Arabian Nights (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Steve Barron

Writer (WGA):

Peter Barnes (written by)

Release Date:

30 April 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Adventure

Tagline:

When Night Falls, the Adventure Begins!

Plot:

To cure a prince's murderous madness, Scheherezade tells him a series of wonderous stories.

Plot Keywords:

Harem | Arabian Nights | Paranoia | 1001 Nights | South Asian

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Mili Avital	...	Scheherezade
Alan Bates	...	Storyteller
James Frain	...	Schahzenan / Harun al-Rashid
Tchéky Karyo	...	Black Coda
Jason Scott Lee	...	Aladdin
John Leguizamo	...	Genie of the Lamp / Genie of the Ring
Vanessa Mae	...	Princess Zobeide
Dougray Scott	...	Sultan Shahryar / Amin
Rufus Sewell	...	Ali Baba
Jim Carter	...	Ja'Far
Peter Guinness	...	Chief Executioner
Hugh Quarshie	...	Mustappa
Pik Sen Lim	...	Aladdin's Mother (as Pik-Sen Lim)
Amira Casar	...	Morgiana
Andy Serkis	...	Kasim

Runtime:

175 min | Germany:156 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Antalya Studios, Turkey

Company:

Golden Horn Films

Trivia:

Last film of John Hallam.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Harun al-Rashid was the Caliph of Baghdad, not the Sultan of Cairo.

Quotes:

Aladdin: [making a wish] How about some sort of flying machine?
Genie of the Lamp: Flying machine? So we could fly around the world? And have drinks? And people could serve us peanuts? You'd better stick with the money.

A true jewel of the Orient

"Arabian Nights" is continuing proof that it is possible to put together a highly entertaining, superbly-acted television program with a cast of primarily lesser-known actors and actresses. The performances in the movie are almost uniformly first-rate. For example, John Leguizamo is hilarious and totally believable as Aladdin's genie(s), and far better than Robin Williams' portrayal in Disney's "Aladdin." Mili Avital is enchanting as Scheherezade, and Dougray Scott and James Frain are terrific as the warring brothers Schariar and Schazenan (an interesting re-telling of the original base story line). The ever-reliable Rufus Sewell and Alan Bates give very enjoyable portrayals of Ali Baba and the Storyteller, respectively, and Jason Scott Lee gives a very amusing turn as Aladdin. I particularly enjoyed the segment of the constantly fighting Princes of Yemen, Ali, Ahmed, and Hussain (played with gusto by relative unknowns Alexis Conran, James Callis, and Hari Dhillon). While it is the acting that really shines in "Arabian Nights," the set designs and costuming are truly magical. The special effects are also very good considering the budget limitations of the small screen.

If you're going to rent or buy this on video/DVD, be careful to find the 175 minute version. I don't know what they cut from the shorter version, but honestly you won't want to miss ANY of this marvelous TV movie.

I really hope that Hallmark decides to do a sequel to this with a few more of the tales from the Arabian Nights. There is certainly a precedent for it with the "Sarah, Plain and Tall" films.