From: moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer)
Subject: ALADDIN, lightly salted & reviewed (no cholesterol, no spoilers)
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Keywords: ALADDIN
Organization: The John Fluke Mfg. Co.  /a.k.a. The Gizmonics Institute/
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 04:14:08 GMT

Short, concise review:

    I HAD A GREAT TIME.  IT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN `CATS'.  I'M GOING TO SEE IT
    AGAIN AND AGAIN.

----
*Ahem*

I leave the amazingly-detailed, minutae-infested reviewing of this film to
Kathy Li, and provide some short, non-spoiler observations on ALADDIN:

 * I haven't had this much fun at the movies....  Honest-to-God, folks, I
   plan to go see this at least two more times.  Yes, the animation is very
   good, yes, the it has fine songs (which I plan to listen to on the CD
   when I get the chance)...

   OK, short and sweet -- I went with two other people, and we were still
   buzzing about that film hours later over a late dinner.  I laughed at the
   gags, I laughed because I enjoyed the characters and the situations; in
   short, I had a helluva good time.  Definitely my favorite film of the
   year, and one of the five best films (I think....well, let's wait until
   MALCOM X and A FEW GOOD MEN come to town.)

   But skip all that good/bad crap.  It was fun.  *FUN*!!  (And if you're a
   fan of classic Looney Toons animation: <<<<<<******F+U+N!!!!!******>>>>>>

   In the words of Itchy: Oh ME, Oh MY!

 * I think that this is something of a departure for Disney (at least in
   their animated feature-length film area), in that some of the humor is,
   well, wacky.  Looney.  Tex Avery/Bob Clampett like.  There are fourth
   wall gags in it.  There are references to other Disney films.  In other
   words, they're occasionally winking at the audience this time -- not what
   you exect from Disney.  However, I don't think it hurts the story any.

   The gags aren't all over the place -- much of it is the usual Disney
   slapstick/character humor.  However, humor does seem to have it over
   romance this time around (at least compared to MERMAID and BEAST).
   Perfectly valid change in the recipe; as you can tell from my yammering,
   it went down very well.  (Frankly, though, it would be hard to imagine
   casting Robin Williams in a part like this, and then expecting him to
   just read his lines...)
   
 * Regarding The Williams Boy: Technology is a wonderful thing.  Whenever
   we've heard Robin Williams do his improvisations, he's been handicapped
   by having to channel all that energy through a mortal shell.  From now
   on, all Robin Williams comedy routines should be animated, because this
   medium was designed specifically for him.  Frankly, I missed 1/3 of his
   gags, because I and the audience were laughing so hard at the previous
   ones.  (Again, this is defintely a more-than-one-viewing film.)

   Really, it's a shame that the Academy has shifted to giving Best Actor
   awards, for the most part, to non-comic performances.  If Williams does
   as well as I suspect he may with Levinson's TOYS, this could be a killer
   year for him.

   (PS  This is the first, and I suspect only, time I have ever enjoyed
   seeing Gilbert Gotfried in anything.)

 * Technically, it's very good.  I've probably seen better individual
   examples of various bits in other animated films (mostly Disney)... But
   it's right up there.  (The rug is particularly impressive.)  I think the
   songs are less memorable (on their own) than those in THE LITTLE MERMAID;
   in how they're "staged" in the film, I think they're every bit as good as
   those in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

 * Yes, the inevitable comparison:  I liked it differently (but as well) as
   THE LITTLE MERMAID, and more than BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.  I love good
   romance, but I like to laugh; and Hell's bells, I'm glad I didn't cough
   up a lung.

PS. Just to satisfy curiosity (I missed it in the credits): who did the
    voice of the narrator/peddler who opens the film?  Williams?

PPS. Damn, do I want this on laserdisc.  (I and the rest of the Holy Trinity
     who accompanied me to the film (Jerry Boyajian and Rob Ferguson as The
     Holy Ghost) would gladly sell Jeffrey Katzenberg's soul to get a good,
     letterboxed CAV edition of this film tomorrow.  (But, given JK's
     position, it's probably too late.))

PPPS.  My remaining question: What will Dan Parmenter find horribly wrong
       with this Disney film? :-)
----
                           "Let me get this straight:
                            I can have three wishes?"
                                                     "YOOO!  Congratulations!
                                                      He *can* be *taught*!"

                                        Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
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Organization: Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA