Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.
Before I begin, I would like to inform you that this review is part of Greatpilgrim's Magic Carpet Writeoff, in which I have to review something that sparks off a child's (well, mine actually as I do not have kids) imagination. I hope you enjoy the review.
When anyone thinks of magic carpets, they always refer to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, genies in lamps, desert sand, music in the minor key, lots of gold and people with dark skin. Generally, when people think of magic carpets, they usually refer to anything around the Arabian coast or anything related to the Middle East. Typically, children's cartoons play on these stereotypes, and even Disney's contribution to the Ali Baba story, Aladdin, also plays on the same stereotypes. I am not saying that this is bad. I am only simply saying that all films on Arabia have noticeable comparisons with one another.
Aladdin, I think, is Disney's 29th full-length animated feature, and I have to say it is one of the best animated features out there. The surge of great Disney films during the late 80s to the early 90s period shows that Disney animated classics have become something that both kids and adults can enjoy again.
Let's first start with the story. Aladdin (voiced by Scott Weingert) is a poor boy from Agrabah, who has to steal so that he can live. He lives with his monkey, Abu (voiced by Frank Welker, who provides Abu with monkey sound effects), who both wreak havoc around the streets of Agrabah. The two are always chased by the Sultan's guards, but always manage to get away. Despite being on bad terms with the guards, Aladdin, like all other poor boys, has aspirations to one day become rich and live in the palace like the Sultan does.
Meanwhile, in the Sultan's palace, Jasmine (voiced by Linda Larkin) is tired of being a princess and against the Sultan's (who is voiced by Douglas Seale) wishes and his permission, runs out of the palace to experience life as a common woman. However, she gets caught for stealing an apple, and Aladdin saves her from embarrassment. At this point, it is obvious that the two like each other and they form a relationship with one another. But shortly after he saves her, they catch the both of them and despite attempting to persuade her dad that Aladdin is a good boy, he is still thrown in prison for all the acts he committed before.
Having known about Aladdin's antics, an evil, conniving vizier, Jafar (voiced by Jonathan Freeman), a friend of the Sultan's, decides to use Aladdin as part of his plan to steal a precious lamp from the mysterious Cave of Wonders. Despite managing to steal the lamp (with the help of a magic carpet who is speechless throughout), Jafar fails to get the lamp, which leaves Abu and Aladdin to find out what this lamp is. They soon find out (after rubbing the lamp) that a genie (voiced by Robin Williams) lives inside the lamp. The genie is a vivacious, loud and witty being, and as Aladdin is the new owner of the lamp, he is permitted 3 wishes and Aladdin uses one of them to become a prince, so that he can see Jasmine again and be rich for a change.
He gets to become a prince, he gets the girl and he is loved by the Sultan. However, he is despised by Jafar, who wants to become a prince, wants the girl and wants power. Therefore, with the help of his pet parrot, Iago (voiced by Gilbert Gottfried), they get the lamp in an attempt to get rid of Aladdin, so that Jafar can become Sultan and rule Agrabah. Will Aladdin be able to save himself and Jasmine from the evil clutches of Jafar?
I have to admit that after I watched the film, I often want to imagine myself flying on a magic carpet through the Arabian desert and feel the breeze while riding on the carpet. I also imagine having a magic lamp and wishing that a genie comes up and grants you 3 wishes. I am pretty sure that other kids will inevitably do this to, and this is why I chose to do this film to review, because a kid’s imagination can just spark off with the thought of a magic carpet, a lamp with a genie popping out and always wondering what 3 wishes he/she should choose (toys, more toys and more toys...LOL!). Anyways, the most important thing about this film is that it shows a child that being rich is not what you need to impress people, which is vitally important for any child to learn. The moral of the story is that you can be poor but nice and still get more friends than those who are rich, selfish and greedy.
First of all, special mention must be made about the songs. The songs are composed by Alan Menken, but the lyrics of some of the songs are written by Howard Ashman, while the rest are written by Tim Rice. Ashman wrote Arabian Nights, Prince Ali and Friend Like Me before he tragically passed away of AIDS in 1991 during production. Ted Rice took over, and finished writing lyrics to the other songs: A Whole New World, One Jump Ahead and Prince Ali Reprise. Ashman's and Rice's skills as lyricists contrast greatly and one can feel that in the film, because Ashman tends to have very witty lyrics in most of his songs, while Rice tended to write serious lyrics to the songs, which do not contain the same wittiness Ashman incorporated in his songs. Despite this, I still feel that the songs are great and the orchestration behind them is excellent with the powerful brass section, flutes playing the main melody and the minor key all the songs are played in (which creates the feel that the film is set in Arabia). I have to admit, I like Prince Ali because of its majestic, up-tempo feel throughout the song (created by the brass section and many background singers), and Robin William's singing performance in the song. He may not be the best singer, but he brings life into the song and the lyrics are good as well ("Prince Ali, fabulously, Ali-ah-ba-bua"). Because of its majestic feel, this song is my favorite song in this movie.
N.B.: It should be noted that the singing performances of Aladdin and Jasmine are done by Brad Kane and Lea Salonga. Both do stunning jobs, particularly in A Whole New World.
The animation is absolutely amazing in this film. The animation had to adapt for Robin Williams' animated performance as the genie. This is increasingly difficult because the directors of the film decided to let Williams loose with the script, and when Williams imitates people like Arnold Schwarzenegger or puts on any other voice, the animation presents the same thing Williams is doing and because it is so spot-on, it allows for an enjoyable film. Also, the roles of Abu and the carpet depended largely on the animation, and the animation made them look very funny, which shows that overall, the animation for this film was fantastic.
Speaking of Williams' performance, Williams is nothing short of spectacular in his role as the genie. Williams' improvisational, slapstick, over-the-top portrayal of the genie fits the animation perfectly and it adds so much spark to the film. It also compensates for the rather dull portrayals by Weingert and Larkin. Another standout performance is from Gottfried whose obnoxious behavior and general crankiness and loudness suit the character of Iago perfectly.
Overall, this film is one of the best animated features I have seen ever, and is something that can be watched by the whole family. You should not pay attention to any of the criticism in this review, since this is supposed to be a "sit back and relax" film, in which you enjoy the film for its merits and not judge it by its low points. If you have a child and want to help him spark up his imagination, this is the film to watch!
A peasant and thief finds a magical lamp deep in the desert. Upon rubbing the lamp, the peasant releases a talkative genie who is bound to grant him t...More at eCOST.com
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