Aladdin Reviews

I will never forget the first time I watched "Aladdin", I was with a group of friends waiting in the airport for the plane that would take us from Orlando to Paris at the time when "Aladdin" was the 'big thing' in the USA while some previews of "The Lion King" were starting to screen. "Aladdin" will forever be associated to that wonderful week I spent in Disneyland, and it's only fitting if the movie is my favorite Disney film, slightly edging-out "The Jungle Book".

I know I can get all rational in this review, analyzing what makes "Aladdin" such an appealing film and using the expected words of 'Disney Renaissance' and a comparison with the glorious Best Picture nominee predecessor. I can also talk about the animation, the music, the extraordinary multi-vocal performance of Robin Williams as Genie but I don't feel like getting rational. I love the film for personal reasons that are essentially due to the excellent timing of this film in its penetration of my pre-adolescent life. "Aladdin" took a forever cherished place as one of the last treasures that enriched my childhood even playing a pivotal role in the way I would start enjoying cartoons.

"Kid's day in the USA!" was the motto of the week that was celebrating the 65th birthday of Mickey Mouse, and for a kid who never traveled outside his country, going to Disneyland was the most unexpected destination, the most extraordinary trip I would never have dared to dream of. This is when I discovered "Aladdin", through the 'Prince Ali' fanfare endlessly performed during the parades, through the films' images aired on TV; something was strangely attracting me to the film. And I guess the fact that I knew the story helped a lot: I grew up with a French cartoon from 1969, titled 'Aladin and the Magic Lamp' recorded in an 80's videocassette, a movie I can recite (and sing) by heart, and there was also an obscure Manga 'Aladdin' film we watched at school before the summer holidays.

Needless to say I was already familiar with the story, and seeing it translated into Disney language was something I was excited to see. Would they talk about Aladdin's deceased father Mustapha? Would he live with his mother? What kind of roles would Genie play? Well one thing matters apart from these questions: I knew the story and I could understand the film even if I didn't speak English at that time it wouldn't have helped me anyway because the airport was very noisy, so I just sat on my luggage, eating some candies, and I could understand who was who and what was everyone's scheme: obviously, Aladdin wanted to be a prince to marry the princess and Jafar to marry the princess to become the prince, and between them, the Genie would come to fulfill their dreams. So, I saw the film and I loved it.

And for one year, before I would see it again, the music of 'Pince Ali' and 'A Whole New World' was the musical remembrance of that magical week in Disney World. And when I saw it again, it took another dimension: I finally understood the subtleties of the stories, I learned all the songs after repetitive viewings, and for months and months, I was transported by the 'Prince Ali' parade and its climactic conclusion and the romantic 'A Whole New World' and its beautiful opening, when Jasmine jumps on the carpet and the zoomed-out Rajah looks smaller and smaller, watching from the balcony. I saw the film so many times during my pre-teen years that I would never forget the first sensations it immersed me into, with an unexpected awkward one.

I must confess that Jasmine was one of my first movie crushes and my idea of the ideal woman as a kid, I don't know why but the way she looked during the 'love at first sight moment' hypnotized me and the moment where I always melt occurs in the carpet ride, when Aladdin gives her the apple, when you understand that she understood who the Prince Ali is, there are no words to describe how incredibly sexy she looks at that very moment. The crush didn't last of course, and as I grew older and was disappointed with the 'Return of Jafar' sequel and the TV series, my interest for "Aladdin" declined and it was reduced to 'kid's stuff I used to like'.

And then 10 years later, as a student, I saw the film again on my computer, eating a pizza, and something magical happened when the 'Whole New World' music started during the closing credits, my heart was inundated by a nostalgic torrent, so immense that I couldn't stop crying because it reminded me of the privileged place the movie occupied once in my heart. The magic was back, and whenever I was spending a good time with friends, we were having fun listening to these old Disney songs, and the clip of 'A Whole New World' was a must-see and how glad I was to discover that I wasn't the only one who 'liked' Jasmine.

I feel so concerned by this film and so deeply attached to it, that I don't want to spoil this review with critical or ecstatic reviews, the film is just thrilling, romantic, adventurous, and features certainly the greatest cast of supporting characters without it being the counterpart of a dull hero or heroine, there's not a single minute of the film that seems pointless and wasted and certainly not with a character like Genie. That's the best I could do to rationally 'explain' my love for "Aladdin".

But maybe because loving a film can also depend on external factors that influence your judgment, in the case of "Aladdin", everything contributed to make this my favorite Disney film ... for sentimental reasons yes, but who ever said they were wrong?

Es una bonita película del tiempo de oro en el renacimiento Disney, aunque de las buenas películas que sacaron, es de las más flojitas. El conflicto es bueno, el mensaje es apropiado, la técnica de animación es preciosa, y sin embargo siento aquí que carga un poquito más hacia lo cómico de lo normal, con esto digo, más que Hércules por ejemplo. Lo cual no es malo, no quiero que se interprete así, solo no tiene el peso de otras películas que hizo Disney en la época.
Entonces ahí llegamos al punto argumental que menos me agrada, que el protagonista es un ladrón y no únicamente un pobre. Es un detalle un poquito cuestionable como cuando los piratas son los buenos en una película.

Aladdin is the first film in the Renaissance that I just don’t believe deserves its status within the studio’s output. If you focus solely on how enjoyable the Genie is, how nefarious Jafar is, or how adorable Abu and the magic carpet are, you’re on steady ground. Once you start expanding beyond these characters, things get problematic quickly.

 

Racial coding has been a problem with Disney since the Golden Era, and Aladdin leans into it heavily. While Aladdin and Jasmine are more Euro-centric in looks, Jafar and the various villainous characters are caricatures of Middle-Eastern facial characteristics. It doesn’t help matters that Aladdin and Jasmine are significantly lighter in skin tone than the villainous characters. Or the hyper-sexualization of various female characters. It just makes for awkward viewing as an adult.   

 

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about some of the other problems with Aladdin. The story reminds me of many of the Silver Era prince and princess films, the boring-but-noble leads weigh it down, and it’s only lively when the villains and adorable sidekicks are allowed to take center stage. Jasmine, in particular, is all lip-service to more forward-thinking ideals. Her tough talk is all bluster, as she’s frequently tossed aside when decisions need to be made, or in the action-packed finale.

 

While the story is slight, frequently lopsided in favor of Robin Williams’ manic vocal mugging, this is both the blessing and undoing of the film. While the genie is missing for the first thirty-minutes or so, the film manages to dive deep into fantastical imagery. The lead-up to his reveal is in an awe inspiring new location, and Williams gives the movie an energy no other film had before or since in the canon.

 

But this would also prove to be a problem going forward, both with the film and in the studio. Williams overtakes Aladdin, and when his character’s mad-libs aren’t center stage, everything appears slightly dull. His presence would lead the studio towards filling in various comedians as the main hero’s sidekick, providing anachronistic musing and bits of humor. It works here, as genie is an immortal character, who has been shown to travel in time, but it would prove problematic in later films.

 

I like Aladdin, but in terms of Renaissance films viewed so far, it definitely is the bronze medal winner. Some of this is a feeling of over familiarity with the scenarios, characters, and situations. 1940’s The Thief of Bagdad was an obvious influence, if I am being generous in my word choice. Disney borrowed many situations and characters from the film, Jafar and the Sultan being prime examples. In comparison to that imaginative and enchanting epic, Aladdin is a pale imitation. A typical fairy tale story dressed up in exotic costuming. Not the worst film in the Renaissance, but it’s definitely middle of the road, only beloved because of Robin Williams’ memorable and endearing Genie.

By now, I have seen pretty much all the Disney (animated) classics and, after all these years, this movie still remain my favorite one. I remember it very well, it was released during the big renaissance of Disney, it was a huge critical and commercial success at the time, even their biggest box-office hit ever. Unfortunately, just one or two years later, they would release 'The Lion King' which managed to became even bigger. Indeed, it was so huge, it became their biggest success for the next 20 years, until 'Frozen' finally broke this record. Therefore, 'Aladdin' always remained in the shadow of 'The Lion King' when it is, in fact, much superior in my opinion. Basically, it was just another timeless fairy tale but, this time, they managed to add so many great elements to this old formula and the end-result was just amazing. Of course, it will be always remembered for the Genie thanks to one of the most memorable performances by Robin Williams. Nowadays, it is something common to have some big names giving their voices for the most insignificant animated characters but, back then, it was someting new and Robin Williams managed to create one of the most fun and memorable characters in Disney's rich history. In fact, what makes also this movie really work is also his lengthy introduction. Indeed, it takes its time to introduce this fascinating time and place but also to let us know Aladdin and Jasmine and to understand their motivations. Hell, I even liked a lot most of the songs when it is usually the most annoying trademark in those movies! Anyway, to conclude, even though it is not quite perfect, it was not far from it, I really love the damned thing and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

One of the most amazing animated films I have seen that provide incredible sound effects, great animation, and powerful messages.

I love this Aladdin movie,is a great movie and I never get tired of it watching it over again sometimes.

I guess the expectations of Aladdin were exceedingly high because this was the first Disney animated film that featured computer generated effects as well as hand-drawn effects and what a great success it turned out to be! It is a very exciting, tense, romantic and hilarious film to watch. What I love about Aladdin the most is that it makes you feel different things in different ways. For example, you are with Aladdin on his journey to succeed in life, you are with Jasmine when she is just desperate for happiness and free will and you are even there with Jafar and Iago with their evil plans for Agrobah. Aladdin is a hilarious film as well because of the variety of characters and the humour that they bring out. Aladdin has now been made into a trilogy. "A Whole New World" is my favourite song from the whole film as well as my all-time favourite Disney song.


Aladdin is set in an Arabian neighbourhood in Eastern Asia and it tells three different stories at the same time that join together. First of all, a young man called Aladdin who has spent all his life living off the streets with his pet monkey Aby and always been known as 'the street rat' (especially to the guards). Yeah, he may be poor and perhaps nowhere in life but he does have a big heart and does want to climb higher in his life! Next is Princess Jasmine. She is having a difficult time as of late at the hands of her father (the Sultan of Agrobah) and she is being forced to marry a prince which she doesn't want. Because she can't handle it, she decides to run away (which leads to her meeting Aladdin) and the stories begin to jumble together. Thirdly, Jafar is the Grand Vizier of the Sultan (like a best friend) who seeks to take over Agrobah himself by finding a magic lamp with a genie inside it. When Aladdin is captured by the guards, Jafar disguises himself as a aging prisoner and asks Aladdin to get the lamp for him (so Aladdin could die in the Cave Of Wonders not Jafar). Now, the magic truly begins and everything begins to change! The Genie in this film always has been and always will be my favourite Disney character because he just makes me laugh so much, he is a very powerful character with a big heart.


There are two direct-to-video sequels to Aladdin called The Return Of Jafar and Aladdin And The King Of Thieves. Both are very good films but neither are anywhere near as good as the original first film. The idea of a musical version of Aladdin came alive in 1988 by lyricist Howard Ashman. Ashman wrote some of the songs with partner Alan Menken, the script was written by Woolverton who previously worked on Beauty And The Beast. Tim Rice was another music composer of this film too and after Aladdin, they went onto even bigger success 2 years later with The Lion King. Aladdin won two Academy Awards (Best Original Song "A Whole New World" and Best Original Score) and it received nominations for Best Sound Editing, Best Original Song ("Friend Like Me") and Best Sound Mixing. It was also nominated for Best Picture Musical-Comedy at the Golden Globes.


Overall, Aladdin is perhaps the most magical and colourful Disney Classic to date! It features some of the best songs, best scores and most entertaining musicals of all time! It is definitely one of the best Disney films but not quite my favourite.

What a very exciting, tense, romantic and funny film this is. Aladdin along with Beauty And The Beast, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid are the ultimate Disney renaissances. What I love about Aladdin is that it makes you feel different things in different ways. It has intense action scenes especially when Aladdin, Abu and Carpet are in the Cave Of Wonders trying to escape. Aladdin is a hilarious film as well because of the variety of characters and the humour that they bring out. Aladdin has now been made into a trilogy. The two sequels Return Of Jafar and Aladdin And The King Of Thieves aren't as good as Aladdin but are still fun enjoyable films. "A Whole New World" is my favourite song from the whole film as well as my all-time favourite Disney song.


Aladdin is the most heroic Disney male character out of all of them. Aladdin is a very poor young man who can barely feed himself and his monkey friend Abu. We don't find out why he is poor in this one and how he ended up with Abu but we do in Aladdin And The King Of Thieves. He is a thief but he does it for the right seasons. Because he does these crimes he is referred as the "Street Rat" of Agrobah. Aladdin is sent to the dungeon and then meets an old prisoner (Jafar in disguise). He makes Aladdin get the magic lamp for him. After this quest, it becomes more serious yet more magical than ever. Genie has always been my favourite Disney character because he is just hilarious especially with Robin Williams' voice. Also, he can provide any magic you can think of. Jafar is one terrifying villain but isn't as bad as Scar though.


Aladdin is a magical classic that was one of my favourite childhood films and it's not that far from my favourite films of all time. I love this classic but prefer Pinocchio, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Beauty And The Beast, Lady And The Tramp and The Lion King though. Aladdin is a very intense, mindblowing film that I did and still could watch over and over again.

Gotta keep one jump ahead of the bread line, one sweep ahead of the sword...

You ain’t never seen a tale like this! Disney’s “Golden Era” of animated movies featured "The Little Mermaid," "The Lion King," "Hercules," "Tarzan," "Beauty and the Beast," and of course, "Aladdin." Aladdin is a humble street urchin in the city of Agrabah. He steals whatever he needs to survive, with a little help from his trusty sidekick, a monkey named Abu.

Jasmine is the princess who has to marry a prince before her next birthday, and she doesn’t like what she’s seen. Bored with the life to which she is destined, she (with a little help from her tiger, Rajah) runs away. On the streets, and in disguise, the princess learns some of the harder lessons of life and almost has her hand chopped off for giving an apple to a beggar. Aladdin rescues Jasmine and they spend a wonderful night together. The palace guard is after Aladdin however, and when they’re discovered, the guard assumes Aladdin has kidnapped the princess, so they arrest him.

Jafar, the royal vizier, was the real reason behind Aladdin’s arrest. He is looking for the Cave of Wonders and has killed to discover the cave’s whereabouts and exactly how to get to the treasure. He discovered that Aladdin is a “diamond in the rough” and the only one allowed to enter the cave. He’s also discovered that if anyone touches anything in the cave except the magic carpet and the lamp, they will be sealed in the cave forever. So, Jafar dresses as a beggar, and poses as a prisoner to get Aladdin to journey with him to the cave.

Aladdin manages to get the lamp, but gets trapped in the cave. The carpet helps Aladdin survive, and while trying to read the lamp, Aladdin releases a genie. The Genie is played by Robin Williams and is fantastic. Al wishes to become a prince and sets off to win the heart of Princess Jasmine.

This movie is filled with great music -— it even won two Academy Awards (Best Music - Original Score and Best Music—Original Song). From the era of great Disney, this one won’t disappoint.

~Martini~