Name: Ali Baba and the 40 thieves
Director: Pierre Aknine
Genre: Adventure, Action, Drama, TV Movie
Released: 2007-11-10
Duration: 180 min
Rating: 5.4
Cast: Gérard Jugnot, Leïla Bekhti, Saïda Jawad, Michèle Bernier, Marc Ruchmann

A 3-hour French TV movie where Gérard Jugnot fights thieves? Chaos.

Euro-pudding adventureSaturday afternoon dad energyOrientalist fever dream

Overview

Adventure Action Drama TV Movie

The story of Ali Baba, who takes on forty thieves to save the Caliph of Baghdad and prevent a war between the Orient and the Occident.

FR French

Content warning

Standout Aspects

Costume

Morgiane's outfits deserved a better script.

Practical Effects

Charming lo-fi desert battles, blessedly pre-CGI overdose.

Best for:Background·Solo

Director

Pierre Aknine

ReleasedNov 10, 2007

Runtime3h

StatusReleased

Vibe

Paceslow

Intensitymedium

Tonemixed

Feellight

Top Cast

Gérard Jugnot

Ali Baba

Leïla Bekhti

Morgiane

Saïda Jawad

Ouria

Michèle Bernier

Yasmina

Marc Ruchmann

Sliman

Ken Duken

Séraphin

Thomas Trabacchi

Malik

Farida Rahouadj

Zubayda

Hammou Graïa

Ya-Ya le Vizir

Jean Benguigui

Cassim

Karim Belkhadra

Youssef

Amidou

Le Caliphe

Luca Ward

Mustapha

Ask about Ali Baba and the 40 thieves

Opens AI chat

Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

This 2007 French-German co-production is part of a wave of European TV movies mining Orientalist fantasies for family audiences, decades after Hollywood abandoned them.

Trivia

Gérard Jugnot was 56 playing Ali Baba; the original story's Ali Baba was an elderly woodcutter. Hollywood ages down, France ages up apparently.

Gallery