[.ca] Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists

From Amazon.com:
Those familiar with the Sinbad films of the late 20th century, featuring the Dynamation effects of Ray Harryhausen, will be dazzled by this newcomer. This first animated feature film by India-based Pentafour Software is also the first-ever full-length film to pioneer the complete use of 3-D motion capture technology. Motion capture uses infrared cameras to track the movements of live actors, which it then converts digitally into animated characters. The effect is a cartoon with a human look. Facial expressions are lifelike; gestures are fluid. Computer-generated scenes are rich in color, depth, and realism. The technology was used, in part, in the movie Titanic, yet its full potential is realized here in this fantasy-adventure tale based on the Arabian Nights character. On a beach near her palace, the beautiful and spirited Princess Serena discovers the shipwrecked Wizard Baraka. Unaware of his evil intentions, she leads him to the castle to meet her father, King Chandra. Under the guise of goodness, the wizard gives the king a potion that immediately allows Baraka to switch identities with the king. Possessing the king's appearance, Baraka throws Chandra into the dungeon with Serena as the only witness to the wicked masquerade. She escapes with one clue to save her father: she must search the ends of the earth for the Veil of Mists, where she can find an antidote to reverse the wizard's spell. Her accomplice is the legendary sailor, Sinbad, whose mercenary motive at the story's beginning ("I don't do damsels in distress," he says) eventually gives way to blossoming love. In the meantime, families will relish the shipwrecks, sword-fighting, and sea creatures. (Ages 4 and older.) --Lynn Gibson

sinbad beyond the veil of mists >> Spellbound movie:
Not so long ago, the world of animation was dominated by Disney productions geared at either children or families. However, the dynamic of the animation world drastically changed as the 20th century wound down and the 21st began. Cinema is just one of many areas where technological advancements revolutionized production and art, and this is particularly evident with animated films. Whereas once, animated films were a far cry from "real life," now such films are beginning to push the limits of all that has come before them. Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists offers just a taste of what the new and improved animated world has in store for us. This is the first full-length feature of its kind, a '3D motion capture' feature. Simply defined, motion capture is the taking of real actors and applying digitally-created motion to their animated likenesses, in essence 'capturing' the likeness of real life. The technique may be new, but the storyline of Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists is familiar territory, especially for animated features - in a kingdom far, far away lives Princess Serena (voice of Jennifer Hale) who must rescue her father, King Akron (voice of Leonard Nimoy) from the evil clutches of a mysterious man, Baraka, who has washed up on their shores. When Baraka enters the king's home, it is under false pretences, as he is tricking the King and his daughter who do not realize until it is too late. On her own for the first time, the princess enlists the help of the reluctant young (and of course strapping) Sinbad (voice of Brendan Fraser) to help her go to the end of the world - to the Veil of Mists - where all the answers to helping her father lie. Although the plot is far from original, the 3D animation alone is worth watching. Most of the movie takes place on or beside the ocean, which is beautifully created, and perhaps the movie's strongest animation asset. The Veil of Mists is a real eye candy treat, coming complete with talking sea creatures and cooperative flying mushrooms. One might wonder why - if the goal of the new animation is to make things as lifelike as possible - do they bother making animated features at all. Perhaps it is because ultimately the world of animation will go beyond what humans can do in live-action films, and as a result, only animation can fulfill the deepest desires and imaginations of movie fans both young and old. One thing is for sure. With the onset of computer and DVD game mania, the animation boom is sure to reach a growing audience. Although technology will surely surpass Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists in short order, this movie will always have the distinction of being the first of its kind. -Chetan

Just say NO!:
Words can not describe how sad this movie is. It gives computer animation a bad name. Shown on USA Network last week it was hard to make it all the way through. I only did because I had been told how bad it was and had to see it for myself. Don't waste your money.

Good story, odd:
This is a movie that the family concensus seems to be that one viewing is enough. I think that most of us just felt that the art work has to wooden. I don't know if the technology isn't adequate yet, or if it was just this production that was inadequate. 3 Stars means that we felt the movie was GOOD, not GREAT or WOW! Some of the artwork was interesting, but the people weren't. ...