This animated film, released in 2003 by the DreamWorks Animation Studio, stars:
Brad Pitt (Sinbad)
Catherine Zeta-Jones (Marina)
Michelle Pfeiffer (Eris)
Joseph Fiennes (Proteus)
Dennis Haysbert (Kale)

Its MPAA rating is PG for “adventure action, some mild sensuality and brief language” (IMDB.com). This animated movie was made for a popular audience. It is mainly intended for children or families. Much of the humor is clearly intended for adults or older children, and according to Variety writer Todd McCarthy some of the themes and actions are too mature for the younger audience to appreciate (honor, trust, and Proteus’s sacrifice.) However, this could just signal a difference of opinions between the Disney movies that audiences are used to, compared with Dreamworks. Perhaps this studio just believes that children can handle themes and morals while Disney studios keep the morals and themes very simple for children. Although the movie was not a huge commercial success in the United States, it was well received by audiences outside of the U.S.

The voices. There are a few big names that stand out in the voices of the characters. Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Joseph Fiennes are all recognizable names- and voices- on the cast of characters. The movie was written by a co-writer of Gladiator, John Logan. The animation team can certainly be considered important artists behind Sinbad and the Seven Seas. The animation team is led by directors Tim Johnson and Patrick Gilmore. Johnson was a co-director of the animated movie Antz and Gilmore is an interactive-game veteran. Finally, the music of this animated movie is very beautifully written by DreamWorks regular Harry Gregson-Williams. (Variety.com)

Dreamworks. Another interesting note about the creation of Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is with regards to the founder of Dreamworks studio. The company, relatively speaking, a very young studio; it released its first movie in 1996. Jeff Katzenberg had the idea to start Dreamworks when he was not promoted after an incredibly successful career with animated movies at Disney. So Dreamworks had its start with the goal to be better than Disney. In 1998 it released The Prince of Egypt, an animation which did not do well much to co-founder Jeff Katzenberg’s disappointment and surprise. It was a religious animation which he loved and was very proud of. The historical story of the Prince of Egypt took on an animated and a religious form and did not do well, while animated comedies fared much better. So perhaps that is one reason Katzenberg was anxious for an historical animation with humor, such as Sinbad.

The Technology. In the four years it took to make Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas technology had changed and Katzenberg knew this film was doomed at its release. It employed traditional animation technology with intermittent computerized animation which contrasted greatly with the traditional animation. Audiences were looking for something newer and more visually impressive. This is one reason Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas underperformed.

Visual elements. Strong visual elements include the sea monster, the giant fish, and the giant snow bird. These elements add to the sense of adventure and risk involved which is always essential to a Sinbad story. In some scenes on the ocean, mist, green colors, and shipwrecks give a creepy feel to add to the adventure theme. Once inside the gates, the swaying sand on the desert gives an exotic feel to the movie, as do the misty and mysterious sirens. Whenever Eris is shown, her surroundings are dark and deep in the depths of the world. The dark colors and deep depths help convey her as a sinister character. She says that Sinbad has a heart as black as hers, adding to her dark image. The star constellations who appear to come to life give the story, as well as the theme, a larger-than-life sense and long-lasting importance.

Message of the Movie

The messages found in Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas include: the importance of loyalty between friends, noble actions, and adventure. Other notable messages include a desire for riches and a touch of feminist strength and ability. This modern, American adaptation of the story of Sinbad is similar to other Western versions in its distinction from the original stories found in the Nights. Western morals are added to the story and a certain sense of our Puritanical past is noticeable in the lack of many of the original details (cannibalism and polygamy [Ouyand, 2]); this is typical of many American adaptations of Sinbad and naturally expected for Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, an animation intended for children.
Plot…. For those of you not familiar with the story of Sinbad found in the 1001 Nights, look elsewhere for a synopsis of this tale! Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas has a plot that is hardly related... In order to save his best friend, Sinbad travels to Tartarus to get the Book of Peace from the goddess Eris. This is a demonstration of his loyalty to his friend Proteus. The loyalty is not proven until Sinbad returns to Syracuse without the book, where he expects to die. Proteus laid his life on the line, having faith that Sinbad would return to Syracuse, hopefully with the book. Proteus’s noble gesture was a sign of his loyalty to Sinbad despite the fact that no one believed Sinbad would attempt to get the Book of Peace.

East meets West in Sinbad. The movie took great artistic license with the Nights story of Sinbad and added Greek elements in terms of locations, names, and a goddess, as also added Western morals. The movie starts is Syracuse, a Greek city in southern Italy. The Greek goddess Eres is the villain of the story and the sailors encounter Sirens, also of Greek mythology. Perhaps Dreamworks decided to play it safe with this version of Sinbad by completely avoiding the Orient and therefore avoiding any mention of the Middle East. When the movie was released in 2003, tensions were great regarding anything related to the Middle East.

The Sea. In a way, the Orient can be seen in Sinbad. Every time Sinbad sets sail, adventure and challenges follow. This sense of adventure while at sea gives a sense of the Orient without ever mentioning it. While Sinbad is at sea, countries, cities, and conflicts on the land lose their significance. Anything is possible on these voyages (including encountering Greek goddesses, star constellations who are alive, and the Roc!) It’s not believable on land but somehow it is believable when it’s taking place during an adventure at sea. And if nothing else, this gives an air of the Orient that has captured Western people since the first edition of the 1001 Nights even though there is not imagery of the Orient. The lack of imagery of the Orient says a lot about the political and cultural times during its release. For this reason, the movie is an interesting artifact in the long and intriguing history of the 1001 Nights.

Nights as a Source. The Nights is predominantly used as a source for Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas in its use of the character Sinbad, and the fact that Sinbad is a sailor. It also draws on Sinbad’s lust of adventure on sea and the wild animals he meets during these adventures such as the roc bird and the island that turns out to be a whale. In the 1001 Nights Sinbad marries Marjānah and in the animated movie he lives happily ever after with Marina. This is really where the similarities end because this adaptation adds many different elements that are not found in the Nights.
Other Sinbad movies as sources. According to Wen-Chin Ouyang in “Whose Story Is It? Sindbad the Sailor in literature and film” all Sinbad movies draw on the silent film The Thief of Bagdad and have the common plot theme of a hero rescuing the girl after beating the villain and of course, winning some sort of treasure. In the case of Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas the treasure is the Book of Peace.