Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
A boy-the descendant of a thieves' leader who met a grim end in "One Thousand and One Nights"-teams up with 38 cats and a mouse to reclaim his stolen treasure from Ali Baba XXXIII, the tyrannical ruler of the kingdom and a descendant of the original Ali Baba. This flips the classic tale’s hero-villain roles, a twist fitting for a film involving Hayao Miyazaki. Produced for Toei’s 20th anniversary, the movie is wildly energetic, packed with action, and breaks from Toei’s usual style with its exaggerated, cartoonish flair. The animation features a stellar team including Yasuji Mori, Akira Daikubara, Hayao Miyazaki, Yoichi Kotabe, and Reiko Okuyama. At one point, the original "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves" story is retold in a surprising and clever shadow-puppet sequence.
