A Toei 20th‑anniversary feature follows a boy who is the heir of the thieves" chief that met a grim end in the 1001 Nights. He joins forces with thirty‑eight cats, each with a quirky trait, and a mouse to recover his rightful loot from Ali Baba XXXIII, the current ruler of the realm with an iron grip. The tale flips the classic hero/villain dynamic—no surprise that Hayao Miyazaki helped craft it. The picture stands out as one of Toei"s most spirited, high‑energy adventures and flaunts a wildly cartoonish aesthetic that shatters the studio"s usual style. Its vibrant pacing and daring set pieces keep viewers on the edge, while whimsical humor balances darker stakes. The crew boasts an impressive roster of animators, including Yasuji Mori, Akira Daikubara, Hayao Miyazaki, Yoichi Kotabe and Reiko Okuyama. At one moment the film retells the original Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves story through an inventive shadow‑puppet sequence.
Toei Animation Japan