In all fairness, this movie has basically very little to do with the 1924 version of the movie with same name, starring Douglas Fairbanks in the main lead, despite the fact that this movie is listed everywhere as an official remake of this movie. Both movies are good and entertaining in their own unique ways. There always had been many different interpretations of the story over the years.
It's an early movie in color and like most early color movies it features lots of extremely bright colors, as if they were trying to show off. This means that the boats, costumes and sets are all in very bright colors, or at least in colors that in no way would be used today. Yes, it's quite fake looking all at times but I always like this fake and bright look of these early color movies. It definitely has a certain charm over it.
With its 6 different directors, production must have been a mess but luckily none of this can be seen back in the movie. Not the least directors were at one time involved with this movie; Michael Powell, Alexander Korda, Zoltan Korda, all did some great and well known movies in their careers. In the movie can't really been seen back in its style or storytelling that so many different directors were at one point involved with this movie. The movie feels mostly consistent, which is of course a great but also amazing thing.
The movie has a great story and is told pleasantly with a good fast pace, which helps to make the movie really entertaining to watch, despite the fact that there isn't really an awful lot of action or anything else like that occurring in the movie. It's above all things an adventurous movie with lots of traveling and exotic locations. Too bad that the movie sort of sleeps in in its second halve and the movie looses its focus on the main character, in favor of other characters.
The lead actors of the movie are mostly going over-the-top with their performances, which can be expected from young, inexperienced, handsome looking actors. Luckily the supporting cast is way better, with the always fantastic Conrad Veidt as the villainous Jaffar.
The musical score from Miklós Rózsa is also a classic and is also one of the things that gives the movie its pace, adventurous feeling and color.
An all in all colorful adventurous movie!
8/10
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