Logan Sork Film Reviews
Aladdin (1992)
When it comes to my thoughts on the animated Disney fairytales, it’s safe to say that I like some of them and don’t like others. These movies have always been very hit or miss for me, with some being charming and fun lessons in life while others come across as annoying and unoriginal. Aladdin however, is one of the films in the Disney library that I thoroughly enjoy. While there is still some quintessential Disney melodrama and some standard message about loving someone for who they truly are, Aladdin has enough likable characters and imaginative style to help it rise above the rest of Disney fare and become one of my personal favorites.
Aladdin is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and is based on the Arabic folktale f the same name. The film follows the story of Aladdin, a young streetwise thief living in the streets of the kingdom of Agrabah. One day, he encounters the princess of the kingdom, Jasmine, who is trying to escape the trials of life as a princess. Despite both of them forming a strong connection, Jasmine tells Aladdin that they can never be together because royalty must love royalty. As they are wondering the streets, they are caught by Jafar, the royal advisor to Jasmine’s father. While Jafar has Jasmine returned to her home, he tells Aladdin that he can help him get with the princess if he carries out a simple task for him. Aladdin agrees and travels with Jafar to the Cave of Wonders where Jafar instructs him to enter the cave and retrieve the lamp inside. As he receives the lamp, the cave begins to collapse, and he is shut into the cave with the lamp. When Aladdin rubs the lamp, he is greeted by a powerful Genie, who tells him he has three wishes to use at his command. Together, they escape the cave where Aladdin uses one of his wishes to transform himself into prince so that he can marry Jasmine. He must then work to win the princess over without revealing who he truly is.
Part of the reason this is one of my personal favorite Disney films are the technical elements that help it stand apart from the rest of the Disney animated fairytales. When you’ve seen a lot of these Disney fairytales, they start to blend together as all of the character designs, backgrounds and musical numbers start to blend together due to the similarities of their origins. Being based on an Arabic fairytale rather than a European one allows Aladdin to bring a different look and feel to the table, allowing for some much-needed freshness. This can be seen in the animation and design of the film, which reflects the geographical origins of the story in a beautiful way as all of the character designs and background paintings help portray the fantastic grandeur of the fairytale. It is also reflected in the scores and musical numbers, all of which are filled with a unique energy that helps compliment the animation in a fantastic way.
Aside from the differences in design and sound that make Aladdin stand out from your typical Disney fairytale adaptation, the characters are also just as important in this regard. We are all familiar with the Disney stereotypes (the woman who wants to be princess, the strong prince, etc.) but it was around this point that Disney had begun to shake things up a bit and it shows. For on thing, the lead in this film is a man, and while that might not sit well with some, it’s important to keep in mind that the Disney fairytales have been dominated by women who long for a better life. It’s nice to see a guy put in the role of wanting more out of life as it shows audiences that it’s okay for people of both genders to want more to life rather than just sucking it up and dealing with what life gives you. And this male lead does not compromise the strong female lead of the film either, as Princess Jasmine is just as wonderful as al of the other Disney princess and even a little better. What’s so interesting about her character is that while she’s already a princess, she really doesn’t want to be. This is a stark contrast to other Disney films where the female lead dreams of being a princess and doing all of the stuff a princess would do. Jasmine shows us that not everyone wants to be pampered in that way and would prefer living a life of normalcy. It is the way in which this film works to switch up the traditional roles for the men and women that help it stand out from the rest of the stereotypical Disney crowd.
The supporting characters may not go that far in going against expectations, but they are still enjoyable none the less. Aladdin’s pet monkey Abu and Aladdin’s parrot Iago (brought to life brilliantly by Gilbert Godfrey) are some of the most entertaining sidekicks I’ve seen in animation. Jafar is also a fantastic villain, who oozes a vile and sinister creepiness every moment he is on screen. But of course, nothing could hold a candle to the Genie, who is voiced by the late Robin Williams. Nearly everything about this character is perfect. From his humor and gags to his musical numbers and words of inspiration. this character is simply excellent and is synonymous with the fantastic performance Robin Williams gives in this film.
It’s thanks to these wonderful characters and the unique technical elements this film brings to the table that its able to rise above the traditional Disney animated films and become something truly special. Here’s hoping that the live action remake will be able to capture the same magic, but if not, we will always have this wonderful little film to look back on.
8.5/10