{"id":33866,"date":"2014-07-01T09:44:58","date_gmt":"2014-07-01T13:44:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=33866"},"modified":"2022-02-06T00:09:12","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T05:09:12","slug":"movie-review-aladdin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/movie-review-aladdin\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review: Aladdin"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"DVD<\/a>
DVD cover Copyright Disney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Aladdin<\/em>, the 31st full-length animated feature in Disney history, was released on November 25, 1992. The film is based on the Arab folktale of the same name and clocks in at 90 minutes.<\/p>\n

Plot Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the fictional sultanate of Agrabah lives a homeless young man named Aladdin. On the surface, the title character would appear to be nothing more than a worthless \u201cstreet rat,\u201d whose only chance for advancement in life is his farfetched dream of becoming a prince.<\/p>\n

Simultaneously, at the palace, Princess Jasmine is enduring a different yet similar conundrum: she is miserable despite owning all the material possessions one could hope for.<\/p>\n

As fate would have it, Jasmine runs away and meets Aladdin. The two fall in love at first sight, but there\u2019s no chance for marriage. You see, according to the law of the land, a princess can only marry a prince. It\u2019s too bad Aladdin can\u2019t just wish to become a prince because all would be well then. Right?<\/p>\n

Morality<\/strong><\/p>\n

In contrast to the film\u2019s main antagonist, Jafar, Aladdin seeks to be a good person. Seeing that he frequently steals from the marketplace, Aladdin doesn\u2019t actually achieve this goal, but he does try. He gives a young boy and girl his loaf of bread, and he defends these same children from the wrath of an arrogant prince. Aladdin\u2019s golden rule is to \u201ctreat others the way you want to be treated,\u201d whereas Jafar\u2019s golden rule is \u201cwhoever has the gold makes the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aladdin also displays guilt when he has erred. His conscience\u2014not Jiminy Cricket\u2014tells him that lying to Jasmine about his background was a bad decision.<\/p>\n

Power<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aladdin\u00a0<\/em>shows that power doesn\u2019t always lead to happiness.<\/p>\n

Jasmine leads a pampered life in the palace, but she would rather have human friends and be free to move around as she pleases. It\u2019s a dilemma similar to the conundrum faced by Ariel in\u00a0The Little Mermaid<\/em>\u00a0(1989), though the ocean is larger than the palace.<\/p>\n

Also, although the Genie has more power than Jafar, the former is trapped in a lamp for 10,000-year periods. What good is power if it cannot be utilized?<\/p>\n

Humor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Played by comedian Robin Williams, the Genie is one of the funniest characters in Disney history. His jokes are often hilarious, and his ability to impersonate is unparalleled. In a matter of seconds, the Genie can transform from a game show host to a pilot to Arnold Schwarzenegger. My favorite scene with the Genie involves him encouraging Aladdin to win Jasmine\u2019s love by calling her \u201cpunctual.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Magic Carpet has an amusing personality. Its demeanor is basically a cross between a shy dog and Rocky Balboa.<\/p>\n

Jafar\u2019s sidekick, Iago the parrot, exudes a sarcastic vibe. The bird has a love-hate relationship with its master and often questions the validity of Jafar\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n

Abrupt shifts in Aladdin\u2019s thoughts provide for some funny moments. For example, while rushing to exit the Cave of Wonders, Aladdin scolds his pet monkey, Abu, \u201cThis is no time to panic.\u201d Moments later, the title character changes his tune, saying, \u201cStart panicking!\u201d<\/p>\n

Animation<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Cave of Wonders stands out because of its computer animation.<\/p>\n

Additionally, I love the look of the night sky throughout the film. It\u2019s beautiful and makes me nostalgic for some reason.<\/p>\n

Music<\/strong><\/p>\n

As is the case with most of the films from the Disney Renaissance period (1989-99), the music in\u00a0Aladdin<\/em>\u00a0is outstanding. I find all of the songs in the movie to be catchy and often struggle to remove them from my head.<\/p>\n

\u201cArabian Nights\u201d is a mysterious tune performed by the Peddler during the opening credits. Coupled with engaging visuals of Agrabah, this introductory number succeeds at setting the stage for the film. It\u2019s reminiscent of a travelogue.<\/p>\n

Alternatively soothing and silly, \u201cOne Jump Ahead\u201d is a whimsical song at the marketplace. Similar in tone to \u201cBelle,\u201d the song, not the protagonist, from\u00a0Beauty and the Beast\u00a0<\/em>(1991), this number helps introduce Aladdin as a character.<\/p>\n

\u201cFriend Like Me\u201d and \u201cPrince Ali\u201d are both triumphant and energetic songs involving Aladdin and the Genie.<\/p>\n

Finally, \u201cA Whole New World\u201d excels as the flick\u2019s flagship song. It\u2019s both beautiful and exhilarating. I do prefer the single version, sung by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle during the end credits, to the in-film version, however.<\/p>\n

Relationship to Other Disney Films<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several notable Disney characters, including the title character from\u00a0Pinocchio<\/em>\u00a0(1940), Sebastian from\u00a0The Little Mermaid<\/em>\u00a0(1989), and Goofy, make cameos in\u00a0Aladdin<\/em>. Look for them around the Genie.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the Genie, he transforms Abu into an elephant. Similar-looking elephants can be seen in\u00a0Dumbo<\/em>\u00a0(1941) and\u00a0The Jungle Book<\/em>\u00a0(1967), respectively.<\/p>\n

Abu\u2019s squeaky voice reminds me of the voices of Jaq and Gus from\u00a0Cinderella\u00a0<\/em>(1950).<\/p>\n

When pondering an adjective to describe their respective lives, Aladdin and Jasmine simultaneously say \u201ctrapped.\u201d A similar scenario occurs between Anna and Hans during the song \u201cLove is an Open Door\u201d in\u00a0Frozen\u00a0<\/em>(2013).<\/p>\n

A couple of the settings from the magic carpet ride form the basis for two later Disney features: Ancient Greece is the locale of\u00a0Hercules<\/em>\u00a0(1997), while China serves as the setting for\u00a0Mulan\u00a0<\/em>(1998).<\/p>\n

Finally, as the Peddler commences\u00a0Aladdin<\/em>\u00a0with a flashback number, so too does Clopin in\u00a0The<\/em>\u00a0Hunchback of<\/em>\u00a0Notre Dame<\/em>\u00a0(1996).<\/p>\n

In The Parks<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Walt Disney World\u2019s Magic Kingdom, guests can ride \u201cThe Magic Carpets of Aladdin.\u201d Located in Adventureland, this attraction features \u201cmagic carpets\u201d flying around a central hub amidst spitting camels. A similar attraction, \u201cFlying Carpets Over Agrabah,\u201d is included at Paris\u2019 Walt Disney Studios Park.<\/p>\n

\"Magic<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Hyperion Theatre at Disney\u2019s California Adventure houses a Broadway-caliber stage show, \u201cDisney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guests can interact with Aladdin and Jasmine in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom and in the Morocco Pavilion at Epcot.<\/p>\n

The Cave of Wonders has its own scene in the \u201cStorybook Land Canal Boats\u201d attraction at both Disneyland Park and Disneyland Park Paris.<\/p>\n

The \u201cArabian Coast\u201d section at Tokyo DisneySea incorporates numerous minor attractions based on Aladdin<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cLe Passage Enchant\u00e9 d’Aladdin\u201d is a walkthrough attraction in Disneyland Park Paris\u2019 Adventureland that features dioramas based on the movie.<\/p>\n

Finally, if you enjoyed the fireworks that encompassed the Chinese palace after \u201cA Whole New World,\u201d be sure to check out the various firework displays at Walt Disney World and Disneyland: \u201cWishes\u201d at Walt Disney World\u2019s Magic Kingdom, \u201cIlluminations\u201d at Epcot, \u201cFantasmic\u201d at Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios, and both a unique \u201cFantasmic\u201d as well as rotating firework spectacles at Disneyland Park.<\/p>\n

Overall<\/strong><\/p>\n

With often-hilarious wit, beautiful settings, and unforgettable music, Aladdin<\/em> is an amazing film.<\/p>\n

What do you think of Aladdin? Let me know in a comment!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Sponsored Ad:<\/strong>\u00a0 Would you like to help support The Mouse For Less website in continuing their mission of being THE Disney vacation planning resource?\u00a0 You can do so by purchasing Aladdin<\/i><\/a><\/span>\u00a0from our affiliate link through Amazon<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Aladdin, the 31st full-length animated feature in Disney history, was released on November 25, 1992. The film is based on the Arab folktale of the same name and clocks in at 90 minutes. Plot Summary In the fictional sultanate of Agrabah lives a homeless young man named Aladdin. On the surface, the title character would…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":33867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disney-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33866"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82629,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33866\/revisions\/82629"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}