Director: John Musker ,Ron Clements
Starring: Scott Weinger,Robin Williams,Jonathan Freeman,Linda Larkin,Lea Salonga,Gilbert Gottfried
Aladdin features a young boy, not surprisingly named Aladdin, whose adventures reflect the classic American Dream story. Aladdin begins as a petty thief accompanied by only one companion who is, albeit intelligent, just a monkey. Together, they steal to keep themselves alive in the city of Agrabah. The plot gets going when the free-spirited Princess Jasmine attracts Aladdin’s eye, first as the runaway, and then as the distant princess. Aladdin is basically a love story detailing the difficulties that both Aladdin and Jasmine go through to reach happily ever after. However, to add spice to the story, Jafar and Iago (Jafar’s outspoken parrot) are attempting to take over the kingdom through magical devices, most notably, through the use of the genie of the lamp. Aladdin at first gains control of the happy-go-lucky Genie and uses his wishes to make himself an eligible bachelor for the princess. But as luck would have it, Jafar then seizes control over the lamp, and Aladdin, Jasmine, and their friends must defeat the scoundrel to return peace and happiness to the city.
Disney has a way of tapping into the human psyche, building appeal for its movies on our very hopes and dreams. Aladdin starts off as a poor boy with no name or family to call his own – but in the end, he has the hand and heart of the princess, the gratitude of the king and city, and the loyalty of true friends. In my opinion, Rockefeller could not have done better in his wildest dreams. This is the American Dream at its finest (forget the fact that this movie is supposedly set in ancient Arabia). In addition, this movie speaks to the romantic in all of us. Love conquers all, at least in Disney movies. And last, but not least, for the barbarian in all of us, there’s the action. David and Goliath, Jack vs. the Giant, Aladdin and his fight against the evil Jafar – this is a prime example of the triumph of good over evil, a proclamation that the world is as we want it: fair and just.
Add to this the soundtrack as only Disney can provide, and Aladdin becomes one of the true classic movies of all time. This was one of the movies that first built Disney’s reputation as a veritable genius of rhyme and rhythm. These songs are so diverse (rollicking tunes, a love ballad, as well as instrumental accompaniments to Aladdin’s adventures), and the lyrics are incredibly witty. I actually picked up new vocabulary from these songs, and that’s not something I can say about many movie soundtracks.
This movie is great for family viewing, as well as for older audiences that just want a return to a simpler world where love and adventure always lead to a happy ending. The only things that make this movie less than perfect are the corny jokes. But hey, after all, this is a Disney movie with Robin Williams: what else were you expecting? But aside from that relatively small annoyance, Aladdin definitely receives a thumbs up from this critic.
