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Poster Description: Aladdin, Jasmine, and Abu share the flying carpet. They smile at Genie, who carries his shiny gold lamp in his palm. At the top of the poster with the film’s title, the sky is dark and full of stars. The sky is lighter towards the bottom, where Jafar and Iago stare up from a rock. Jafar holds his staff and shakes his other fist. The sun lights the gold and white palace of Agrabar.
It’s one of those Disney films that genuinely made me ask, “How come I haven’t reviewed this before?” Simply put, Aladdin is up there with The Emperor’s New Groove for me, so I will explore why I think it’s so worthy.
Our titular hero finds a magic lamp for a power-hungry vizier. The lamp contains a genie (Robin Williams, Robots) who can grant three wishes for Aladdin, including winning Princess Jasmine’s heart. Is the boy she meets in the market more than what he seems?
As with most of the films in the Disney Renaissance, Alan Menken wrote the score and original songs. Amusingly, he is credited twice for this, alongside Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. With such song-writing powerhouses, the end results are unsurprisingly brilliant, from “Arabian Nights” to “A Whole New World.” Similarly, we have the likes of Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio in the screenplay. Y’know, the guys behind one of Disney’s biggest unexpected hits of the 2000s. The dialogue is sparky, and they clearly knew when to let the funny guys improvise. Williams notoriously recorded his lines over four sessions that lasted four hours, and the animators had the challenge of putting them on screen. For example, his reactions to various items, as per his interaction with the audience as a street vendor, it is said that a lot of it wasn’t appropriate for kids’ ears! As the Genie, Williams is compassionate, warm and has clear morals. Yes, his celebrity references are a bit old now, so younger audiences might not get them, but they’re no less quickfire and funny. His best lines include, “I can’t believe it, I’m losing to a rug!” and an irate impression of Robert Di Nero after Aladdin outsmarts the Genie.
Inspired by a young Tom Cruise, Aladdin is certainly a mischievous scamp (voiced by Scott Weiner from Full House). His first scene (and the second song of the film, the frantic “One Jump Ahead”) demonstrates how difficult his life as a “street rat” is in Agrabah. He still gives it to two hungry children despite his struggles to find food. It makes me sad that the song “Proud Of Your Boy” didn’t make it to the final cut because it gives his backstory more depth. His mother was alive: how many Disney princesses characters say that?! Aladdin even has an animal sidekick, Abu the Monkey (voiced by Frank Welker, who is best known for voicing Fred and Scooby Doo).
Speaking of animal sidekicks, we actually have plenty in Aladdin. Princess Jasmine has Rajar, the tiger, and our main antagonist, Jafar, has Iago (voiced by Gilbert Gottfried). Apart from being an uncanny mimic, there is so much we don’t know about the parrot. He’s jaded and sarcastic, hinting at a long history with Jafar – especially as they even squabble like an old married couple!
Hot take: I understand why Jafar wanted power. The Sultan is nice enough, but he appears complacent and naïve. Shockingly, he is willing to bow to Jafar when the vizier finally does get his wishes. One thing I like about the 2019 live-action film is Princess Jasmine discovering just how bad things were in Agrabar. Although, it does make you wonder why she didn’t go out sooner in either movie. Her dubious “…yes?” when Aladdin asks her if she trusts him is realistic and funny. I particularly like how she outsmarts Aladdin quite early on, which makes the “liar revealed” trope less annoying.
In keeping with the film’s tenuous record of white actors playing people of colour, Jonathan Freeman (The Producers) voices Jafar. Like many villains of the Disney Renaissance, he is suave and intimidating, and his design is gorgeously queer-coded. Jafar has such presence in his scarlet robes, carrying a cobra-headed staff; I miss villains that turn into giant monsters at the end of new Disney films. Jafar also a sucker for a well-timed pun and a surprising master of disguise. What is that noise he does with his cheeks?! Comedy-wise, the film excels in the fast, sudden sounds and is probably a basis of my humour.
Image Description: We’re in a dark prison
cell, and Jafar is disguised as a skinny, bow-legged old man with a long white
beard. He carries a stick and has a manic look in his eye. He grins with
mismatched teeth.
As with a lot of Disney
films, things are resolved relatively quickly. If I had to say what I wanted to
change, Aladdin would encounter more obstacles to get him back to Agrabar after
Jafar kicked him out. Also, it would have been good to see more about what
Jafar would have done as Sultan: how did it affect the poor people on the
ground? He might have been a great ruler, but we will never know.
So
why is Aladdin one of my favourite Disney films? Robin Williams is
the main reason for his iconic performance and whip-smart humour. The animation
looks beautiful, the songs are timeless, and Jafar is a lovable villain who
looks incredible. It’s fun all around.
My Rating: 4 STARS OUT OF 5
My Sources:
Aladdin film poster: https://aladdin.fandom.com/wiki/Aladdin_(film)
Aladdin cast: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103639/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_7_nm_1_in_0_q_aladd
Facts about Aladdin - https://www.ranker.com/list/disney-animated-aladdin-behind-the-scenes/corrine-james
Douglas Seale filmography - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0780528/?ref_=tt_cst_t_7
Jonathan Freeman filmography - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0293455/?ref_=tt_cst_t_4
Image – Beggar Jafar - https://aladdin.fandom.com/wiki/Beggar_Jafar
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