Halfway between a history lesson and a Sinbad film, this harks back to the days when Hollywood sailed the seven seas every other week. Never dull, John Glen's film hurtles through history at a rate of knots. Marlon Brando mumbles in his finest Fifties' fashion as Torquemada. A grumpy Tom Selleck gets a laugh just by coming on in a crown as the Spanish king. A girlish Rachel Ward is Queen Isabella and George Corraface flashes his teeth a lot as Columbus, going through such violent mood and personality changes (one minute dashing adventurer, the next ranting zealot) as to make you think there must have been more of the film than appears in this version. 'She's a fine vessel,' he tells his bride (a skittish Catherine Zeta Jones), 'but not too top-heavy or narrow of beam. A little like someone I know! ' Not that Ms Zeta Jones' bust compares with that of the Indian chieftain's half-naked daughter, who was of course chosen for her facial mobility. Rather more credibility is lent by Oliver Cotton (CC's right-hand man), Nigel Terry (a scowling bad guy) and Robert Davi as CC's fellow-captain; Davi's last line is worth staying in your seats for.

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