The Wonders of Aladdin - Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France/USA, 1961
Directors: Henry Levin, Mario Bava
Writers: Luther Davis, Stefano Strucchi, Duccio Tessari, Silvano Reina, Francesco Prosperi, Pierre Véry
Cast: Donald O’Connor, Noëlle Adam, Vittorio De Sica, Aldo Fabrizi, Terence Hill, Fausto Tozzi, Raymond Bussières, Milton Reid, Michèle Mercier

Release Date: November 17th, 2020
Approximate running time: 93 minutes 37 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.55:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $24.95

“Let the magic carpet glide you back to ancient Baghdad! Meet Aladdin and follow him through a maze of wild adventures with Amazon queens, desert bandits, magicians, princes, paupers and—last but not least—an adorable 9-foot-tall genie, who will grant the young man three wishes if he sets him free from his lamp, which has held him prisoner for 12,000 years.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, “Brand new 4K master”.

The Wonders of Aladdin comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 26.6 GB

Feature: 25.9 GB

It should be noted that Tim Lucas’ audio commentary provides more information about the source used for this release’s transfer, most notably why the opening twenty minutes do not look as good as the rest of the film. That said, there’s a noticeable difference quality-wise when comparing the opening twenty minutes to the rest of the film. The limitations of the source used for the opening twenty minutes are never distracting. Quality-wise, when discussing the rest of the transfer, colors look very good, details and black levels look strong throughout, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release includes one audio option, a DTS-HD mono in English and removable English subtitles. The audio sounds are clean, clear and balanced throughout. Though ambient sounds are well-represented, range-wise the audio sounds limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include trailers for Jack the Giant Killer, The Magic Sword, Arabian Nights, Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves and Son of Ali Baba and an audio commentary with film historian Tim Lucas.

Summary:

The Wonders of Aladdin is an Arabian-themed fantasy film that features many elements associated with sword and sandal cinema, a genre that was very popular in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s Italian cinema. That said, The Wonders of Aladdin was an American/Italian co-production and many of the Italian crew would later go on to be major players in Italian genre cinema.

Content-wise, though The Wonders of Aladdin features most of the elements from author Antoine Galland’s short story Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. The result is a mixed bag that never fully realizes its potential. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the casting of Donald O’Connor (Singin’ in the Rain). One expects a more youthful Aladdin since Donald O’Connor was in his mid-30’s during filming.

The performances are best described as serviceable. With the strongest performance being Fausto Tozzi’s (Knives of the Avenger) diabolical portrayal of the Grand Vizier, one of the king’s disloyal subjects. Notable cast members include Vittorio De Sica (The Garden of the Finzi-Continis) in the role of the genie, Michèle Mercier (Black Sabbath) in the role of Princess Zaina, and Terence Hill (My Name is Nobody) in the role of Prince Moluk.

Despite this, The Wonders of Aladdin falls short in a number of areas. The same cannot be said when discussing the visuals and special effects. Especially the latter, which greatly benefits from Mario Bava’s ability to stretch resources beyond their means. Another area where The Wonders of Aladdin comes out ahead is its use of humor. Ultimately, The Wonders of Aladdin is a mildly entertaining film that fans of 1960’s fantasy/adventure films will get the most mileage out of.

The Wonders of Aladdin gets a strong release from Kino Lorber that comes with a good audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer