There was once a time when animated films were good. Audiences flocked to see them, the end result being that both parent and child walked out of the feature-length cartoon with a smile on their face. So many years later, it just isn't the same. Audiences have come to mostly ignore the animated film, knowing that the chances of it being any good are pretty slim. Disney even announced that Brother Bear was going to be its final all-animation film. What has happened? Why has this tragic period of film come to an end? It is because back in the day, before DVD, Disney used to care about its movies, and its audiences. Now all Michael Eisner cares about is saving his own ar*se.

It's tragic, because movies like Aladdin really were pretty good. Even their straight-to-video follow-ups, such as The Return of Jafar, weren't too bad themselves (Forty Thieves was pretty bad, though). I remember the enthusiasm that radiated from my tiny face the second I saw a trailer for a new Disney animated feature. And nowadays... I just shrug it off, feeling no optimism for the picture.

"Aladdin" follows the story of young... Aladdin, a "street rat" who spends his days trying to steal food from the greedy marketers, only being forced by his conscience to give it to those who are equally unfortunate once the meal is secured. It's a wonder the boy doesn't starve. One day, he gets a lamp, and meets this genie (voiced by the brilliant/bi-polar Robin Williams), who really is a wonderful guy, and can grant Aladdin three wishes. Aladdin wants to use his wishes to impress Princess Jasmine, who refuses to wed the suitors that are brought before her. However, the eeeeeevil Jafar wants power, and he knows the lamp would give it to him. Suspecting Laddy might have something to do with where the lamp is, he decides not to like him.

Yeah. It sounds a lot more complex than it is, but my this movie is good. Let's start with the music. Now, this stuff isn't "truly moving, sing along with Jessica and Nick and cry your eyes out" stuff, but its very entertaining, and I can picture myself watching it with my son ten years from now, smiling with my arm around him, while he smiles too. Williams, as the genie, doesn't really sing, but he does sing-talk, and his voice-over charisma shows itself to probably be better than any actor alive. The scenery that is provided during a (spoiler!) romantic (end spoiler!) Laddy-Jasmine duet is pretty frickin' cool, and I'd imagine that somewhere in the world, during this film's initial screenings, it made two film lovers (spoiler!) hold hands (end spoiler!) at the end of the song. Maybe they even went home and... eh, never mind.

I don't know how one quite directs an animated film... just imagine it. "No, I know you just spent an hour drawing that one frame, but if you need to shift the angle about five degrees to the left." But anyway, it must be pretty hard. However, fortunately for us, Ron Clements and Jon Musker are pretty good. The world we are given is a vast one; an Arabian land so full of color and vision that it would "optimize" us if it were murky. Once again, this was back when Disney cared, so I guess it comes with no surprise.

The only two remaining well-knowns who voiced this film are Robin Williams and the annoying charming Gilbert Godfried, both of whom really don't do that much anymore. I don't know why... I see Godfried on Hollywood Squares every now and then, and I guess Robin Williams just got sick of making "moving" movies that weren't really that good... anyway, I guess that's just how it goes with Disney cartoons. They realized they didn't need huge names to make good movies, and now... eh... they're no good.

But Freaky Friday was great, I have to say.

Rating: A-

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4