Anxious to follow up on the massive commercial and critical success of Beauty
And The Beast, Disney created another animated masterpiece with Aladdin.
Although not nearly as successful in terms of critical acclaim as the
aforementioned film, or later Disney creations such as The Lion King and Finding
Nemo, Aladdin is nevertheless just as entertaining and probably the funniest of
all the animated Disney features. With the voice of Robin Williams leading the
way, the film is a non-stop foray into the timeless fantasy world of A Thousand
And One Arabian Nights spliced together with the rapier-like wit and quick-fire
humor of one of America’s most talented comic performers…
The film takes place hundreds of years ago in the windswept sands of the kingdom
of Agrabah, where a young street urchin named Aladdin wanders the streets,
stealing and hustling for survival. Along the way, he’s joined by his loyal
companion Abu, a clever and enterprising monkey. Yet, in stark contrast to the
poverty-ridden streets below, the lustrous facade of a massive palace towers
high above the urban world of Aladdin. Inside, the Sultan of Agrabah lives a
carefree life of opulence and luxury with his beautiful daughter Jasmine and a
cunning, ambitious adviser named Jafar.
Forced to spend her days inside the palace walls, the headstrong Princess
Jasmine sneaks out in order to experience the world around her. During this
dangerous trek through the streets of her kingdom, the girl befriends Aladdin
who is immediately awestruck by her beauty. But when Princess Jasmine’s escape
is brought to the attention of Jafar and her father, she is quickly rounded up,
and Aladdin is thrown in prison. Hoping to seize the kingdom for himself, Jafar
enlists the aid of Aladdin in an effort to obtain a fabled magic lamp, the
purported powers of which are unlimited. Legend has it that only a “diamond in
the rough” is capable of retrieving the lamp from the Cave of Wonders. All
others will be swallowed whole by the endless sands of the desert.
When Aladdin fails in Jafar’s quest, he is left for dead. But he soon
discovers the mysterious lamp and the blue genie who resides within. Granting
Aladdin the ultimate power of three wishes (with certain conditions such as not
wishing for more wishes or wishing for someone to fall in love with you), the
genie transforms Aladdin into a powerful Prince, thus making him eligible to
marry Princess Jasmine. Riding into Agrabah at the helm of a triumphant parade,
only Jafar knows the true secret of Aladdin’s identity and his success, and he’s
determined to scheme and connive until he gains control of the magic lamp
himself…
Aside from Robin Williams, this film is easily forgettable.
With him, Aladdin is transformed into a legendary blockbuster hit. In fact,
the later appearances of comic voices in animated films such as Shrek (Mike
Myers and Eddie Murphy), Mulan (Eddie Murphy), Finding Nemo (Ellen DeGeneres),
and The Lion King (Nathan Lane & Whoopi Goldberg) can most likely be
traced back to the overwhelmingly positive audience reaction to Robin
Williams and the comic relief his blue genie provided. This once overlooked
aspect of the animated film has since become a staple, and Aladdin is the
reason why. In addition, the film boasts a beautiful soundtrack that gave
birth to the chart-topping hit “A Whole New World”. Fun for children and
adults alike, Aladdin is the perfect film for those who enjoy creativity,
humor, and a great story…
Aladdin DVD Customer Review
Wayne Klein "If at first the idea is
not absu.
5.0 out of 5
starsWow! Classic Disney
flick finally available in 2 editions, October 6, 2004
Aladdin"
continued Disney's hot streak of family friendly but witty animated classics
that broke box office records. Unfortunately, the magic was to last for a couple
more movies. No small part of the success of "Aladddin" can be
attributed to the songwriting team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Menken and
Ashman (who also wrote the winning songs for "Beauty and The Beast"
and "Little Shop of Horrors"). Also, the witty self assured direction,
like that of "Beauty and The Beast", helped define a hip, new Disney
that had something for everyone.
So what's the difference between the "Special Editon" and the
"Special Edition Gift Set". Plenty but as to whether it's worth the
extra cost depends on how much of a fan you are of the film. The "Special
Edition" comes only with the DVDs (the featurettes and documentaries are
discussed below). The "Special Edition Gift Set" comes with all that
plus six original illustrations on heavy stock of characters from the film. You
also get a deluxe book that's housed in a slipcase. It's very nice, indeed. Now,
if I were Disney I also would have included the soundtrack and also made this
edition a numbered, limited edition. While it might grow in value until the next
generation of disc players come out and this is re-released yet again for Blu-Ray
discs, it would have been better for fans to do a limited numbered edition. Oh,
and I forgot the film frame from the original movie.
"Aladdin" looks great on DVD with sharp, clear images and bright,
vivid colors. I didn't detect any analog or digital blemishes worth noting. The
Disc looks even better than the laserdisc version issued nearly a decade ago and
worlds better than the VHS with crisper, clearer sound and a much cleaner more
vivid (and colorful)picture. The "Disney Enhanced" 5.1 soundtrack
actually improves the dialogue and songs giving them better clarity and added
presence.
The extras are a mixed bag but most of them are well worth having. There's
deleted scenes presented in rough pencil animation, deleted songs highlighted by
the terrific "Proud of Your Boy". Clay Aiken sings a version of the
song for a music video. We also get "A Whole New World" performed by
the dipsy duo of Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. The two hour "A Diamond
in the Rough" is a fascinating glimpse behind-the-scenes of this marvelous
movie. We also get to see scenes from the deleted storyline for the film. Pop-up
trivia facts can also be programmed to play on the DVD player as well. The two
audio commentary tracks feature the directors and producer of the film while the
second has some very funny commentary from the various character animators
involved in the film.
"Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride" is the best of the extras included here.
It's actually not a game per se but a magic carpet ride that's best experienced
on as big a TV as possible with the lights out. It's as close to a thrill ride
ever presented on home video. "Inside the Genie's Lamb" is a mildly
interesting and entertaining glimpse into the Genie's habitat. We also get
"Genie World Tour". This bit of whimsy is fun and Disney directors
actually entertained the notion of putting it on during the end credits at one
time. It's clever and a witty short. "3 Wishes Game" might keep little
ones entertained once or twice although some little ones will need help
operating the DVD remote to play the game. Parents stay close by so the kids
don't throw the remote at the TV in frustration. You can also select your
favorite "Aladdin" songs with onscreen lyrics to help you sing along
(God save your neighbors if you're a bad singer).
All in all a terrific package well worth picking up. "Aladdin" is a
funny, charming and entertaining movie with the Disney team at their peak. The
"Special Gift Edition" is truly for the hardcore Disney fan that
collects everything Disney. The two disc "Special Edition" is more for
the casual fan or those that love the movie but just don't collect Disney stuff.
I had some reservations about the DVD release as I was afraid they might screw
it up but they didn't. The only thing missing is a discussion about the original
song lyrics that were changed for home video release due to concerns about their
anti-Arab sentiments. Also, we don't get any new footage of Robin Williams but
we do see some vintage stuff from his very funny recording sessions.
MovieShame.
There have always been lots of movies that show or exploit sex, but far fewer
that try to explore it seriously, as a rich, meaningful subject, whether
psychological or social...
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Aladdin"
continued Disney's hot streak of family friendly but witty animated classics
that broke box office records. Unfortunately, the magic was to last for a couple
more movies. No small part of the success of "Aladddin" can be
attributed to the songwriting team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Menken and
Ashman (who also wrote the winning songs for "Beauty and The Beast"
and "Little Shop of Horrors"). Also, the witty self assured direction,
like that of "Beauty and The Beast", helped define a hip, new Disney
that had something for everyone.
