Aladdin (1992)

Directed by Ron Clements & John Musker. Starring (voices) Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Jonathan Freeman, Linda Larkin, Gilbert Gottfried, Douglas Seale, Frank Welker, Jim Cummings. [G]

Crisp, exciting, wonderfully-funny bastardization of the most famous story from Middle Eastern folk tale collection “One Thousand and One Nights”, showing how Aladdin, a “street rat” from the city of Agrabah, came into possession of a magic lamp housing an all-powerful genie who grants the urchin three wishes. Aladdin becomes a prince to win the heart (and hand) of a beautiful princess, defies her sultan father’s ambitious and sinister vizier, squabbles with his kleptomaniac monkey friend, takes a few rides on a magic carpet, and may or may not have fleas. Beautifully designed and animated, with a good blend of action and romance for wide audience appeal, but it’s the movie’s hip, hyperactive, very playful sense of humor that makes this one the crown jewel of the Disney Renaissance. Hiring Robin Williams proved to be a casting coup—he was never funnier in a motion picture, and it’s not even close—and his skill for snappy transitions and saturation bombing of multiple target demos makes him an all-timer in the crowd-pleasing department. Sure, Genie’s rapidfire references are sometimes bound to go over the heads of younger viewers, but the simple pleasures of watching a clown use funny voices has no age-range limitations. Songs by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice (the latter taking over for Ashman after his death in 1991) include Oscar-winner “A Whole New World”, “Friend Like Me”, and “Prince Ali”. Followed by a pair of high-profile straight-to-video sequels, and a 2019 live-action remake.

88/100