I can't say that the plot premise was original, but perhaps that was the point. The movie is about storytelling and fantasy, and riffs on 1001 Nights among other classics. The relationship between the scholar and the djinn is poignant, although it takes some time to develop. The movie is memorable for the kind of costumes and characters one would expect in a George Miller film. I didn't feel like there was a common thread in the stories, unless I missed something. I enjoyed the setting in Istanbul where I used to live and the fact they actually spoke Turkish and other languages at times. Overall a mostly well made film that I enjoyed.