Great Film overall

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

I have to add my praise to the many rave reviews for this outstanding miniseries. My family and I have watched this wonderful adaptation of the "1001 Nights" many times since we first saw it on Foxtel about four years ago and it has become one of my children's favourite programs and they know most of the script off by heart now.I have a high regard for the many excellent Hallmark fairytale productions, but this is far and away their best. There is just so much to admire about it -- a funny, witty script, stunning locations, truly lavish costumes, superb makeup, excellent use of CGI effects, and above all, terrific performances from a star-studded cast, especially by the stunning Mili Avital and the very charismatic Dougray Scott, who carry so much of the story. And of course there are several other well-known stars -- like Andy Serkis and James Callis -- to be spotted in minor roles, a couple of years before they became famous.I MUST select for special mention the brilliant dual performance by the great John Leguizamo as the two genies in the Aladdin story. His portrayal of the whining, obese Ring Genie is hilarious, and his Lamp Genie shows how CGI and good acting can work together to create an awe-inspiring character. How did he not get an Emmy for these performances?? The use of CGI is very good in this episode -- I love the cunning way that the smoke comes off the tips of the Lamp Genie's ears and fingers, and how it makes a smoke-ring every time he says a word with "O" in it. Very clever.I also roundly applaud the decision to cast so many actors from Asian and African backgrounds, notably in the wonderful "Alladdin" story -- Jason Scott Lee and Vanessa Mae are both terrific, Vanessa Mae is utterly gorgeous *and* proves herself an excellent actor, and it's lovely to see screen veteran Bert Kwouk (Kato from the Pink Panther movies) as the Caliph. Why Jason Scott Lee not a MUCH bigger star, I have no idea -- he is truly marvellous in this role.This is to all intents and purposes a flawless production and the best film or TV version of the Arabian Nights stories that I have ever seen. The adaptations are remarkably faithful to the original tales -- and I have read the entire Mardrus and Mathers' 4-volume translation, so I know what I'm, talking about -- but the script also has many witty additions. The exchanges between Aladdin and the Genie of the Lamp are hilarious, especially when the Genie mocks Aladdin for asking for a flying machine.This is a gold-plated family classic which ought to be in the DVD collection of every school and of every family who cares about good, imaginative entertainment. 10 out of 10

The movie was a real turnon. I thought the costumes were Realistic for the period. The story though an old one is timeless. I truly enjoyed it . I have a few of Vanessa Maes CDs and appreciate her violin expertese.I had no idea she was so pretty. And young.

i bought this movie on dvd in a discount shelf, and it was worth every cent. i see ppl keep complaining about the story of aladdin, which _is_ originally a chinese story. and the book, is just a collection of fairytales from around the world, not only persian ones.

My English teacher recommended me to watch this movie and display it to all the members of the English Language Society in my school.At first sight,this movie didn't look very tempting with its larger than life genie and introduction.But as the story evolves,I began to enjoy it because of the familiarity that I felt in watching the Alibaba and Alladin story.Unfortunately,I do wonder whether some of the kissing scene would be appropriate for our rather imaginative young mind.