Remember the good old days of Walt Disney animation? When favorite childhood fairy tales could magically be brought to life on the silver screen year after year? Well, times have certainly changed and not for the better. The last great effort from the studio, one that would unanimously be declared a classic, would have to be 1994’s The Lion King, which went on to be the highest grossing animated film of all time, until recently when both Finding Nemo and Shrek 2 were released. Since then Disney traditional animation hit the skids – Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules – these weren’t particularly bad films, they just never quite matched up with the quality, or box office bonanza, that either Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, or The Little Mermaid generated. Sure, the occasional success would come along – Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch – but there were also plenty of features, as well intentioned and entertaining as they may be, that failed to even recoup their budgets – Fantasia 2000, The Emperor’s New Groove, Atlantis: The Lost Empire – and with computer animation taking off like a rocket in those years, the death knoll for the genre was ringing. Looking back on films such as Aladdin, when traditional animation was king again, it is sad to contemplate the fate and destination that the Walt Disney Company, which pioneered the genre back in 1937, is heading toward today.

The story for Aladdin follows the simple storybook procedures – boy meets girl, boy rescues girl from villain, boy becomes hero and wins the girl, etc. – but does manage to offer interesting twists on what would ordinarily be predictable conventions. A long time ago in the city of Agrabah in what would be the modern Middle-East, a gentle-hearted street urchin names Aladdin finds himself in the midst of an adventure he never could have imagined. It begins when Princess Jasmine, daughter to the Sultan, grows agitated of palace life and her being forced to choose among several suitors, prominent peacock princes, the man the law condemns her to marry by her next birthday. After she escapes one night over the palace walls and receives some much needed help from the street-wise Aladdin, her escapade creates even more trouble when it cause the young boy to be thrown in jail and, supposedly, beheaded. Aladdin, desperate to win the attention of the princess, accepts an offer from a sinister sorcerer to go into the Cave of Wonders, a legendary place filled with immense treasures beyond imagination, in order to retrieve a particular item for him. Jafar, the Sultan’s royal advisor, has plans to take from the Cave of Wonders a mysterious lamp which houses a magical genie that grants the owner of the lamp any three wishes he wants – with a few exceptions of course. But when the lamp falls into the hands of the young street rat, things become more complicated and the traitorous advisor has further competition for the throne. Aladdin must now face the truth, both with the princess and himself, in order to set the world straight and save the day.

The story for Aladdin works brilliantly for what it is, a well executed re-imagining of a classic storybook fairy tale with hilarious performances, enchanting songs, and a clear-cut moral lesson that wraps up everything neatly and cleanly. The better question that should be asked is whether it is predictable – at times, excruciatingly so, but, in the end, does it really matter all that much? Not at all, whether it be the smallest child or the oldest adult viewing this film. Let’s face facts here, this is intended to be a children’s film, there isn’t much any filmmaker can do with this film that isn’t going to bland and cookie cutter-ish to someone of the older set. Honestly, forget those people! Aladdin does what it’s suppose to do – make us laugh, have in tears (pass the hanky), and lift up emotionally whenever the story demands it to. There isn’t a single frame that feels out of place and any animated film that can do that and maintain that credibility for several years deserves all the praise it gets.

The role of Aladdin, voiced eloquently by Scott Weinger, sets the proper tempo for the entire feature and represents a beacon of moral clarity throughout the film without having to be elaborate or over the top in nature to demonstrate that. Yes, it would have nice if the character hadn’t been designed as a “Tom Cruise-like” pretty boy (not to say he should have been ugly but a little more common man-ish would have been better), but beggars can’t be choosers, no pun intended. With that aside, the point of living up to your moral standards and not letting external appearances change the person you truly are inside is made crystal clear throughout the film by this emotionally driven hero. This especially hits hard to home for audience members who find themselves with their own “princess” in mind. Even when everything seems to be wrapped up neatly for Aladdin – Jasmine adores him, the Sultan believes him to be the proper suitor and next sultan, and no problems currently block his way to what he believed was “happiness” – he can’t help but feel morally guilty about the whole situation. He holds it in himself as best he can until he put up with this false charade any longer and goes to tell Jasmine the truth, only to be interrupted by a rather large problem. The point is made though – as the Bible once noted, the truth can set you free, and that should always be a person’s best policy no matter what the situation or what it may cost you. The most notable highlight of the film is without a doubt the phenomenal “Genie of the Lamp”! Right here, direct from the lamp – Thank you! Joking aside – The Genie, voiced brilliantly by well-known comedian Robin Williams, is one of the most vivacious, astonishing, lighthearted, and flat-out memorable characters to blaze the silver screen in a Disney animated film in decades, and possibly for years to come as well. There was a rumor going around that after Robin Williams came in to do the record session for the Genie, the directors of the film were left with nearly sixteen hours worth of material! For anyone who has seen one of his comedy shows, like the one that was presented on HBO not too long ago, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. It would wonderful if Disney were to release that material one day but there’s serious doubt that would ever happen – Williams has been pretty strict about his role with the film and Disney has been on thin ice with him for several years.

Overall, Aladdin, though seemingly like any other storybook fare, defied conventions and raised the bar when it came to all future animated films from that moment on, which, to this day, has yet to be lived up to. Despite clearly being predictable and often over the top in nature, Aladdin achieves an almost uncertainty in modern cinema, which being able to work those discrepancies to its advantage in creating a purely entertaining feature film for all ages, as the genre began. And it doesn’t hurt in the least that certain lessons are picked up from the film along the way, each applying to varying degree of audience members. For example, the film becomes a true wake-up call for all us pathetic saps out there who still fail to grasp the concept of what women want. Women aren’t superficial, despite what the Paris Hiltons of the world may make you believe. Many would rather spend the rest of their lives with a poor honest man then a man who relies solely on vain appearances and a relationship built up by lies. Is it pathetic that someone can pick this up from an animated film intended for children? Yes, but wherever one can get helpful advice that works, use it and apply it whenever you can. Honestly, this can be stressed eloquently enough in today’s society – Don’t waste an opportunity to be with someone when you have it in front of you and be honest if you do follow through with it. As long as you honest with yourself and the person you are with, all the disadvantages in the world can’t change the person you truly are inside.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4