A poor street urchin finds a magic lamp with a genie who grants
him three wishes, which he uses to win the heart of a princess. FAMILY/FANTASY/MUSICAL
|
Aladdin (1992)Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
Written by Ron Clements, John Musker, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio Starring Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman, Frank Welker, Douglas Seale, Gilbert Gottfried Based on the Arabic folk tale Oscar Wins - Best Original Score (Alan Menken), Best Original Song (A Whole New World) Oscar Nominations - Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Song (Friend Like Me) |
The 1990's was an unprecedented run for Disney. They had a string of unbelievable hits that have since been recognized as some of their all-time best. Aladdin is right up there. It's been one of my favorites since I was a kid, and it is still hilarious, gorgeously animated, and a timeless classic. Of course, most of that is due to Robin Williams' epic performance as the Genie, which has gone down as maybe the best character Disney has ever produced. This film has a lot going for it, and if you haven't seen it by now, you are seriously missing out.
The story is simple enough. Kindhearted street rat Aladdin (Weinger) falls in love with Princess Jasmine (Larkin) after running into her on the street one day. Because he's not a prince, he has no chance, but after being tricked into finding a magic lamp, Aladdin encounters the Genie (Williams). The Genie grants him three wishes, which Aladdin uses to become a prince and save the kingdom of Agrabah from the evil sorcerer Jafar (Freeman). Along the way, there are plenty of great songs, a beautiful score, and a lot of improv from Williams. It's just fantastic. Aladdin is one of Disney's best movies, and considering it was sandwiched between Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, that is really saying something. It's unreal how many classics they produced in the 90's. To pit them against each other and try to find the best is next to impossible. Aladdin is a masterpiece, though. |