects (well they were at that time) of Ray Harryhausen. In all the films he has done his effects and imagination outshine any story or script for any film. His creations of the Cyclops, the battle with the dragon and of course the battle between Sinbad... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages:
Disadvantages:

...Miles to Earth, The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, Mysterious Island, Mighty Joe Young, The Valley of Gwangi, 20 Million Miles to Earth, The 3 worlds of Sinbad, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Clash of the Titans, First Men in the Moon and 20 Million Years B.C. All classic movies and well worth collecting. People who are fans of the classic stop motion effects as seen in the original King Kong way back in 1933 would love all of Ray Harryhausen's films and should see them all.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: A classic tale of heroism nicely retold; generally excellent animation brings some memorable creations to life; some good casting in the supporting roles.
Disadvantages: The film ends without the climax we were expecting; the second-credited actor actually has a very small role in the film; the Hydra is a rather disappointing beast after what we have witnessed earlier in the film.

...Although filmmaking is a collaborative process it is usual — in fact, actually expected — that any film under the consideration of a viewer or reviewer is treated as though were the sole property and responsibility of its director. This system of viewing a film, often referred to as auteur theory, is only occasionally sidestepped — perhaps because the film contains a major star who had considerable creative input into the film written into his contract, for example. Or perhaps because most of the attention on-screen is simply not caught by the actors, storyline, cinematography, and other things for which the director is ultimately responsible. The films on which Ray Harryhausen worked as visual effects creator stand within the boundaries of this second category. The films on which Harryhausen worked almost invariably... Read review

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