On the heels of Aladdin (my recently reviewed horror version of Disney’s magical faux-prince tale) comes Aladdin’s Revenge…the follow up which sheds more light to the darkness that has blanketed our heroine, Rachel (another strong performance from Devanny Pinn) through the cursed magic lamp which is connected to our leading lady.  This sequel creates more havoc, more disturbances and more wickedness. All aboard the creepy carpet ride, Part 2!  

We last left off with a blood-soaked Rachel, launching the mystical vessel into the sea and hoping never to relive the horror of a weekend getaway that resulted in the gruesome deaths of her friends including her longtime love, Jake. To deal with the aftermath of this massacre and avoid jail time, Rachel agrees to another quick retreat. This time, for intense psychotherapy alongside two other patients: Nora and Leo. Nora struggles with overwhelming guilt since losing her husband in a terrible scuba incident while Leo tries to pick up the pieces of his brother’s death from a horrendous car accident. After learning of Rachel’s participation in their trauma group, everyone (including the counselor) is intrigued by this wish-granting artifact…and they are dying to give it a whirl.

Yes, “dying” being the operative word, the gleefully expressed exploits become an extreme shock to her system once Rachel discovers that the lamp has more or less, followed her to this new location. Aladdin’s cruel intentions spark another fury of selfish purposes for the gang mourning the loss of their loved ones. Obviously, their desire to resurrect their recently departed family members comes as no surprise, nor does the forewarning from Rachel to destroy this evilness and continue with the healing process. Alas, there is no revenge without naughtiness, so here we go. The vicious Aladdin begins to take control and manipulate this new band of brothers into carrying out his diabolical deed: escaping his imprisonment. And given the helpless status in these psyche sessions, it’s no wonder that the cruelest thing the universe can do is give you exactly what you ask for. But there is always a caveat.  

While we know the direction of dominion over the disillusionment, it still doesn’t sway attention from the epic confrontation between Rachel and Aladdin, via the possession of Leo. Props to Troy Escoda for turning the vulnerable Leo into a magnetic monster, spewing out the obsessive human compulsion to seek out their truth. Words are dipped in logic, and we constantly ask questions which we do not want answers for. Nothing is real. And nothing screams more precise than the reality of human flaws and failure. A few cheesy neon bolts of lightning and devilish silhouettes are the only blemishes which otherwise make Aladdin’s Revenge a delicious thriller.