aladdin

I dislike the Disney formula that was created with “The Little Mermaid.” Granted, there was an initial
trilogy of greatness of which “The Little Mermaid” was the first chapter. Disney went on to then
create the much-lauded “Beauty and the Beast” and cap the whole thing off with “Aladdin.” After
that they made “The Lion King” and that was the beginning of the end as Disney clearly descended
into formula from that crappy movie in a string of lackluster romps from which they’ve never fully
recovered. “Pocahontas” anyone?

Oh well, at least “Aladdin” is a great movie. Given, it’s not as deep as some of Disney’s other fare,
but it certainly is unique and also bears one other essential. The film is rip-roaring hilarious for
children and adults alike. Disney went to great lengths to make the humor not only slapstick but
also, for the first time, included jokes that poked fun at contemporary celebrities and trends, an
interesting change for Disney storytellers.

The story is as you know. Aladdin is a street urchin who is always in trouble with the sultan’s
guards. One day a sorcerer, Jafar, offers him a chance at redemption if he steals a magic lamp
from an ancient cave. He gets it, but Jafar tries to double-cross him. Aladdin steals away with the
magic lamp and summons the genie inside to make him a prince so he can woo the sultan’s lovely
daughter, Princess Jasmine. But Jafar just happens to be the sultan’s personal advisor and he’s
after the throne too. Can Aladdin maintain the ruse?

What’s refreshing about this film is that for once it’s not about some girl-turned-princess in frilly
dresses in medieval villages. Let’s count those. “Snow White,” “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty,”
heck even “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast” fall into that category. “Aladdin” is a
different story with a smart-aleck lead character in a desert locale instead of some forest populated
with talking animals. On top of that, we’ve got Robin Williams as the genie, who steals the entire
movie with his wild improvisational humor (God help the animators who had to put up with that).

The genie is not the conventional solemn spirit of Ray Harryhausen flicks. He’s a whirling dervish
of energy who can turn into Jack Nicholson and Peter Lorre and whole slew of other crazy things in
seconds, and that makes him freaking funny. Williams delivers real laughs throughout the entire
film. Gilbert Gottfried plays an adequate second fiddle as Jafar’s parrot Iago, and he’s got a few
good jokes too.

Another nice aspect is the music, which isn’t totally obnoxious. Frankly, I hate even the idea of
having to listen to “Cinderelly” or “Bibbity Bobbity Boo” in “Cinderella.” Those stupid songs suck
royally. The ones in Aladdin are typical Disney songs, but they aren’t difficult to tolerate like some
of the aforementioned ones in other films.

By the way, the animation is extremely good with liquid fluidity and amazing added effects like lava
tsunamis and collapsing palaces. The story is fun, the dialogue witty, the action kinetic. “Aladdin”
succeeds where so many other Disney films fail. It defies the formula and entertains both children
and adults alike.