FILM
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Aladdin
     
     
      Directed
      by
      John
      Musker
      and
      Ron
     
     
      Clements
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Sean
      McQuaid
     
     
      isney
      can’t
      seem
      to
      lose
      these
      days,
      at
     
     
      D
      least
      as
      far
      as
      animated
      musicals
      are
     
     
      concerned.
      The
      immense
      popularity
      of
     
     
      The
      Little
      Mermaid
      was
      followed
      by
      the
      phe-
     
     
      nomenal
      success
      of
      Beauty
      and
      the
      Beast,
      and
     
     
      that
      in
      turn
      may
      be
      equalled
      by
      Disney’s
      new
     
     
      animated
      adventure,
      Aladdin.
      The
      new
      film
     
     
      combines
      a
      good
      story
      with
      amazing
      animation
     
     
      and
      entertaining
      characters,
      not
      to
      mention
      a
     
     
      few
      fiendishly
      catchy
      tunes,
      and
      the
      end
      result
     
     
      is
      a
      family
      film
      that
      almost
      everyone
      can
      enjoy.
     
     
      The
      story
      is
      appealing
      and
      simple,
      as
      is
      the
     
     
      norm
      with
      Disney
      films:
      a
      Sultan
      seeking
      a
     
     
      suitor
      for
      his
      strong-willed
      daughter
      and
      heir,
     
     
      the
      Princess,
      is
      plotted
      against
      by
      his
      advisor,
     
     
      Jaffar,
      who
      covets
      the
      throne
      and
      princess.
      To
     
     
      get
      these
      things,
      Jaffar
      seeks
      the
      genie’s
      lamp,
     
     
      and
      tricks
      Aladdin,
      a
      young
      thief
      befriended
      by
     
     
      the
      princess,
      into
      obtaining
      the
      lamp.
      The
      plot
     
     
      thickens
      when
      Aladdin
      accidentally
      unleashes
     
     
      the
      genie
      and
      becomes
      its
      master,
      earning
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Entertainment
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      right
      to
      three
      wishes.
      Aided
      and
      abetted
      by
      the
     
     
      genie,
      Aladdin
      sets
      out
      to
      win
      the
      Princess’s
     
     
      heart
      by
      taking
      on
      the
      identity
      of
      prince;
      how-
     
     
      ever,
      Aladdin
      eventually
      faces
      the
      reality
      that
     
     
      she
      must
      lover
      him
      for
      himself,
      and
      things
      are
     
     
      further
      complicated
      by
      the
      fact
      that
      Jaffar
      doesn’t
     
     
      appreciate
      any
      rivals
      for
      the
      princess’s
      hand.
     
     
      And
      when
      you’re
      an_
      evil
      advisor
      with
      a
      few
     
     
      sorcerous
      tricks
      up
      your
      sleeve,
      eliminating
      a
     
     
      would-be
      prince
      seems
      like
      a
      piece-of-
     
     
      cake...especially
      if
      you
      can
      get
      your
      hands
      on
      a
     
     
      certain
      lamp.
      It’s
      apleasantly
      corny
      yarn
      it
      the
     
     
      Disney
      tradition,
      with
      an
      imposing
      bad
      guy
      and
     
     
      a
      strong
      message
      about
      the
      values
      of
      true
      love
     
     
      and
      being
      yourself
      (kinda
      gives
      you
      a
      warm,
     
     
      fuzzy
      glow,
      doesn’t
      it?).
     
    

    
     
      The
      movie’s
      songs,
      whose
      writers
      include
     
     
      the
      Oscar-winning
      Ashman
      and
      Menken,
      are
     
     
      solidly
      entertaining,ranging
      from
      the
      genie’s
     
     
      manic
      ‘‘You’ve
      Never
      Had
      a
      Friend
      Like
      Me’
     
     
      to
      Alladin
      and
      the
      Princess’s
      love
      duet,
      “‘A
     
     
      Whole
      New
      World’’
      (already
      popular
      on
      radio).
     
     
      Even
      more
      spectacular
      is
      the
      animation,
      which
     
     
      is
      in
      some
      segments
      truly
      awe-inspiring
      (the
     
     
      flying
      carpet
      ride
      through
      the
      exploding
      Cave
      of
     
     
      Wonder
      is
      easily
      on
      par
      with
      the
      Death
      Star
     
     
      chase
      from
      Return
      of
      the
      Jedi
      or
      any
      escape
      by
     
     
      Indiana
      Jones).
      The
      characters
      are
      alive
      with
     
     
      personality
      and
      movement,
      and
      many
      of
      the
     
     
      backgrounds
      and
      locales
      are
      beautifully
      ren-
     
     
      dered
      (one
      rather
      striking
      scene
      is
      the
      opening
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      the
      Cave
      of
      Wonder’s
      entrance,
      a
      gigantic,
     
     
      sentient
      cat’s
      head
      of
      mystically
      animated
      stone).
     
     
      Enhancing
      all
      of
      this
      are
      some
      first-rate
      vocal
     
     
      performances,
      ranging
      from
      the
      gleefully
      grat-
     
     
      ing
      Gilbert
      Gottfried’s
      portrayal
      of
      Iago
      (Jaffar’s
     
     
      perpetually
      abusive
      and
      surly
      parrot
      sidekick)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "...kinda
      gives
     
     
      you
      a
      warm
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fuzzy
      glow...
     
     
      doesn't
      it?”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      the
      merrily
      maniacal
      characterization
      of
      the
     
     
      genie
      by
      Robin
      Williams,
      who
      perhaps
      finds
      the
     
     
      ultimate
      visual
      outlet
      for
      his
      spontaneous
      stant-
     
     
      up
      comedy
      in
      the
      genie’s
      ever-shifting
      ati-
     
     
      mated
      form
      (for
      instance,
      the
      genie
      can
      change
     
     
      shape
      accordingly
      as
      Williams
      unleashes
      dev-
     
     
      astating
      imitations
      of
      Ed
      Sullivan,
      Jack
     
     
      Nicholson,
      and
      a
      host
      of
      others).
      With
      hig!
     
     
      quality
      music
      and
      animation
      and
      a
      strong
      vocal
     
     
      cast,
      Aladdin
      deserves
      to
      be
      the
      big
      hit
      it
      has
     
     
      thus
      far
      been
      for
      Disney.
      @