Rankin Bass' Arabian Nights

Finally, a set change! After so much repetitions and forgot to put in a Segway from the previous review to this one due to going on for about 900 words, it’s time to move on through the sands of time to The Arabian Nights.

Pindar is commissioned by Omar to get the treasure at the Enchanted Hideout Cave of Aladdin. (Yeah, you thought the main character is Aladdin, but it’s not.)

Pindar got the treasure and magic lamp away from the guarding Genie. The magic lamp would cast the first wish for a magic carpet, even without saying “wish” but “grant”. Pindar loses a ruby from a Guhgah Bird. (It’s not the evolve form of a Chattot.) Since he lost the ruby, he lost the deal with Omar to marry his daughter, Princess Aouda- I mean Jasmine- I mean Fatah. (OK, the reusing design character is still happening minor.)

Omar would give Pindar a second chance to get the slippers of the Cruel Kalief of the Blue City across the Steaming Desert. Will he succeed in his mission and win the hand of Fatah?

This one is different visually in term of setting, but story wise is same as any related love story. We’ve seen plenty of medieval setting, but this time it’s in Baghdad, which may or not interest enough to people. You know this story; boy meet girl, boy does something to win the girl, and he win the girl at the end most unrealistically. I wouldn’t mind them, if we didn’t them many times in episodes as much as a romance genre film in a year. I wish for variety where it’s the female focus without any predictable romance.

Genie from this version of Arabian Night: As you wish, fool! *he clap his hands*

Me: What just happened? Anyway, back to the review.

As far as I know, Disney hasn’t done an Arabian Nights story before this version. Closest thing they did was the Magic Serape in Three Caballeros. Other cartoons did their Arabian Night story such as Popeye as Aladdin, the Puppetoons version, Bugs Bunny has a magic lamp with a genie voiced by Mr. Magoo, who has a point to his comedy, and even Mr. Magoo in 1001 Arabian Nights where Mr. Magoo has little to no point in the film. Nowadays, 2/3 of people will immediately watch Disney’s Aladdin, while the 1/3 of people would watch The Thief and the Cobbler, the Recobbled Cut.

This is a decent version of the Arabian Night story. It’s not the worst version of the tale, which position either goes to Mr. Magoo in Aladdin, Miramax’s Thief and the Cobbler, Ali Babba & The Gold Raiders, Aladdin and the Adventure of All Times, and maybe Return of Jafar. Take the Arabian Night as it is, as you wish.

Now we’ll sail to something vaguely awkward to a story that may get awkward with Robins...wait a minute. Episode 14 is what? *sigh* I delay this review long enough. It’s time to review one and half version of Alice In Wonderland. It did spare me from an awkward moment. Thank and Curse you, Genie!