Voice-overs upstage 'Sinbad' animation

Two obvious questions come to mind regarding the new animated adventure "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas," so let's answer them both upfront. Yes, grade-school-age kids will probably enjoy it; my 8-year-old companion was riveted throughout and later pronounced it "great!"

And yes, it does seem a tad perverse to employ Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michelle Pfeiffer and not show their pretty faces; nonetheless, the purring trio provides perhaps the sultriest voice-over performances in recent memory. Grown-ups accompanying the kids might be forgiven for wondering how these three would fare in a live-action, noir-ish love triangle (a daydream that should easily take you through "Sinbad's" slower bits).

Throaty voices aside (sorry, "Finding Nemo" didn't prepare me for this sort of thing), this DreamWorks offering is a perfectly serviceable, if not especially inspired rendition of the oft-told Sinbad tale. The swashbuckling adventurer, here given rippling biceps and a Vandyke beard, must retrieve the priceless Book of Peace, with no help from the meddling goddess of chaos, Eris (Pfeiffer). Meanwhile, he's got to contend with Marina (Zeta-Jones), a noblewoman in capri pants (!) who stows away on Sinbad's ship, to make sure he carries out his promise.

This leads to plenty of battle-of-the-sexes bickering, perhaps a little too much. One scene, in which Sinbad and Marina are taunting each other on a deserted island, instantly reminded me of Madonna and her hunky cohort in "Swept Away" — except it was better performed, even by animated characters. (Kids, luckily, will be spared this trauma.)

But "Sinbad" is at its best when danger looms, and the film contains some nice sequences involving a harrowing waterfall escape, alluring sirens and a very large, very angry sea creature. And while the animation is uneven, Eris is beautifully rendered; she's all swirly black hair and lavender complexion, frequently vanishing into purple curlicues and dust.

This, and some nicely coral-and-blue-hued sunsets, make "Sinbad" worth a visit to the multiplex, though it'll probably play just fine on video. And I'd like to hear more from Pfeiffer's naughty goddess, who bears an aural resemblance to the actress's yummy Catwoman (from "Batman Returns," a few years back) — she's having way too much fun for just one movie.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com