Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is a 2003 animated feature length film by Dreamworks. The film tells an iteration of the legend of Damon and Pythias but replaces Damon with Sinbad, while significantly altering the character of Sinbad to do so. The film was created by Dreamworks in a bid to ride the success of Disney's Hercules. In the film Sinbad the Pirate makes a deal with Eris, the goddess of Discord, and then must clear his name before he's sentenced to death for a theft he himself did not carry out.
Plot[]
Sinbad and his pirate crew attempt to steal the magical "Book of Peace" and hold it for ransom as one last job before retiring to Fiji. Sinbad is surprised to see it is being protected while on board to Syracuse, Sicily by Prince Proteus of Syracuse. Proteus was Sinbad's best friend as a child, and he tells him that if their friendship ever meant anything to Sinbad, he can prove it now. Sinbad tries to steal the book anyway, but is prevented when Cetus attacks the ship. The two work together to fight off Cetus and for a moment reaffirm their bond. Just when it seems the beast is defeated, Sinbad is dragged off the ship. Proteus goes to save Sinbad, but he is stopped by his crew.
Drawn underwater by Cetus, Sinbad is saved by the beautiful Goddess of Discord, Eris, who offers him any boon he desires in exchange for the Book of Peace. Sinbad and his crew go to Syracuse to steal the Book, but after seeing Proteus with his fiancé Lady Marina, Sinbad abandons the mission without giving a motive. Anticipating this, Eris impersonates Sinbad and steals the Book herself. Sinbad is sentenced to death, whereupon Proteus sends Sinbad to retrieve the Book instead, placing himself as a hostage, and Marina goes to make sure that Sinbad succeeds. To prevent them from succeeding, Eris sends a group of mythical sirens, who entrance and seduce the men aboard Sinbad's ship with their hypnotic singing voices, but do not affect Marina, who pilots the ship to safety and wins the favor of the crew. However, as she and Sinbad continue to argue with each other, Eris notices their disharmony and sends in a roc. The Roc captures Marina, but she is rescued by Sinbad, and they successfully defeat the creature, causing a reconciliation between the two.
After these and other incidents, Sinbad and Marina talk in a brief moment of peace - Marina reveals that she's always dreamed of a life on the sea, and Sinbad reveals that he distanced himself from Proteus 10 years earlier because he loved Marina. They suddenly then reach and enter Eris' realm where she reveals that her plan was to maneuver Proteus into Sinbad's place, leaving Syracuse without an heir and collapse into chaos. Through Marina, Eris agrees to surrender the Book of Peace only if Sinbad truthfully tells whether he will return to Syracuse to accept blame and be executed if he does not get the Book. She gives him her word that she will honor the deal, making it unbreakable even for a god. When he answers that he will return, Eris calls him a liar, and returns him and Marina to the mortal world. Ashamed, Sinbad admits the Goddess of Discord is right, truly believing deep down that he is a selfish, black-hearted liar. Only, for Marina to tell him she is wrong, giving Sinbad a change of heart.
In Syracuse, the time allotted to Sinbad has elapsed. Proteus readies himself to be beheaded, but at the last minute, Sinbad appears and takes his place. An enraged Eris appears suddenly and saves Sinbad by shattering the executioner's sword to pieces. Sinbad, shocked, realizes that this was still part of her test and that he has beaten her by proving his answer to be true after all. Eris is furious but cannot go back on her word as a goddess, and begrudgingly gives the book to Sinbad. With the true culprit revealed, Sinbad is pardoned for the crime of stealing the book and is now well-respected.
With the Book restored to Syracuse, Proteus and Sinbad leave still as the best of friends. Sinbad and his crew prepare to leave on another voyage, leaving Marina in Syracuse. Unbeknownst to him, Proteus sees that Marina has fallen deeply in love with Sinbad and life on the sea, and releases her from their engagement, sending her to join Sinbad's ship. Marina surprises Sinbad by revealing her presence on the ship just as it begins to sail, and the two share a kiss. Now together, they and the crew set out on another long voyage as the ship sails into the sunset.
Production[]
The film was proposed as a Sinbad story modeled after the legend of Damon and Pythias but ultimately scrapped much of Sinbad's character from source material while leaving most of the the legend of Damon and Pythias. Among the elements lost regarding Sinbad is his Muslim faith in order to set the narrative during the era of Damon and Pythias.
Cast[]
- Brad Pitt as Sinbad
Crew[]
- Director: Tim Johnson