Every once and a while you stumble upon a film that gets your heart racing, a film that you must track down immediately. So, you say that Toho made a Sinbad film in the 60s, when films like that flourished? Leading man Toshiro Mifune (Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, etc.) plays the Sinbad-like pirate? The gorgeous Mie Hama (You Only Live Twice, Ironfinger, Toho's King Kong films) plays a princess, Kumi Mizuno (tons of Godzilla and Kaiju) plays a bandit leader? So many other familiar faces, even Takashi Shimura and Masanari Nihei (the lovable dope from Ultraman) make small appearances, amongst many other Toho players as well? Wow, that sounds amazing! Well... it's not, because simply, nothing really happens. If you're aware of Toho films and Japanese films of the era, you can always expect gorgeous sets and highly detailed costumes--yes, that's all here. But that's about all you get. Mifune's titular Sinbad is at sea for a total of about five minutes, spending most of the film arguing and wandering around as palace guards and the antagonist's henchmen give him grief, yet seem to let him pass and do what he wants most of the time.
After about the hour and fifteen minute mark things finally start to get interesting: a bit of sword fighting (the first in the entire movie; the rest is solely Mifune dodging,) arrows being shot, and a Gorgon-like witch character (sorta) battling it out with a mystical hermit. And as quick as the action beings, it dies off, leaving the viewer with a completely unfulfilling experience, and maybe a bit upset that these intricate sets and amazing actors weren't utilized to their true potential.
I hate to put myself up on a pedestal, but this film is nothing short of a failure, even from a die-hard fan. Despite such a cast, it's tedious and boring, lacks adventure and monsters and action, and is truly not worth even the most devoted Toho or Japanese film aficionado's time. I know, I find it hard to believe myself.
