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Dashing, dazzling, and altogether magical, The Thief of Bagdad is an enchanting fantasy for children of all ages.
All Critics (25) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (25) | Rotten (0) | DVD (4)
This 1940 movie is one of the great entertainments. It lifts up the heart. Nov 26, 2012 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…
This 1940 movie is one of the great entertainments. It lifts up the heart.
Roger Ebert
Alexander Korda's opulent Arabian Nights fantasy suffers from pallid performances and frequently succumbs to kitsch, but it still casts its fragile spell. Nov 26, 2012 | Full Review…
Alexander Korda's opulent Arabian Nights fantasy suffers from pallid performances and frequently succumbs to kitsch, but it still casts its fragile spell.
Dave Kehr
The Thief of Bagdad is a colorful, lavish and eye-appealing spectacle. Jul 7, 2010 | Full Review…
The Thief of Bagdad is a colorful, lavish and eye-appealing spectacle.
Variety Staff
Treating cinema as a giant toy box, Korda resembles a child with an overactive imagination, giddily piling on every exotic and magical conceit the story can handle. Oct 18, 2008 | Rating: A
Treating cinema as a giant toy box, Korda resembles a child with an overactive imagination, giddily piling on every exotic and magical conceit the story can handle.
Scott Tobias
A delightful hocus-pocus of colour, dashing adventure, and special effects. Jun 24, 2006 | Full Review…
A delightful hocus-pocus of colour, dashing adventure, and special effects.
Don Macpherson
Ranks next to Fantasia as the most beguiling and wondrous film of this troubled season. May 20, 2003 | Full Review…
Ranks next to Fantasia as the most beguiling and wondrous film of this troubled season.
Bosley Crowther
In this most lavish production the carefully planned colour scheme and the skillful use of the camera make the film one of the most satisfactory colour films yet created. Feb 16, 2016 | Full Review…
In this most lavish production the carefully planned colour scheme and the skillful use of the camera make the film one of the most satisfactory colour films yet created.
MFB Critics
A wonderfully atmospheric Arabian Nights adventure for children of all ages. Nov 19, 2013 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review…
A wonderfully atmospheric Arabian Nights adventure for children of all ages.
Tony Sloman
An enchanting, supremely mounted fable that deservedly won the techical Oscars in 1940, and still is most enjoyable today. Jul 26, 2012 | Rating: A- | Full Review…
An enchanting, supremely mounted fable that deservedly won the techical Oscars in 1940, and still is most enjoyable today.
Emanuel Levy
One of the best ever fantasy films. Oct 17, 2008 | Rating: A | Full Review…
One of the best ever fantasy films.
Dennis Schwartz
it's impossible not to notice how much of the imagery we associate with "Arabian nights" -- genies, bottles, magic carpets, evil sultans -- comes directly from this film Sep 9, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…
it's impossible not to notice how much of the imagery we associate with "Arabian nights" -- genies, bottles, magic carpets, evil sultans -- comes directly from this film
Don Willmott
This lavish enterprise from producer Alexander Korda reveled in the brave new visual world that The Wizard of Oz explored only the year before. Jul 17, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
This lavish enterprise from producer Alexander Korda reveled in the brave new visual world that The Wizard of Oz explored only the year before.
Josh Larsen
Colorful hooey has committed performances from the cast who remain straight faced amid preposterous situations. However you know that going in so just sit back and enjoy, with kids preferably, the beautiful technicolor, costumes and actors.
Super Reviewer
Very cute classic with great special effects for movie made in 40`s
It's only a matter of time before hollywood does a big budget, computerized-effects version of this movie starring Shia LeBouf or Zach Effron as Abu. In this, the 1940 version of the film, we have Sabu in the title role that Zach Effron will one day play. Abu befriends Ahmad (the very anglo John Justin), the ruler of Bagdad who is ousted and thrown in prison by the wicked Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), all for the love of the lovely Princess (June Duprez). What follows is a fantasy fairytale filled with green screen giant genies, spiders and squid. There's also flying carpets and flying toy horses, and a crossbow that always shoots whoever you're aiming at right between the eyes. In other words, it's a movie every 8-year old boy should love (I wish I had seen it when I was eight).
Amazingly imaginative adventure of colorful, epic proportions. a blast if you haven't lost you inner child.
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