Movie Review: Aladdin

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Funny, romantic story told with beautiful animation

Cons: A tad slow in the beginning, could become dated fast

The Bottom Line:

A magical tale

Adventure, laughs, and romance

Fun for everyone

Wishing for a Funny Film?  Wish Granted!

In the early 1990's, Disney animation was on a roll with several hits in a row. In the middle of that success came Aladdin. This is a funny, fun film that the entire family will enjoy.

Aladdin (voiced by Scott Weinger) is a street rat. Or homeless bum if you prefer. He lives in the city of Agrabah in the shadow of the palace and dreams of the day that his life will be better.

Life in the palace isn't as wonderful as he thinks it is, however. Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) is being forced to marry a prince. And none of the princes that come by are at all to her like.

When Jasmine runs away, she and Aladdin meet briefly and instantly fall in love.

Unfortunately, Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) wants Aladdin for his own purposes. Jafar is trying to get into the Cave of Wonders to retrieve a magic lamp containing a Genie (Robin Williams). What will he do if he gets the lamp? Will Aladdin and Jasmine be able to get together?

Just about everything about this movie works, starting with the animation. It is rich in color and beautifully drawn. The Cave of Wonders was animated by the computer at Pixar, but the majority of the film was still hand drawn. While obviously still a cartoon, things look alive.

Robin Williams, however, absolutely makes the movie. They gave him free reign in the studio, and the Genie often breaks into impressions of other people. They are absolutely funny. It took me several times to catch all the changes he does because I was laughing so hard.

Now that isn't to take away from the other voice actors. Jonathan Freeman is the perfect villain. He gives Jafar a deep menacing voice. Even if his character weren't so obviously the villain from his first scene, the voice would give him away. Scott Weinger brings an innocence and idealism to Aladdin. And Linda Larkin's Jasmine is innocent but spirited. A great addition to the cast if Gilbert Gottfried who plays Jafar's sidekick, the parrot Iago. He's hilarious in his scenes and brings some great comic relief to the darker scenes.

The songs are also memorable. The two best known are "Friend Like Me" and the Oscar winning romantic ballad "A Whole New World." While these are the best, the other songs are equally fun.

About the only flaw to the film is the pacing. The story seems to drag before Genie shows up. Honestly, I'm not sure how they could have set up the characters and story any faster. I think it's more likely just a case of impatience waiting for Genie to show up. Robin Williams kicks the movie up a notch when he appears. And, since I love a climax that is well set up earlier in the film, I absolutely love this climax. It might be too scary for young kids, so if your kids scare easily, you might want to check that out.

The other potential flaw is the cultural references. Because of Robin Williams' celebrity impressions and a few of Gilbert Gottfried's jokes this movie will forever be dated. These things just scream out early 90's. However, most of Disney's classics are dated by various things and we still love them. This one may not be quite as timeless as some of the others, but we will only truly be able to tell that many years from now.

In the mean time, Aladdin is a film that kids and parents will enjoy together. If you are looking for something for a family movie night, this will fit the bill.