From: pimmel@eagles.cs.wisc.edu (David Pimmel)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.animation,rec.arts.disney
Subject: Re: Alladin for the first time
Date: 15 Nov 92 19:21:16 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin, Madison -- Computer Sciences Dept.

In article <92319.231330RSL103@psuvm.psu.edu> <RSL103@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>     I just got back from a special sneak preview of Disney's "Alladin."  It
>ended two hours ago and I'm STILL trying to come down from this "animation
>high" I got from the movie.  Now don't worry.  I'm not going to give away
>any of the jokes here.  I'm just going to say this:
>

I saw the sneak preview here in Madison.  I very well might have been the only
adult in the audience without a string of kids in tow.  

>     1.  The theater room showing the movie was PACKED with kids.....and not
>ONE of them was rambunctious, bratty, or tantrumish!!  They all sat, eyes
>wide, simply captivated by this film!  At the end, the entire theater broke
>into applause.....and State College Pennsylvania is a TOUGH TOWN TO PLEASE!!
>This is the town where four local movie critics gave "Dances With Wolves"
>a one star rating!!!
>
Our audience was the same, lots of little kids and no real noise or potty 
problems.  The film is definitely captivating.  Except for the fact that the 
last five minutes and all the credits were grossly out of focus I have no
complaints about the film.  SImply wonderful

>     2.  Yes, Robin Williams DEFINITELY deserves an Oscar for his performance!
>And Gilbert Gottfreid also deserves a nomination for his role as Iago.
>

As much as I love Robin Williams in general and in particular here, I disagree.
Robin wasn't acting, he was playing himself, doing a stand-up routine.  Sure
it was brillantly funny, but I think Robin has done a better acting job in many
of his other roles.  He is rarely this funny though 

>     5.  The chase sequences in the Indiana Jones movies have NOTHING on the
>magic carpet ride through the cave in "Aladdin."  You're not just watching
>the magic carpet speed through space, you're ON the magic carpet!!  Sit up
>close to the screen and hold on!!  We're talking Space Mountain here!!
>

I totally agree here.  The action animation in this film is unbelievable,
particularly the magic carpet ride you mentioned.  WOrth seeing the movie for
just that.

>     6.  I agree with Siskel & Ebert that "Aladdin" is not as good as "The
>Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast."  BUT HEY COME ON!!!  That's like

I also agree, particularly in the area of music.  The songs here are just not
as good as the ones in the earlier two films.  In those the music was the 
highlight, here it is not.  Maybe additional hearing will make me appreciate 
them more.

>
>                                           Penn State Computer Lab Desk Clerk

Now some of my own observations.  I didn't really notice the dual voices.  I
did notice that only one name was mentioned in the credits, but maybe I missed
the other because the darn things were so out of focus it was painful to try 
and read them. 
The film is highly entertaining but I don't think it is as strong a film as 
TLM and BatB.  I don't think its box office will be as strong as Beuty's and I
don't think it has the marketing potential of Mermaid.  Robin is absolutely 
hilarious.  Jasmine and Aladdin are nice friendly character.  I wish we could
have had more of the tiger.

And one final note, why are so many Disney animation father, short, fat, white-
haired old men with daughter who look more like their granddaughters and rarely
if ever a wife?

-- 

David Pimmel                    
pimmel@cs.wisc.edu            
Newsgroups: rec.arts.animation