A Li Ba Ba (1988)

A Li Ba Ba (新阿里巴巴) is a Chinese movie produced in 1988. It's based on the tale of ''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. ''The plot is a bit different from the original tale. It is considered as a family or comedy movie.

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Plot
Alibaba is a young man who lives in the area, and he somehow found out the the Forty Thieves's treasure location and secret of how to open the stone door in the cave.

He told this secret to a friend and his friend went to the location alone, but got caught by the thieves, so the friend betrayed Alibaba. After a series of chases, the thieves finally caught Alibaba and took him to the treasure cave to question him.

While they were questioning Alibaba, a powerful mage, Adusa showed up and used his power to make the thieves back off from Alibaba. The mage asked Alibaba to go with him or he would leave him with the thieves. Alibaba surely agreed to go with the mage, and so the mage used hypnosis to put all the thieves to sleep.

The mage helped Alibaba is because he knows Alibaba is the one who can get the magic lantern without any risks. Therefore, the mage took Alibaba to a cursed cave where normal people are not able to stay and also where the magic lantern is at.

After Alibaba got the lantern to the mage, the mage tried to kill Alibaba because he didn't want anyone who knows the secret stays alive in the world, but he failed to kill. During the fight, Alibaba and the lantern fell back to the cave and the mage couldn't go in, so he block the entrance of the cave waiting Alibaba is starving or thirsty and he will ask for getting out.

Alibaba then accidentally summon the spirit that's trapped in lantern, and trick the spirit to be its master. He also found out that the spirit can fulfill any its master's wishes, so he orders the spirit to get him out of the cave to find his lover, Triumph.

The mage saw Alibaba got out from the cave and tracks to Alibaba's new house built by the spirit. He is so mad and went to find the thieves to ask them to cooperate with him. The mage told the thieves Alibaba's location and schedule and tell them to catch him and kill him.

When Alibaba is away, the mage uses his power to change his outfit to a lantern trader and entered the house to trick Alibaba's lover saying that Alibaba told him to get the old lantern replaced by new ones. The lover believed the mage and gave him the magic lantern. The mage then left and thought he must take this girl as she is beautiful.

After that, the mage became a new master of the spirit and ordered the spirit to kidnap Alibaba's lover to his castle. In the castle, the mage lied about Alibaba is dead and the girl was sad and tried to suicide but got stopped by the mage. The mage then turned her into a dog by using his own power.

Alibaba was caught by the thieves, but he finally got helped by other citizens to beat up the thieves. He went to the mage's castle to save his lover. After fighting with the mage's servant, Alibaba still couldn't find his lover but found a dog.

Suddenly the mage showed up and told him the dog is the girl. Alibaba couldn't believe it. While Alibaba is in doubt, this tricky mage used hypnosis again trying to put Alibaba to sleep, but unfortunately, when Alibaba was almost hypnotized, he gathered his will and shoot a magic arrow at the mage to break the hypnosis.

After breaking the hypnosis, the mage and Alibaba were having a physical combat. Alibaba won the fight and kill the mage.

Finally, the mage is killed, Alibaba saved his lover, the thieves were beaten up and caught by the citizens.

- Happy ending-