The end of our first installment saw Aladin passing out drunk at a restaurant in the desert, and Alibaba going off in search of Sinbad and Princess Jameela; elsewhere in the same desert, Sinbad is romancing Zarina (Minoo Mumtaz) for some unknown reason as Shyam Kumar tries to molest poor Jameela.
Zarina apparently (and unwisely) tells Sinbad what Shyam has in store for Jameela, because Sinbad drops Zarina like a hot potato and races to Jameela’s rescue. During his fight with the lecherous Shyam, a lamp falls to the ground, setting fire to the tent. It rapidly spreads, and in the ensuing mayhem, Sinbad and Jameela escape after Sinbad retrieves his new sword.
They meet up with Alibaba (I guess they just bump into him somewhere in the vast desert), and overhear a conversation between two horsemen. This leads them to follow the horsemen to another encampment, where Aladin has been brought in front of a very cranky King who turns out to be a powerful Magician as well. The Magician King is startled to hear Aladin’s name and gives an order of some sort. Aladin is taken away as trumpeters annouce the arrival of some royal visitors.
These visitors turn out to be Sinbad disguised as a Prince, with Jameela posing as a would-be bride for the Magician King. The Magician is more than pleased with her, and annouces that they will be married forthwith! or something like that.
While Jameela readies herself for her wedding, the Magician King drags the unfortunate Aladin up a steep mountain to a very gaudily lit cave. He lowers Aladin into it and orders him to find a lamp hidden inside.
With much fear and trepidation Aladin makes his way to the lamp. When he takes it back to the cave opening, the Magician King tells him to throw the lamp up—but clever Aladin refuses, knowing that he will be left in the cave. The furious Magician leaves him there anyway, with the lamp, seals up the cave again and stomps off to get married. Aladin and I are in for a treat!
The lamp contains a spritely miniature Genie (Helen) who instructs Aladin to rub the lamp, freeing her from it to give us a lively song and dance.
Oh, Helen, you are always such A Good Thing. She reunites Aladin with his buddy Alibaba, and then transports both to the palace where Jameela is fretting over her impending nuptials.
Having a Genie at your disposal is extremely handy, especially if you are a lazy script-writer! She makes them invisible and they escape from the Magician King’s abode. There follows a comic interlude where Alibaba is sad (Sinbad has a sword and Jameela, and Aladin the gorgeous Genie Helen and his lamp, and he has nothing) and Aladin lends him the lamp, only to discover that the Genie only serves one master at a time. When Aladin tries to give her an order too, it doesn’t turn out well.
Although he feels a little bad for his friend, Alibaba isn’t ready to relinquish the lamp just yet. He gives his own orders to the Genie. I just love the special effects in this film!
She creates a lovely palace complete with a harem, and then treats us all to yet another pretty song with magical dancing girl backup while Aladin looks on sadly (or perhaps angrily—it’s hard to tell).
When Alibaba gets up to join the dance at the end, Aladin takes the opportunity to get the lamp back and call the Genie for himself.
He orders her to take away Alibaba’s palace and harem, and they are transported to a strange place with a vaguely Roman feel, where Aladin proceeds to romance the Genie. She is underwhelmed by this development.
They are joined by Sinbad and Jameela, and after some discussion, the gist of which escapes me completely, the Genie does her “ek, do, teen” magic again.
Now what? Where has Genie sent our intrepid heroes (and heroine)? What has frightened them so? Here’s a hint:
Watch this space to find what happens next as Sinbad, Alibaba and Aladin do fierce battle with a fiery Godzilla, and other surprises await!
MemsaabStory 