Arabian Adventure

Full of Eastern promise, this delightful romp through a world of magic carpets, sultan's palaces, fire-breathing monsters and jinees turns out to be a highly entertaining fable that combines the most colourful elements of the stories of the Thousands and One Nights. Christopher Lee wears a rather odd crescent-moon shaped lollipop on his head for this film, which might explain why he is so bad-tempered as the evil Alquazar, despotic ruler of the maze-like city of Jadur. Clearly a sorcerer to be reckoned with, Alquazar can turn his henchman into a frog, and he even has Peter Cushing as the much put upon Wazir Al Wazura trapped in a magic mirror in his den. Into Jadur comes Prince Hasan, giving Oliver Tobias of The Stud fame a great deal of swashing and buckling to do, and a young orphan boy, Majeed (Puneet Sira), and his pet monkey. And of course in good time they overthrow the wicked old sultan, rescue the Princess Zuleira, and win the magic Rose of Elil, but not before we're treated to lots of adventures and a host of special effects, from peach stones turning into glittering gems of the jinee of the lamp being smashed into desert mountainside. And then there's those flying carpets. These perform with alarming speed and accuracy, and it's just as well there are no seat belt laws around! The final battle turns out to be Star Wars on rugs, and highly entertaining it is too. Movie buffs will be intrigued by a cameo performance from Mickey Rooney as a demented boiler-room mechanic in charge of a heap of junk machinery that controls a set of enormous metal monsters, while the keen ear will detect a nod or two in the direction of Scheherazade in Ken Throne's music. Arabian Adventure is an exciting, colourful escapist fantasy, which makes marvellous viewing for all the family. © Badger Films Ltd