You will be surprised by all the sci-fi goodies on this magic carpet ride in the fairy tale space opera mashup Aladdin 3477 – I: The Jinn of Wisdom, written and directed by your new ship captain, Matt Busch. Harshad (Tony Miello) is in Cambodia in the year 3477. He is trying to steal one of the magic lamps of the Jinn from a robot-guarded underground crypt, which requires paying respect to the overseer Darshana Shailaja (Lin Zy). Alas, he loses another thief, Pradeep (Irfan Shiekh), to greed and another chance to grab a fabled lamp. If only Hashad could find a more talented and truly ruthless thief.
Meanwhile, in a futuristic Hong Kong, Aladdin (Erik Steele) and his trusty robot pal, Fidgi, are on the run through a city market, being chased by a scorned Jahli (Cassidy Fahling). Jahil alerts a Hong Kong police trooper (Jeffrey Norgrove) on Aladdin, but that also gets the attention of a squad of bounty hunters looking to cash in on the price on his head. Meanwhile, Princess Kamala (Christi Dumar) has gone missing again, so her father, the Sultan Shivali (Jerry Hayes), makes a deal with the mysterious Lochan Shyamal (Brian Dalling) to seek her out.
Meanwhile, Aladdin can’t catch a break or shake off that annoying mute warrior woman, Oomi (Lin Zy), from following him everywhere and fighting alongside him. She won’t even take a hint and leave when Harshad comes to Aladdin about securing a certain lamp from a crypt in Cambodia.
“…trying to steal one of the magic lamps of the Jinn from a robot-guarded underground crypt…”
So I have never seen the animated Disney Aladdin movie, as I had pubic hair when it came out. I did see the live-action version on an airplane and was actually impressed, as it seemed more like a Guy Ritchie movie than the wretched Sherlock Holmes pictures. So if there are several hidden references to the cartoon classic version in Aladdin 3477 – I: The Jinn of Wisdom, I apologize for not being able to spot them.
I did, however, spy all the love writer/director Busch has for the original Star Wars movies, more the first two than the cuddly third. I wrote last year about how the new French Three Musketeers movies had that same feel as the old-school Lucas tentpoles, with that same popcorn butter thunder of old-school adventure and swashbuckling. However, Busch was able to distill a much more rare Star Wars essence to infuse his creation with, one very distinct to the spirit of the 1977 franchise starter.
This is the first film in the best part of forever that successfully summons the same greasy electricity as the cantina scene, which many thought was the best part of Star Wars. Busch builds a shrine to these rogue elements with his rusted tomorrow filled with thieves and bounty hunters, all constantly stabbing each other in the back.
"…an indie epic trip beyond imagination on a five and dime store budget"