Aladdin: Disney's "Whole New World"

After the massive box office record-breaking, Academy Award-winning success stories of The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991), Walt Disney Pictures continued to bask in the glory of their return to animation with the release of Aladdin, their 31st animated feature film.

Now Aladdin was, at the time, a bit of an unorthodox choice for a Disney animated film. Yes, Aladdin is still quite dependent on a fantasy-esque format similar to Mermaid and Beauty, but, for the first time, Disney didn't choose a traditional Eurpean-written fairy tale that revolves around a beautiful heroine to turn into an animated musical fantasy film, but rather a Middle Eastern folk tale that stars a wishful-thinking peasant boy. Sure, Aladdin does feature a headstrong princess a la Ariel in an important role, but she is one level short of significance in comparison to her love interest, Aladdin. The fact that the film was written to be more comedic than emotional, features a boy as its protagonist and is set in the Middle East rather than Eurpope was risk enough to keep away loyal princess fans. But, as we all know, the results were quite the opposite.

Released in the winter of 1992, Aladdin was an enormous success. Earning more than $500 million at the box office, the film outgrossed both its predecessors and became the highest-grossing animated film of all-time (The Lion King replaced it two years later), and received an astounding five Oscar nominations, winning two for Best Original Song ("A Whole New World") and Best Original Score. The film has also managed to maintain a very positive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Produced and directed by The Little Mermaid's Ron Clements and John Musker, and feauturing the voice talents of Scott Weigner, Jonathan Freeman, Linda Larkin, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried, Douglas Seele, and the incomparably hilarious Robin Williams, few would question why Aladdin, with its five Oscar nominations and acclaimed musical score, is one of the most resounding names in the Disney film alumni, and continues to appear on nearly everyone's "favourite" list.

Summary

As mentioned, Aladdin strays from other Disney animated fantasy films because it stars a thieving peasant boy, while the beautiful princess takes a backseat as the film's deuteragonist or second most important chatacter.

In the kingdom of Agrabah, a handsome but kind-hearted "street rat" named Aladdin (Weigner) is forced to steal what he needs in order to surive. When Aladdin meets and falls in love with the beautiful Princess Jasmine (Larkin), a headstrong teenager who, by law, must marry a prince, Aladdin seeks the help of a wish-granting Genie (Williams), who he asks to turn him into a prince so that he may woo the hard-to-please princess. As if trying to live up to a major fib itsn't hard enough, Aladdin must also battle the evil sorcer Jafar (Freeman), the Sultan's (Seale) power-hungry Grand Vizier.

Review

I must admit that when I first sat down to watch Aladdin on VHS, I wasn't expecting much. I was fully aware of the rave reviews that the film was getting, but I was just afraid that Aladdin's different plot setup, character roles and comedic styling would undo what Disney had only recently managed recreate. I was, however, pleasantly suprised by how much I enjoyed the film from an entertainment point of view, but disappointed at the same time because the film just doesn't have the emotional weight that Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid have. Indefinitely, Aladdin is one of Disney's funniest animated films (it reminds me of how clean comedy in animated films used to be; no inappropriate innuendos and such), and the characters are entertaining (at least the supporting ones), but it is only about a 7.5/10 on the emotional level.

Ratings

Story - 9/10 - A simple yet meaningful storyline with a strong (though cliché) moral. The humour is definitely a refreshing break from the more sophisticated Beauty and the Beast, but it sometimes drowns out the emotional value that was existent in Mermaid and Beauty.

Characters - 8/10 - The supporting characters are definitely more interesting than the leads. Iago is annoying yet undeniably entertaining, and Abu is the most adorable animal sidekick since the mice in Cinderella. Ah, the Genie. Oh, that wonderful Genie. Need I say more? As for main characters Aladdin and Jasmine, Aladdin is your typical all-round good guy/hero; nothing too interesting here. The best thing about him is that he's a thief (ironic, isn't it?). Jasmine is outspoken and strong-willed, but, to me, she just seems like a mouthier version of Ariel combined with Belle's stubbornness, and I find her harder to sympathize with than her two previous heroines. Her story is unoriginal, and I can't help but get a little mad when Jafar puts her in an hour glass, where she is forced to wait for Aladdin to rescue her. It's just a little too damsel in distress-like for me; something that was so beautifully avoided in Beauty and the Beast. Jafar, though not the most original Disney villain, still manages to send chills up my spine.

Voice acting - 10/10 - A perfect score! Though some of the characters fall flat in terms of personality, they are each perfectly casted. Robin Williams as the Genie is definitely the best thing that happened to the film; the fast-talking comedian is both funny and entertaining, and it's hard to acknowledge any of the other characters when they share a scene with Genie. Frank Welker as Abu is equally as pleasing, and Gilbert Gottfried's Iago is his most tolerable character yet.

Music - 9/10 - The double Oscar-winning music of the film by composer Alan Menken and late lyricist Howard Ashman (who was replaced by Tim Rice after his death) is a definite standout. Though the songs aren't as memorable as "Under the Sea" or "Be Our Guest," they play well against film's comedic atmosphere, and do a good job at carrying the plot. Ashman and Menken's "Friend Like Me" is pure "genie"us (ha, ha, ha), while Rice and Menken's Oscar-winning "A Whole New World" is a brilliant masterpiece. The score, however, is not as emotional or moving as its predecessors.

Score - 90% - Aladdin, though not as sublime as The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast, is thoroughly entertaining, funny, and worthy of a solid 90%.

In conclusion, Aladdin is a timeless must-have for your Disney movie collection, but mostly because its a major milestone in introducing humour to animated films (for those of you who think that title belongs to Shrek, you're wrong!). Aladdin definitely won't make you tear up like Beauty and the Beast did (although the "farewell" ending will make you come close), and Aladdin and Jasmine won't go down as the most memorable Disney characters, but its fast-paced action, Award-winning music, and charming humour is sure to keep you enchanted. Is Aladdin one of my favourite animated films? Well, yes, but not for the same reasons other animated films are. It is definitely a fantastic film, sure to entertain Disney followers for generations to come (fun fact: November 25, 2012 will mark Aladdin's 20th anniversary!!!)