A magical carpet, a Genie in a lamp, the vast Arabian Desert, a pauper protagonist who dreams of becoming a prince, a princess who gets tired of being confined in the palace grounds, and a villain that would steal the throne.
Yes, that's Aladdin for you. A very typical Disney tale that aged like a fine wine with its legacies and influences in today's era.
A film that features the 6th canonical Disney Princess since Snow White back in 1937. A princess is known to have started many others like her who have a rebellious attitude but are quick to fall in love.
Inspired by the film, The Thief of Bagdad (1940), we follow the story of the titular character Aladdin, a kind-hearted thief who lives on stealing food and money from other people along with his pet monkey, Abu, who may not deliver lines but technically understands everything. They live on an abandoned rooftop in Agrabah, a vast Middle Eastern city. His life changes when he meets Jasmine, a runaway princess who wants to experience what it feels like living in the city's streets and not concealed within the palace halls. She also does not want to marry someone because the law allows her, but she wants to out of love.
The kingdom is threatened by a ruthless sorcerer named Jafar, who is seeking a magical lamp to grant his wish to rule the throne. He tricked Aladdin and Abu into retrieving the magical lamp, but the two get surprised. A fun and energetic Genie allows them to grant three of their wishes.
Featuring the voices of Scott Weinger, Linda Larkin, and Jonathan Freeman, who voiced Aladdin, Jasmine, and Jafar. Also, the singing voices of Disney legends Brad Kane and Lea Salonga for the two main characters. But the one that stole the show was Robin Williams, who voiced Genie magnificently. His energetic and comedic charm captivates the whole show. He delivers wacky jokes and performances unlike any other. If another actor voiced Genie, I don't think he could pull it off as he did. He would be there if there were a top-five Disney voice actor.
You cannot deny the legacy this film brings to its viewers even after more than 20 years since it was shown. Video games, cosplays, theme parks, and many more. Its legacy garners the movie a live-action sequel which I think didn't live up to the original's standards. Right now, I don't think you can mention Disney films without even recognizing this one.
Huge praise for the song choices and the singers. It is definitely a whole new world (no pun intended) experience listening to those. Whoever composed them must be a genius. A Whole New World won several accolades and can be recognized as one of Disney's most popular songs even today.
I like the characters. Jasmine still has that typical Disney Princess attitude like the five before her (Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, and Belle), but without her and Disney's direction to change their princesses to adapt to the modern era, she won't be sensational. Jafar is a terrifying villain. But it was Aladdin and Genie's chemistry that made this film work.
For an hour and a half movie, its plot moves swiftly. I still like how it was paced, even though the runtime is short. The story keeps you focused, and its interactive storytelling style makes you enjoy the film even more.
The animation style is quite different than earlier Disney films. Most of its characters are styled or shaped differently to signify their differences somehow. Genie, for example, is more rounded because of his bubbly personality, while Jafar is tall and skinny, which corresponds to his evil and towering presence. They also incorporated Arabic design but may not be in pure detail, probably because the technology was still unavailable at that time. The overall design is still a win, even though it is not perfect. I like it as it is.
Aladdin may be one of Disney's most influential and successful films, but it still is not the best one they have created for me. I think there are other movies still better than this. However, I loved it for its catchy songs and story. I love Genie as a standout character; his presence almost steals the show from Jasmine and Aladdin.
I will give this one a solid 4 out of 5 stars for a classic.