Aladdin

Based on the classic tale of a boy and a magic lamp, Disney brings it to life in a wonderful animation. In the opening number there is a song that gets stuck in you head for days after watching the movie about the climate in Arabia. There's a merchant (Bruce Adler) that tries to sell the audience some junk and them shows a a lamp. A magical lamp. He then tells us the story.

We starts the tale by meeting Jafar (Jonathan Freeman), and Iago (Gilbert Gottfried), the sarcastic parrot, who are meeting a thief. The thief gives Jafar half of a golden scarab, which he has the other half to. After fitting the two together, it shows them to the Cave of Wonders. The thief gets eaten by the entrance as he tried to go in and the cave tells Jafar that there is only one who can enter: a diamond in the rough.

Enter Aladdin (Scott Weinger), an orphan steeling from the streets of Agrabah, with his friend Abu the monkey (Frank Welker). The streetwise pair get themselves into and out of trouble as we watch. While singing!

Jafar needs a way to get to the boy and he is given an opportunity when Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) runs away. You see the Sultan (Douglas Seale) is making her get married by her next birthday and she has rejected every single suitor that has called. Sick  of feeling trapped she flees the palace and meets up with Aladdin. Immediately there are sparks between the two, but which come to an abrupt halt as the palace guards show up to arrested Aladdin for kidnapping Jasmine. While imprisoned, Jafar disguised as another prisoner convinces Aladdin to help him get a lamp form the Caver of Wonders. 

In the cave he finds a magic carpet that brings him to the lamp. Unfortunately Abu is a greedy monkey and touches the forbidden treasure which causes the cave to implode. Now Jafar is really pissed because he wanted the magic lamp to make himself Sultan, but Iago comes up with a plan: all he gas to do is marry Jasmine and Jafar will inherit the throne. (After he throws Jasmine and the Sultan off a cliff). That plan is ruined by the arrival of Prince Ali, who is, in reality Aladdin.

Aladdin, after being locked in the cave woke the Genie (Robin Williams) who was a asleep in the lamp and was granted three wishes. Aladdin decides to use his wishes to win the heart of the princess. He does, after a enchanted carpet ride, and a song, but unfortunately is then almost killed by Jafar's goons. He has to use another wish and Jafar discovers that he has the lamp. Iago steels the lamp and Jafar uses the Genie to become, first the Sultan and then the most powerful wizard in the world. Then Aladdin tricks him into become a Genie and he gets stuck in a lamp of his own, which the Genie disposes, and everyone lives happily ever after. The end.

The only problem I had with this movie is that Jafar isn't the smartest of bad guys. First of all he broke two of Peter's Evil Overlord Rules. #34: I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.  And #42: When I capture the hero, I will make sure I get his dog, monkey, ferret or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around. Also why did he still want to marry Jasmine? There was no point to that. He didn't even want to marry her in the first place it was only a means to an end, which he no longer needed because he had the lamp. As bad guys go, he wasn't the worst, only a bit on the dumb side.

Everything else, from the animation to the songs is excellent.

Grade: 8/10