My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses: "Sinbad Legend of the Seven Seas" - The Swashbuckling DreamWorks Feature That Was a Flop and Their Last Hand Drawn Feature

Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.

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I`m the sailor version of Tarzan ;)

This logo is my stamp of
approval :)

When DreamWorks first started in the animation field, they arrived at a time when Full-Length Animation was beginning to change. However, while DreamWorks did manage to take a couple of risks with their Hand Drawn features, most of them didn`t made a big impact financially. The only one to actually cross the barrier was the religious The Prince of Egypt. Their other entries failed to make an impact. However, in terms of quality, despite how all of them were good movies, they`ve still (in my opinion) somewhat flawed in their own way. Egypt was sumptous and epic, but perhaps trying a little too hard to be self-important and po-faced. The Road to El Dorado was fun and breezy, but suffered from a weak script with various plot holes.

This is the Junior Version of
Excalibur :)

Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron was cute and captivating, but perhaps a little too syrupy at the end. And then there was Joseph The King of Dreams. Which was a direct-to-video production, but suffered from being a little too brief. And just as Spirit, was a little too sappy at the end. But frankly, if we`re going to look at the consensus of all of DreamWorks` output, only Egypt was the movie that happened to the critical darling as well. The following movies failed to make an impact on many critics, despite how El Dorado and Spirit have managed to find it`s audience and fanbase eventually.

The Fate and Consensus of Sinbad

Frollo would`ve loved me,
cause I`m using witchcraft :)

And last, but not least there was Sinbad Legend of the Seven Seas (another DreamWorks` feature to arrive with a long subtitle). Arriving in a time when Hand Drawn Animation made it`s exit, Sinbad was the last hand drawn feature from DreamWorks to date. Ironically, Sinbad came right after when a certain Disney movie proved that Pirate-movies, a genre that was conceived as dead for a long time, revived the genre again (Pirates of the Caribbean). In fact, Sinbad is instantly comparable to another hand drawn entry that also shared a similar genre, Disney`s Treasure Planet. Who unfortunately also turned out to be a Box Office bomb (which worried the folks at DreamWorks, which is why Sinbad was called Planet without the flying ships).

Don`t get used to it, you`ll
only get to steer the ship for
five minutes :)

However, the overall consensus of Sinbad was that it was a met with a shrug. Critics thought it was just meh or fine, but nothing more than that. And frankly, that`s also been the consensus from audiences, as the film has never risen from the ashes or made a distinctive connection with audiences after it`s release. And it`s fanbase doesn`t seem to be as huge. As for my own personal experience, I`ll have to agree. While I do like the film and watch it for many reasons, it`s easy to see why many people consider it to be second-tier: It`s good, but not great and not particularly memorable, despite having it`s moments. Out of all of DreamWorks Hand Drawn entries, it`s seems to be the most forgettable of them. Of course Sinbad is no stranger to Hollywood at all, as he´s starred in many movies and is generally a iconic character. But it would be fair to say that thanks to it`s status, DreamWorks` Sinbad isn`t regarded as the definite version of the story.

General Information About Sinbad

We`re the avatars of
the stars :) But not
those from Pandora :)

Released in July 2th, 2003, Sinbad was essentially DreamWorks` Animation second Summer Release after Spirit (at least Hand Drawn, as Shrek was technically also a Summer Release) and is turning 20 years old this Summer,. Directed by Tim Johnson (Antz) and Patrick Gilmore and had (just like DreamWorks other movies) an All Star Cast: Brad Pitt as Sinbad, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Marina, Michelle Pfeiffer as Eris (her second DreamWorks job after Tzipporah in Egypt), Joseph Fiennes as Proteus, Dennis Haybert as Kale and yes, even animations good luck charm, Jim Cummings. John Logan (Gladiator, The Last Samurai, The Aviator, Spectre) was the screenwriter. James Baxter (Belle, Rafiki, Quasimodo) animated Sinbad, while William Salazar (Moses, Tulio in El Dorado, Rain in Spirit) animated Marina.

Spike is my
guardian, so watch
out :)

Yoshimischi Tamura (Helga in Atlantis The Lost Empire) was one of the animators on Eris. Roldophe Guenoden (Tzipporah, Chel in El Dorado) animated Proteus. Fabio Lignini (Aaron in Egypt, Cortes and Altivo in El Dorado and the Colonel in Spirit) animated King Dymas. Pres Romanillos (The Emperor in Mulan, Little Creek in Spirit) animated Sinbad`s crew. Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (Aladdin, Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean) were among the screenwriters. Eric "Bibo" Bergeron (El Dorado), Lorna Cook (Spirit), Ronnie Del Carmen (Inside Out) and Randy Cartwright (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King) was one of the storyguys. Tom Finan (The Lion King) was the editor. Harry Gregson-Williams was the composer (making Sinbad the first of DreamWorks` features to not have Hans Zimmer as the composer, despite how Gregson-Williams had already scored Shrek).

Behind the Scenes Information

I`m a blend of Santa
and a Giant :) Don`t
ask me why :)

The idea for Sinbad actually came from Elliott and Rossio. Shortly after writing Aladdin for Disney, they came up with the idea of adapting the story of Damon and Pythias before settling on a love triangle. They wrote a treatment inspired by screwball comedy films with Sinbad as a reserved apprentice cartographer who joins Peri, a free spirited smuggler, on a adventure and falls in love. Based on the Simbad comic book by Elena Poirier. In July 1992, Disney announced they were adapting the story into an animated feature. But was cancelled in 1993. When Jeffrey Katzenberg founded DreamWorks, he revived some ideas that Disney cancelled, like El Dorado or Sinbad. Shortly after writing Gladiator, Logan was approached by Katzenberg. His first draft was "very complex, the relationships were very adult. And too intense in terms of the drama for the audience that this movie was aimed at." However, at last it was re-written to be more serious, instead of making it just a comedy.

I`m a White Knight
in a White Armor :)

Russell Crowe was originally going to voice Sinbad, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Katzenberg dreamed for 10 years to get Pitt to play a action-adventure lead. Pitt had already tried to narrate Spirit, but "it didn't work". There`s never been more effects on any other DreamWorks feature than Sinbad. Cetus (the seamonster at the beginning) originally looked like Elmo from Sesame Street, but was difficult to make. The gag of Spike vomiting was the favorite scene of the audience. Originally there was going to be another dog named Akita. But it was too pretty-looking and the crew needed a dog who was less perfect, so that`s why Spike was created. And yes, the Sirens were actually nude, but they were designed to not look too revealing. There was 9 dogs who did the recording for Spike.

The Demographic for Sinbad

I`m not showing off my sword.
I`m showing up my triceps :)

Out of all of DreamWorks`s Hand Drawn Features, Sinbad was somewhat a distinctive picture. In terms of being a straight-forward action adventure with no songs whatsoever (sure, Disney followed the mold, but at least Atlantis had an end credits single and Treasure Planet had a song in the middle of the picture). And yes, it would be easy to call this trend calculated, since Hand Drawn Animation was changing and Disney were essentially making pictures that weren`t musicals anymore (in order to distance themselves from the Renaissance formula that was becoming too homogenous).

This is Sinbad`s property only.
Copyright Sinbad :)

Cause yes, Sinbad has all the elements and ingredients (pirates, monsters and swashbuckling action, despite how Sinbad is violent with the latter scenes without being too graphic). But in the end, it was most likely a reason for why Sinbad eventually flopped, causing DreamWorks to suffer a $125 million loss, which nearly bankrupted them. And yes, there are of course other theories for why Sinbad flopped (the wrong release date, as it was against Terminator 3 and Legally Blonde 2 and how its promotion relied too much on big name voice actors that the audience didn`t care about). But yeah, since other male-centered movies like Atlantis and Planet flopped at the Box Office (unfortunately), it was most likely the main reason for Sinbad`s underperformance.

I know that I look sexy with
my naughty look :) Guys loves
it :)

But despite it`s demographic,

Sinbad does at least something different: To introduce a female villain for once in a DreamWorks movie (Eris). Which was at the time rare (and probably the best villain the studio ever made). Despite how of course Sinbad follows the mold of DreamWorks` other Hand Drawn Pictures of not actually killing the villain and having the villain remaining alive (originally Eris was going to be burned by the Book of Peace at the end, but it was more satisfying to have her admit defeat). Originally Eris was going to have another god to work with, Janus. Pfeiffer had a scarf as a prop when she recorded. Eris` face was drawn by hand, while her body was in CGI.

The Plot and the Love Triangle in Sinbad

I wanted to show that I can do
the hawk lip :) I`m good at it,
huh? :)

To summarize the plot of Sinbad, it would be easy to label it for two things: For being episodic and inconsistent. It has a pretty scattered story that feels overloaded. It introduces a pretty random and overfilled story about a rogue who`s both shallow and unsympathetic at the beginning. Of course the unlikable rogue does turn out somewhat good at the end, as there normally wouldn`t be an animated movie without an arc for the arrogant lead. However, just like DreamWorks` other Hand Drawn Features, it has a bromance between two males: Between Sinbad and Proteus who were childhood friends (a shallow comparison would`ve been Tulio and Miguel`s friendship in El Dorado, but it`s just a shallow comparison). Which is essentially front and center in the movie. While it is essentially not the heart of the picture, it`s still taps (slightly) to the poignancy of how friends grows apart.

Welcome to the Pirate Boys
club :) But since you`re hot,
you`ll blend in as a member :)

But even more important is the peculiar love triangle between the two former friends and the love interest of the piece, Marina. While there`s no need to even spoil who`s going to get the girl at the end, it`s fair to state that Sinbad and Marina`s dynamic is a traditional one: Starting out fighting and sparring at each other and falling in love afterwards. While it would be tempting to frown by Marina falling for the guy who`s treated her like crap (at first), at least she follows Sinbad for have him save Proteus. And just like Sinbad, Marina loves the ocean and wants to be a part of it. Despite how the solution of having Proteus accepting Marina`s love for Sinbad at the end feels a little rushed and contrived, it`s still practical to have Proteus and Marina being bethroted for duty and not for love.

We came here long before
Elsa`s time :)

Originally the love interest (Roxanne) was in love in both Proteus and Sinbad, but chose Proteus. But the studio wrote that Roxanne should end up with Sinbad instead, after having worked together (which in fact the screenwriters disliked). But due to how the love triangle was a hurdle for the screenwriters, it was simply decided that there would be no real love between Proteus and Marina (who was named for her love of the sea). And yes, since Marina is a female of our time, she`s headstrong, assertive and feminist. But also sensitive and vulnerable, making her a truly fully rounded character. Originally Marina was having longer hair, but she looked too derivative and thus looked stronger with shorter hair.

The Racial Scrutiny of Sinbad

I made it myself :)

In many ways, Sinbad essentially shares a setting and premise with Aladdin, adapting a story from One Thousand and One Nights. However, surprisingly enough Sinbad doesn`t seem to be particularly steeped in anything Arabic (despite how unsurprisingly, Sinbad have many mandatory anacronisms). In fact, the setting seems more Greek/Mediterranean, as it was rather based onother versions of the tale. The crew brought different elements of the mythology they felt worked. But the main inspirasion is the tale based on the Greek fable of Damon and Pythius, of a friend who`s sacrificing his life for the other.

You were captured because
you were dressed in red :)
Cause red is a toxic color :)

Screenwriter Logan deliberately chose the Greek version, for being more familiar with it. However, DreamWorks spoke to George W. Bush's adviser Karl Rove after September 11, to see how Hollywood could help with the issue of Arabian portrayals in movies. But for financial aand PC-reasons, they decided to not have an Arabian hero. And yes, Pitt's worried that his Missourian accent wouldn`t fit a Middle Eastern character, but was persuaded that his accent would light the mood. However, the choice hasn`t been only shunned, as it was also stated that Hollywood is putting the story where it belongs. As Sinbad`s tales were similar to Homer`s. Regardless of how this decision is really a two-edged sword and could`ve been discussed forever, it`s still a pity that the team decided to not go for an Arabic setting. However, Sinbad surprisingly ecletic with it`s cast, as most of his crew seems to derive from various parts of the world.

Epilogue

I`m holding a book within a
book :) Don`t ask me why :)

At the end, it`s hard to conclude something like Sinbad Legend of the Seven Seas: A movie that is not especially hated, but considered to be overall mediocre as a whole. And it would be tempting to say that it`s deservedly so. For aforementioned reasons. However, despite it`s staple, it`s not as Sinbad is a complete and total miss, cause it`s not. It has some redeeming qualities, as it`s visually splendid, has some exiting moments, good animation (despite how the CGI and hand drawn elements haven`t blended well. Which certainly was an issue in both Spirit and Sinbad) and a fine score.

I`ll never eat Snow White`s
soup again :)

Since I usually conclude my entries with my own personal experiences with the movies, is that I saw Sinbad theatrically when it was released (when I was at the verge of my late adolescence). And yes, I did like it, despite I was never gaga for it, because it was good, but not great. However, every once and a while I do watch Sinbad and happen to still enjoy it. However, since this entry was written to synergize with it`s 20th Anniversary (yeah, it`s hard to believe that it`s already been 20 years old since it was released), there`s nothing else to wish Sinbad Happy 20th Anniversary and may you continue to have many more.