Las Agrabah

Rating: 8/10 (15 October 2015)

With Beauty and the Beast receiving a best picture Oscar nomination, Disney's appeal was at a high and they were eager to build on their acclaim. Aladdin was the perfect film for this and took a very different approach for the studio, but they didn't forget what had made the previous few films so successful. It took an old-fashioned, solidly set-up story and gave it a much more modern feel with broader humour. You'd think that this would clash, yet it works brilliantly and gives the film a unique edge. It's a fine balancing act and I'm not sure many other Disney films could have carried it off, but this is one where nearly everything tried works no matter how madcap it may be.
The film focuses on street urchin Aladdin and the princess Jasmine, both being fed-up with their lives and wishing for something else. After a chance meeting with the princess, Aladdin is roped into finding a lamp for sorcerer Jafar only to keep it and unleash a Genie that gives him three wishes which he uses to try to win over Jasmine. At its core it's a story about two people wanting different things and connecting because of that, just with a lot of comedy and many obstacles put in their way. It's nothing complicated, yet it's a storyline that people can easily get behind and they want to see the arc that both people go through. The romance takes up most of it, but enough time is given to develop Jafar and even the Genie's own dilemma.
Aladdin and Jasmine aren't the most interesting characters, but they are very likable and as a result always keep your interest. Aladdin is street smart and Jasmine is adventurous, but both are very warm and easy to like individuals. The Genie is what most people remember and he kind of is the star here. Most of that is down to Robin Williams, whose witty improvisations and mile-a-minute comedic stylings are just brilliant here. Genie is just such a fun character as a result, with a numerous jokes of all kinds and he makes pop culture references that are genuinely funny. The Sultan is enjoyably absent-minded, while the characters that don't talk like Aladdin's monkey Abu and the Magic Carpet do provide some funny moments.
Another positive is the villain and Jafar is just fantastic. His menacing design looks great, he manages the difficult task of being sinister whilst also having subtle comedic moments and Jonathan Freeman's eloquently dark voice works to perfection. Not only that but his motivations make sense and his grudge towards Aladdin is set-up excellently. Gilbert Gottfried as his Parrott Iago also offers some good laughs. The animation is truly outstanding. I picture a lot of beautiful reds and golds when I think of this film, it is always very visually appealing and the landscape designs just look lovely. The animation on the Genie is very impressive just by how fast it is and a lot of the movements here flow well despite the rapid speed most of it goes at. It also lends itself to some very effective tense moments, I think the climax in general is superb.
The music is very good. All the songs here have very catchy melodies and are memorable, from the serene 'A Whole New World' to the energetic 'Friend Like Me'. None of them get in the way of story and the work well with the animation. The romance impressed me as well because there was a believable bond between Aladdin and Jasmine, they do have chemistry and you do get drawn into their struggle. There are some clichés hanging over some areas, but I don't think they affect things too much. As said the comedy is very modern and filled with pop culture references. Some people might fine this distracting, but like I said I think it gives a different twist on the formula.
On the whole I'm a big fan of Aladdin. The ways and means by which they tell this story are very out of the box, but I think that is a big part of its appeal. This is a fresh take on a story that could have been quite dull and as a result is does place it aside as something very different for the studio. As said I really liked the main characters, I thought Jafar was an excellent villain and Robin Williams is simply a whirlwind of comedy. The animation is as impressive as ever and I don't think there is a song here that isn't at least good. I'd have to say that this is easily one of Disney's most entertaining pieces.