Flying in, magic-carpet style, on the coattails of the theatrical feature A KID IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT (1995), this undistinguished straight-to-video sequel repeats the fish-out-of-water formula found in that film by placing its cheery-faced protagonist (the returning Thomas Ian
Nicholas) in an "Arabian Nights" context.
In eighth-century Baghdad, the evil Luxor (James Faulkner) casts a spell over his brother Aladdin (Aharon Ipale). In this way, Luxor hopes to be free to find the key to the Cave of Wonders, the exotic place where Aladdin has hidden a magical lamp that contains an all-powerful genie (Taylor
Negron). According to legend, the only other force that can free the genie is a nebulous entity known as "the Great Deliverer." Since the genie is imprisoned by space and not by time, he lunges forward to the 20th century, materializing in a dingy pizza joint. There he finds Calvin (Thomas Ian
Nicholas), the eatery's cloddish delivery boy. The genie tells the callow youth that he, Calvin, is "the Great Deliverer" who is destined to free the genie from his prison in the cave. Suddenly, Calvin is whisked back to the eighth century where he becomes the comrade of Ali Baba (Nicholas Irons).
The youth's forceful and unexpected arrival unwittingly saves the legendary thief from Luxor's merciless sword.
Calvin soon meets Aladdin's daughter Scheherazade (Rhona Mitra), who joins him and Ali Baba on a sand-filled trek. After the trio remove the lamp from the cave, Luxor takes possession of it. Several skirmishes later, our heroes regain possesion of it, and free Aladdin from the spell. With Luxor
defeated, the trio are able to liberate the genie and celebrate their victory.
Despite its witty script, lavish production values, inspiring music, and a spate of special effects, A KID IN ALADDIN'S PALACE is strictly kid's stuff. The bulk of the movie's humor is derived from obvious verbal and visual anachronisms, such as an in-the-desert sequence in which Calvin sees a
mirage--instead of a body of water, the youngster sees a Burger King.
The genie character registers as the film's strong point. His amusing hipster attitude finds him addressing Calvin's feeling of inadequacy with an offhanded philosophy. ("Stop the insecurity thing. It's very annoying.") Standup comic Taylor Negron's flamboyant performance makes the character
particularly memorable. Overall, this KID sees plenty of action, but the movie's message about good triumphing over evil is telegraphed soon enough to tire out even the most ardent six-year-old viewer. leave a comment