A thousand years ago, when the creators of Sinbad first included him in The Arabian Nights, it's a fair bet they weren't thinking of Sylvester Stallone.

However, Sly bears an uncanny resemblance to Sinbad in the swashbuckling adventurer's most recent outing, courtesy of state-of-the-art computer effects.

The fundamental difference is that Sinbad's a bit more articulate and looks like he's got a hit on his hands.

Voiced by Brad Pitt, Sinbad - or Sin Brad, as the Hollywood wag has it - is framed for stealing the omnipotent Book of Peace.

He's got one chance to get the precious tome back, or his best friend and childhood buddy Proteus (Fiennes) will be executed.

However, he's up against Eris (Pfeiffer), the goddess of chaos, who has the power to dispatch monstrous creatures and conjure up the elements to block his way.

When he sets off aboard the good ship Chimera, he also hasn't bargained on the fiancee of Proteus, Marina (Zeta-Jones), stowing away.

Script-writer John Logan - the man behind Gladiator - has fashioned a traditional yarn along the lines of Jason And The Argonauts.

Among the impressive set-pieces is a truly surreal encounter with watery Sirens in a eerie ships' graveyard and a confrontation with a vicious, over-sized snow owl.

While obviously aimed at discerning nippers, the dialogue is also pitched at mum and dad, with some references that would have resulted in an apoplectic Walt Disney.

Tightly-edited and fast-paced, it's well-up-to-scratch kids' fare and can enjoy a healthy comparison with Disney's under-rated Treasure Planet.

Tim Evans