Disney's Aladdin meets Robin Williams' Genius

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2015)

It starts out as the usual raucous and routine Disney animated feature but over thirty minutes in a blue genie appears and as if by magic the film already very good is transformed into something special. Robin Williams and his manic vocal interaction with the cartoonery is sure fine looking, and still crazy after all these years: imho it was his best film.
The old story of a poor street urchin who falls in love with a rich Princess, attains a magic lamp and the genie within who grants him three wishes; the rest is mythology. There are some nice atmospheric scenes and songs, with the plot holding up well with the sight and sound gags at many times running at the rate of one a second. So Pay Attention! The characterisations of Jafar and the Sultan from The Thief Of Bagdad are perfect, while Gilbert Gottfried also has a tour de force performance as the voice for Iago the brash parrot. There's the occasional dark moment which may scare the very young and me but it all adds up to a wonderful family film for children of all ages from 2 to 102. And you don't even have to wonder what it would've been like without Williams' incessant madness – if you're up to it just settle down and watch the sequel The Return Of Jafar as I did the once; I think the rest of the gang were there anyway!