Synopsis
A film commemorating Toei's 20th anniversary follows a boy who is the descendant of the forty thieves' leader—who met a grisly end in the 1001 Nights. He bands together with 38 cats and a mouse to reclaim his rightful treasure from Ali Baba XXXIII, the descendant of Ali Baba, who now rules the kingdom with an iron fist. This flips the original story's good guy/bad guy roles (perhaps unsurprising given Hayao Miyazaki's involvement). One of Toei's most rollicking, action-packed films, it adopts an outrageously cartoonish style that breaks the Toei mold. Its spectacular animator lineup includes Yasuji Mori, Akira Daikubara, Hayao Miyazaki, Yoichi Kotabe, and Reiko Okuyama. The original Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves tale is recounted at one point in an unexpected, interesting way using shadow-puppets.