"The Thief Of Bagdad" is an engaging adventure film.

Inspired by "Arabian Nights," "The Thief Of Badad" revolves around a thief named Abu who is trying to help Prince Achmed reclaim his palace, win the heart of a princess, and stop the evil Jaffar. Along the way, Abu and Achmed encounter a giant, a flying mechanical horse, and a magic carpet.

"The Thief Of Bagdad" is the definition of an epic fantasy. The film is loaded with tons of well made costumes, towering sets, boats, animals of all sorts, superior model work and visual effects that were ahead of their time. I am still amazed that the filmmakers were able to make the giant look convincing considering the film was made in 1940.

The visual aspect aside, the script and acting is what makes the movie work. Yes, the character development could have been punched up a bit and the script would have been better off without the songs and the silly flying horse, but those flaws do not hurt the film in the least. In addition to being a quick moving adventure, the strength of the film lies in the fact that the story focuses on the sidekick (Abu) instead of the hero (Achme). So often in cinema the sidekicks have such a cliched role, but that is not the case here. It was a refreshing change of pace to be sure. Also, I have to praise actor Conrad Veidt for his turn as the wicked Jaffar. He made the character really appear evil.

The 1.33:1 fullscreen picture quality is sadly a massive letdown. The gorgeous colors are faded and there are even jumps in the print. If it didn't say it on the box, I would have never believed this was a new digital transfer.

The Dolby Digital Mono track is fine considering its age. The music and dialogue all sounded spot on to me.

* 21 page booklet with essays.
* "The Thief Of Bagdad" trailer.
* Optional music and effects track.
* Commentary by Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. This is a great geeky track as we get to hear the two legends analyze the film as well share their experiences in first seeing it.
* Commentary by Bruce Eder. This is a decent track as Eder offers plenty of background info. about the film and goes into great depth about virtually every aspect. The only problem with the track is that he clearly scripted everything he was saying.
* Still gallery.
* Poor sounding audio clips of Michael Powell talking about Sabu, color, "The Lion Has Wings," etc.
* Bits of a radio interview with composer Miklos Rozsa.
* A 75 minute WWII propaganda film titled "The Lion Has Wings." The film has some very corny voice overs, but the use of stock footage was impressive.
* A 31 minute visual effects documentary that contains interviews with the likes of Ray Harryhausen. Worth watching just for his comments.