Hello everyone, and welcome back to my next throwback review, but instead of looking at a series of films, this time we will just be looking at one film that has its remake coming out soon. That of course is Aladdin, a film many people believe to be one of the very best of the Disney Renaissance. It also was, and still is one of the more controversial Disney films thanks to claims of stereotyping the middle eastern culture (how fitting that the remake would also face a deluge of controversy), but it still is beloved nonetheless. So I decided why not revisit the film, and see how it holds up, and I’m glad to say it most definitely does.
Through a mysterious narrator, we are transported to the land of Agrabah where we first meet are protagonist Aladdin, a wise cracking street rat, trying to survive, and wants something more in his life. One day he runs into a girl named Jasmine, who just so happens to be the daughter of the Sultan, who yearns to become more free, and independent, and not be stuck in a palace for the rest of her life having a prince be her husband. As they learn more about one another, they start to develop feelings for each other, but Aladdin is then caught thanks to the Grand Vizier, Jafar who has plans for the noble thief. While in jail, Aladdin meets this old man, who promises him great riches if he goes out on a quest to find the Magic Lamp hidden deep in the Cave of Wonders since only a diamond in the rough can enter. He takes this quest, and is able to get through, and finds treasure beyond his wildest imaginations. He then finds the magic lamp, and awakens a mystical Genie, who promises to grant him three wishes. Aladdin decides to take advantage of this and try to impress Jasmine, but will his plan succeed, and will Jafar succeed in stealing the lamp in order to rule all of Agrabah?
Starting in the 1990s during Disney’s renaissance, people would describe them of having a formula, that all of their films at the time had, and that’s mostly true. You had the love story, the evil villain, the goofy animal sidekick serving as comic relief, and the big musical numbers to name a few. But just because they follow a similar pattern, doesn’t mean they were bad, far from it actually, in fact the best ones soared thanks to their execution, and this movie does just that. Heck, to be honest I believe this movie to be the one that handled this formula perfectly, and may by my favorite film of theirs from that era. Everything from the pacing, the humor, the heart, the emotion, is all done so well, and the film just has this energy to it that not many other Disney films have. It moves at a quick pace, and is just entertaining throughout.The romance I feel is handled very well here as both Aladdin, and Jasmine have different views on that they want out of their life which made their arcs very compelling, and it baffles me how people say Jasmine always relied on means they clearly did not watch the movie (looking at you people working on the remake). The humor is also hilarious, as there are scenes where the movie just keep throwing the jokes at you, with very few jokes not landing (many of them involving the Genie), and the pop culture references provided by the Genie are also handled well (even if you may not even get the reference they are still funny), as is the slapstick comedy which is very effective (no surprise since that type of comedy is perfect for animation). The be yourself message is also done well here as this film is probably one of the best examples of that message being done correctly, and it also points how people should not feel the need to change for anyone, and how anyone can be better no matter what their situation in life is, which still rings true today.
This is also probably the most cartoonish Disney film during that time, and I mean that as a compliment. This shown evidently in the animation which is just so visually stunning, especially in the musical numbers (we’ll talk more about those later). Thanks to the fast paced nature of the film, it feels more cartoonish in the character animation, but it works for the film and it is smooth, and fluid, and it benefits the action, and slapstick comedy. The backgrounds feel big, and capture the dessert city of Agrabah very nicely, and there is even some CG animation used in some parts, and the character designs have that Disney feel to them, and they match the characters personality well. Speaking of those characters as I said before Aladdin, and Jasmine are both great, strong independent characters who will do what it takes to get the life they want, and both Scott Weinger, and Linda Larkin do an excellent job voicing the couple. but they are not the only ones shine as the supporting cast is also great providing some good comedy, like Douglas Seale as the Sultan who just wants whats best for his daughter, and Frank Welker who plays both Aladdin’s monkey partner Abu, and the Magic Carpet found in the Cave of Wonders. But what would one of these films be without their villain, and Jafar makes for a very fun, and menacing baddie played wonderfully by Jonathan Freeman, and he gets a nice assist from Gilbert Gottfried as his talking parrot Iago, who is just a scene stealer. But of course the thing everyone remembers from this movies, and is the best part of it is far and away, Robin Williams, as the Genie, who was just made for this role. He just brings so much energy to the part that brings the character to life so well. It may be a little sad watching this movie now after his death, but man did he do such a good job here, that i’m glad Disney is not trying to replace him (thank goodness Will Smith is making the character his own instead of copying Williams).
Finally how could we talk about a Disney renaissance film without mentioning the songs, and this movie just fire on all cylinders when it comes to this. This probably one of my personal favorite soundtracks from a Disney film as all of the songs by Alan Menken are so catchy, and great. First there’s the opening song Arabian Nights which helps set the mood of the film very well, and has a nice mysterious feel to it. Then there’s One Jump Ahead which plays when Aladdin is first introduced which is where the fast paced nature of the film comes to play, and is very catchy, and provides some fun action. After that there’s the Genie song Friend Like Me, which is a blast, thanks to Williams performance, and the stunning animation that shows off the Genie’s mystical powers (it’s a great example of what you can do if you take advantage of the endless possibilities of animation). Then we have Prince Ali, when Aladdin comes into Agrabah disguised as a prince, which is my personal favorite since it is catchy, funny, well animated, and has Williams fun performance (I actually find it pretty underrated in fact). Finally there is the iconic, and Oscar nominated A Whole New World, which really is a nice, and beautiful piece sung very well by its two stars. Overall the songs are all a blast to listen to, and I do like to listen to them every once in awhile.
To be honest, it took a lot of thought but I think this film might be my favorite film of the Disney Renaissance as it just does everything perfectly. Aladdin is just a fantastic film that takes full advantage of the medium of animation to craft one hell of an adventure. Now I still am skeptical of the remake as many of you are, and even if it is decent, I highly doubt its gonna match the quality of this film, because really what need is for this remake when everything is just so good the first time around. So in conclusion i’d say this film reminds me why I love Disney Animation in the first place, and I’m absolutely on board with whatever they do next (also thank you Robin Williams for all of the laughs you gave us).
Rating: A+
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