Aladdin (1992) User Reviews

Great songs and a good villain make "Aladdin" a Disney classic.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 9/10 · 23 October 2004]

This movie has three elements that are important for an animated Disney movie: Great songs, a good villain and a great sidekick.

The songs and music in general are just great and very memorable. Jafar is a great villain mainly because he is voiced by Jonathan Freeman who has got a good and scary voice. But what is maybe the best element of the movie is Robin Williams as the blue genie. The blue genie is like a jokemachine that once it is started can't stop again and keeps you laughing.

The story is good and the pace is high. "Aladdin" is not too short and it's not too long, it's not too immature and it's not too mature, it's a perfect movie for the entire family with a wonderful love story (even though it's no "Beauty and the Beast") and good animations with some good looking early computer effects.

9/10

Fantastic!

[dcldan · 8/10 · 15 January 2006]

Magic, adventures, laughs, love... This film has everything mixed, and the result is quite good! The film is about the classic tale of "Aladdin and the magic lamp", so the story is well known by everybody. Despite it is for children, the quality of the characters is very good, the story, though predictable and typical, results interesting and, which is more important, it males us to spend a good hour and a half. The songs (typical in Disney) never are boring, and are surprisingly well mixed with images. In addition, action scenes are well ended and most characters are very charismatic. Aladdin is sympathetic form the beginning and most secondary characters are simply perfect. The "acting" of the Genius is superb in his strangeness and absurd, and Yafar is well remembered as one of the "best" bad ones of the history of cinema. It exhales an immense aura of evilness hardly ever seen in a movie... To sum up, one of the best (maybe the best) Disney film made, which everything to have a nice afternoon with your children or just spending a nice time laughing and remembering when you were a child.

Hilarious

[grahamsj3 · 7/10 · 7 February 2001]

I think this is one of the funniest films that Disney has ever done. This is due entirely to Robin William's brilliant voice of the Genie. He is wonderful in this role. I think the animation is pretty fair although I dislike the "generic" people that Disney's shop is putting out these days. They all share the same basic facial structure and eyes, so there is not much difference between any of the characters. It's not like Sleepy, Doc and Sneezy, who all looked very different. Still, this is a great and funny film. It is totally clean and not very violent so it is appropriate for every member of the family. Give this one a try and you'll have a great time watching it!

I'd put it in with the Disney classics

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 10/10 · 23 November 2003]

Aladdin is such an awesome move that still gets me excited to this day, I remember when I was 7 and I saw this in the theater and I just had so much fun. I am such a dork, I still love a lot of the Disney movies that I loved as a kid, but I think the reason that I love Aladdin so much is because this is one of the last Disney movies that was hand drawn animation, the reason I love hand drawn animation is because it feels more personal and that the crew put their heart and soul into it, you can tell by watching it. They got a great cast of voice actors including Scott Weinger from Full House and the always entertaining and hilarious Robin Williams. Robin was just a perfect choice for Genie, he brought a lot of energy to the movie and makes the genie a great character. Who knew that a kid's version of the Arabian Nights tale could be so great? This is a great Disney movie that I guarantee you're going to love.

On a dark night, when Jafar attempts to access the Cave of Wonders, a magical cave which holds treasures beyond the wildest belief, above all is a magical oil lamp containing a genie is hidden. He and his talking parrot, Iago, learn that the only one who can enter the Cave of Wonders is the metaphorical "Diamond in the Rough". Meanwhile, in the palace of Agrabah, Jasmine, the beautiful teenage daughter of the Sultan, must be married before her upcoming birthday, but she rejects every prince she meets, as she wants to be married for true love and not merely for wealth. Later, Jasmine, frustrated with having her life lived for her climbs over the palace walls, and sees the marketplace for the first time, where she meets the street urchin Aladdin and his monkey, Abu, and the two young people are seen to be falling for each other. Jafar uses a machine to see that the "diamond in the rough" is Aladdin. Jafar sends a group of guards to capture Aladdin while Jasmine is still with him. Jasmine tells Jafar to release him, but Jafar lies and tells her he is already dead. Jafar, disguised as an elderly man, releases Aladdin from prison and leads him to the Cave of Wonders. They are told by the tiger-shaped head of the cave to touch nothing but the lamp. Aladdin enters the cave and encounters a magic carpet before finding the lamp. Abu tries to steal a ruby and causes the cave to start collapsing, but the carpet helps them to the entrance. Jafar takes the lamp from them and tries to kill them but Abu takes the lamp back and bites his arm, causing him to knock Abu back into the cave just as it collapses. When Aladdin awakens, Abu gives him the lamp which he had snatched from Jafar. After rubbing it, a genie is unleashed, revealing that he will grant Aladdin three wishes. Aladdin dupes the genie into freeing them from the cave without using up a wish. While contemplating his wishes, Aladdin asks the genie to make him into a prince so he can marry Jasmine. Iago later steals the genie's lamp back and brings it to Jafar, who becomes the genie's new master and uses his first wish to become sultan. Jafar then wishes to become a powerful sorcerer, Jafar then keeps the Sultan, the Genie, and Jasmine as his slaves. Aladdin must figure a way to save all of them and make things right again.

Aladdin is just a great movie that I promise you'll love, it has great characters, beautiful animation, and a terrific and catchy soundtrack that you'll be singing all day. This was one of the rare Disney movies that you pretty much loved ALL the characters, even Iago who is voiced by Gilbert Gottfried, the voice is a bit much but he is great as well. I personally love both the carpet and the genie. Who knew that a carpet could have so much personality? I absolutely adore the "Friend Like Me" scene, it was incredible to watch and had terrific animation! If for some odd reason you haven't somehow seen this movie, I highly recommend that you do, this will probably go down in your favorites as well.

10/10

This film is so good!

[British_Aussie_chick · 10/10 · 13 May 2005]

I grew up watching this film and along with Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella it is one of my favourite Disney films. I love it! Robin Williams is so good in it. He's hilarious. This film isn't just for kids but for the whole family. I think I was about 5 when I first saw it and at 14 I still watch it and so do my parents. I haven't seen the sequels because I heard that Robin Williams wasn't in them and decided that they wouldn't be as good without him. He was made for the part. The songs are amazing. I love singing along to "A Whole new World". I'm hoping to get the soundtrack soon. I also love the film because I have the same name as the princess in it! I would definitely recommend it to everyone. You're never too old to watch a classic Disney film.

Great movie!

[taeweth · 10/10 · 11 January 2006]

Simply a classic. The movie Aladdin is hilariously told with many many MANY funny moments. The genie his an all-time high in this classic film about a street rat and a princess. A great movie for young kids, but even adults will love the wonderfully amusing lines throughout the story.

The songs in the movie are well-known and catchy. I even had a guy since one of them to a girl at a school dance! Everyone recognizes them, and it is our duty to make sure the next generations continues to appreciate such a wonderful work of art.

A great movie for the entire family to sit down and watch together, it's good sometimes to take a blast to the past and enjoy some of those good ol' movies.

Robin Williams, Great Songs Make This One Of The Best Animated Films Ever

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 12 January 2007]

I can think of three quick reasons why this has remained one of the best animated movies ever: 1 - Very good, very catchy songs that still sound good 15 years later; 2 - excellent, colorful visuals; 3 - the unique humor of Robin Williams, who seems to spout a joke-a- second. In fact, you have to pay close attention to hear Williams' lines because they come so fast and furious. Actually, at times they are too fast. You hardly have time to laugh or digest what he just said when another line hits you. Williams' genie character doesn't appear on screen until after the first third of the film is over.

Without all those jokes - and the great visuals that go with those gags (things popping up like Saturday morning cartoons), this would just be a routine Disney animated film. Part of the normal Disney fare includes a hero who is a good guy but a liar and a heroine who is the typical wasp-waisted beauty who is rebellious against the rules of the day. The villain is an "Oil Can Harry" mustached dastardly employee of the king who desires king-like powers. His scenes, however, are tempered with humor thanks to his New York City-sounding obnoxious parrot, who provides most of the movie's slapstick humor.

Maybe the best attribute of this film is simply how fast it moves, meaning it's very, very entertaining.

great fun

[gazzo-2 · 16 October 1999]

This movie was the biggest film of '92, and it's easy to see why-a lotta fun, as a terrific Robin Williams performance carries it to heights it otherwise would not have gone to. Great animation, fine songs, a decent plot--what is there not to like? I will admit some of the Arab characters seemed to be stereotyped-but no more so than in Mulan or Tarzan or whatever; animation seems to stereotype Everything.

A great movie, ***1/2 outta ****, a fave then and now.

S10 Reviews: Aladdin (1992)

[suspiria10 · 7/10 · 17 April 2005]

Disney animation strikes pay dirt again with "Aladdin". Aladdin is an orphaned "street rat" who, with his cheeky monkey Abu takes what they need to survive the harsh reality of their situation. All with a song in his heart. But Aladdin gets mixed up in a nefarious plot by Jafar (and his hilariously funny foul-mouth parrot Iago) the adviser to the sultan. Like most of the cinematic madmen Jafar has hatched up a glorious scheme to bring the world to its knees but there is a catch. A person pf pure spirit is the only one who can grab a mystical lamp which is the heart of his plan. When things go wrong for Jafar (thanks to that quick monkey) Aladdin discovers the secret of the lamp and the comic hilarity that lay inside. Aladdin gets three wishes from the *ahem* Genie in the bottle (voiced by the perfectly cast Robin Williams) and Al's life will never be the same. Will Aladdin fulfill his deepest desires or will he rescue the princess and take a magic carpet ride into the sunset? "Aladdin" is a beautiful melding of computer generated and standard animation that paved the way for Disney's best feature (The Lion King). Wonderfully magical story with some seriously crazy comedians at work, "Aladdin" is great fun for the whole family.

Vintage Robin Williams

[aesgaard41 · 10/10 · 5 September 2001]

I did not care to see this movie, but I was such a big Robin Williams that I rented it long after it stopped playing in the theaters. From the first few scenes I was spellbound by the voices and the script.I can still mimmick nearly all of the Genie's themes as well as see myself play Aladdin in a live action version of this movie with Paula Abdul as Jasmine and John De Lancie as Jafar. Jasmine in this movie has the same sexual innocence as Ariel the Little Mermaid and Krysta of Fern Gully. The songs are infectious, especially "Friend Like Me" and "A Whole New World." The whole movie is one big roller coaster ride augmented by the raucous wit of Robin Williams and his own talent for mimmicry and improvisation. Ten Stars way up!

IMHO

[Rumples · 7/10 · 11 May 1999]

This movie is one of the better Disney animated films in recent years. Cute story, fun, light, entertaining and a catchy score to boot this is actually quite tolerable. 7/10

Forever a favorite of mine ...

[ElMaruecan82 · 10/10 · 19 December 2011]

I will never forget the first time I watched "Aladdin", I was with a group of friends waiting in the airport for the plane that would take us from Orlando to Paris at the time when "Aladdin" was the 'big thing' in the USA while some previews of "The Lion King" were starting to screen. "Aladdin" will forever be associated to that wonderful week I spent in Disneyland, and it's only fitting if the movie is my favorite Disney film, slightly edging-out "The Jungle Book".

I know I can get all rational in this review, analyzing what makes "Aladdin" such an appealing film and using the expected words of 'Disney Renaissance' and a comparison with the glorious Best Picture nominee predecessor. I can also talk about the animation, the music, the extraordinary multi-vocal performance of Robin Williams as Genie… but I don't feel like getting rational. I love the film for personal reasons that are essentially due to the excellent timing of this film in its penetration of my pre-adolescent life. "Aladdin" took a forever cherished place as one of the last treasures that enriched my childhood even playing a pivotal role in the way I would start enjoying cartoons.

"Kid's day in the USA!" was the motto of the week that was celebrating the 65th birthday of Mickey Mouse, and for a kid who never traveled outside his country, going to Disneyland was the most unexpected destination, the most extraordinary trip I would never have dared to dream of. This is when I discovered "Aladdin", through the 'Prince Ali' fanfare endlessly performed during the parades, through the films' images aired on TV; something was strangely attracting me to the film. And I guess the fact that I knew the story helped a lot: I grew up with a French cartoon from 1969, titled 'Aladin and the Magic Lamp' recorded in an 80's videocassette, a movie I can recite (and sing) by heart, and there was also an obscure Manga 'Aladdin' film we watched at school before the summer holidays.

Needless to say I was already familiar with the story, and seeing it translated into Disney language was something I was excited to see. Would they talk about Aladdin's deceased father Mustapha? Would he live with his mother? What kind of roles would Genie play? Well one thing matters apart from these questions: I knew the story and I could understand the film even if I didn't speak English at that time … it wouldn't have helped me anyway because the airport was very noisy, so I just sat on my luggage, eating some candies, and I could understand who was who and what was everyone's scheme: obviously, Aladdin wanted to be a prince to marry the princess and Jafar to marry the princess to become the prince, and between them, the Genie would come to fulfill their dreams. So, I saw the film and I loved it.

And for one year, before I would see it again, the music of 'Pince Ali' and 'A Whole New World' was the musical remembrance of that magical week in Disney World. And when I saw it again, it took another dimension: I finally understood the subtleties of the stories, I learned all the songs after repetitive viewings, and for months and months, I was transported by the 'Prince Ali' parade and its climactic conclusion and the romantic 'A Whole New World' and its beautiful opening, when Jasmine jumps on the carpet and the zoomed-out Rajah looks smaller and smaller, watching from the balcony. I saw the film so many times during my pre-teen years that I would never forget the first sensations it immersed me into, with an unexpected awkward one.

I must confess that Jasmine was one of my first movie crushes and my idea of the ideal woman as a kid, I don't know why but the way she looked during the 'love at first sight moment' hypnotized me and the moment where I always melt occurs in the carpet ride, when Aladdin gives her the apple, when you understand that she understood who the Prince Ali is, there are no words to describe how incredibly sexy she looks at that very moment. The crush didn't last of course, and as I grew older and was disappointed with the 'Return of Jafar' sequel and the TV series, my interest for "Aladdin" declined and it was reduced to 'kid's stuff I used to like'.

And then 10 years later, as a student, I saw the film again on my computer, eating a pizza, and something magical happened when the 'Whole New World' music started during the closing credits, my heart was inundated by a nostalgic torrent, so immense that I couldn't stop crying because it reminded me of the privileged place the movie occupied once in my heart. The magic was back, and whenever I was spending a good time with friends, we were having fun listening to these old Disney songs, and the clip of 'A Whole New World' was a must-see … and how glad I was to discover that I wasn't the only one who 'liked' Jasmine.

I feel so concerned by this film and so deeply attached to it, that I don't want to spoil this review with critical or ecstatic reviews, the film is just thrilling, romantic, adventurous, and features certainly the greatest cast of supporting characters without it being the counterpart of a dull hero or heroine, there's not a single minute of the film that seems pointless and wasted and certainly not with a character like Genie. That's the best I could do to rationally 'explain' my love for "Aladdin".

But maybe because loving a film can also depend on external factors that influence your judgment, in the case of "Aladdin", everything contributed to make this my favorite Disney film ... for sentimental reasons yes, but who ever said they were wrong?

"You ain't never had a friend like me!"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 2 June 2018]

No question Robin Williams delivers in a trademark role here as the wise cracking, ad-libbing Blue Genie, but I also got a kick out of Gilbert Gottfried's voice work for Iago the Parrot. And that's saying something, because otherwise, in a take it or leave it situation with Gottfried, I'd always leave it. The story is classic Disney, colorful and song filled, with an interesting balance of villains and heroes. The back and forth with the magic lamp gets a little played out after a while, but I thought the ending had an ironic twist with Sorceror Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) wishing to be the most powerful genie in the world. In effect, he got double whammied by the law of unintended consequences and a severe lesson in 'be careful what you wish for'.

Not very timeless.

[OllieSuave-007 · 5/10 · 30 October 2013]

I believe this is the first of the more recent full-length animated feature films to lose the "Disney touch." For some good points first, the animation is great and story had potential, about a poor street urchin named Aladdin who meets a princess in disguise, the palace-fatigued Jasmine, on the streets. They fell in love with each other afterward, but the only problem is that Princess Jasmine can only marry a prince according to palace standards. Thrown in the mix is the evil vizier Jafar, who wants to control the land, and the slapstick Genie of the Lamp. And, the music is great - "A Whole New World" is breathtaking and "One Jump Ahead" is very catchy.

However, I do not believe the screenplay/story is very captivating, lacking the charm and uniqueness that was found in previous films like "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid." The movie was told in a way that resembles a teenage-bop love story. Some of the characters, particularly that of the Genie, was very over-the-top. Robin Williams did a very overzealous voice acting job for the character and he seemed too comedic and nonsensical. He made too many modern-day references, considering this movie is supposed to be set in ancient times. And, the character of Aladdin took on too much of a "surfer dude" personality - not very genuine.

Overall, I'll admit I'm probably in the minority, at least on IMDb, for negatively critiquing this movie. But, "Aladdin" ranks as one of my least favorite movies from Disney.

Grade D+

Aladdin is a beautifully constructed film. that is for me one of Disney's best!

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 17 February 2009]

Aladdin is a brilliant movie. Sure, it isn't as good as Beauty and the Beast, but I think it is definitely one of my favourite Disney movies. It is beautifully constructed, with some of the best animation sequences of recent times. The music score is just delightful. How can I ever forget the animated sequence to "A Whole New World?" Perfect. Jafar is one of Disney's finest villains, voiced with relish by Jonathan Freeman. Unfortunately, like Shere Kahn, he was another Disney villain that was ruined by a DTV sequel. Aladdin and Jasmine's romance is so believable, and while people have said they are bland, they do appeal to you soon enough. And for me Jasmine along with Esmeralda is one of the sexiest female Disney characters. I actually found it hard to tell what was computer animated, whereas there have been some movies that make a mess of that. I want to guess what is computer animated. The best aspect of this movie, is a hilarious performance from Robin Williams as the Genie If he hadn't ad-libbed so many of his lines, the script could have won an Oscar- that said his genie was a perfect match and fitted with the story very well. Some people say the movie starts off slow. But with the songs and animation, that really isn't an issue. The movie also spawned the best DTV sequel, the King of Thieves. 10/10. Bethany Cox

A whole new world. A new fantastic point of view...

[Atreyu_II · 8/10 · 24 July 2007]

The 31st animated Disney classic is one of Disney's best known movies. It also takes us to a whole new world, a new fantastic point of view. This one takes place in Saudi Arabia. I've always liked this movie.

"Aladdin" is very entertaining and great fun. It is hilarious, creative, imaginative and romantic. It isn't a faultless movie, but it's a little difficult not to like it.

I'll start by talking about the characters. The blue Genie is, without a doubt, the most amusing, hilarious, imaginative and genial Genie ever created. Robin Williams steals the show as the Genie's voice. With his incredible talent to do voices, he's hilariously awesome and fantastic as the Genie's voice (and also as the voice of the enigmatic merchant that appears at the beginning, who happens to be an interesting character).

Iago is the funniest character of this movie, along with the Genie. Nobody better than Gilbert Gottfried to voice the sarcastic parrot. Iago is simply hilarious! He's rude, grumpy, sarcastic, hungry for power, malicious, obnoxious and foul-tempered. He has an irritating voice but in a funny way, as well as a great talent to perfectly mimic other characters's voices. However, deep down inside he has a heart. I also love his hate for crackers. I don't see why does he hates crackers so much, but that also makes him so funny! Besides, a parrot with teeth?? lol!

Jafar is a great villain. Although often calm and humorous (for example, he keeps calling "Prince Abooboo" to "Prince Ali"), he also represents the worst and most ambitious kind of villain and he is one of the most dangerous Disney villains. And he does possess a snake-like tone of voice sometimes.

Princess Jasmine, what can I say? Have you ever seen a more beautiful Disney princess? She's just gorgeous! Despite her strong and challenging personality, I like her anyway.

The Sultan is a funny dude. The Magic Carpet is lovable, one of my favorite characters from the movie. Aladdin himself is a nice guy, poor but kind-hearted (although dishonest, immature and selfish sometimes).

Abu is funny mostly because of his vocal sounds, very Donald Duck-like. The Cave of Wonders is an amazing character. It is a giant tiger's head with an absolutely fantastic and brutal deep-throat voice.

"Aladdin" is a festival of magic, special effects, bombastic humor and jokes.

By the way, I absolutely love the song "A Whole New World". The version sung by Aladdin and Jasmine is great, but the original version of Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle is better, deeper and more romantic and classic. It's a very romantic and joyful song, which is always a pleasure to listen. "Arabian Nights" is a nice song as well...

I'd only wish that "Aladdin" hadn't become a victim of its own success. It inspired 2 sequels and several stories with these characters.

This should definitely be on Top 250.

Random Thoughts on "Aladdin"

[mig28lx · 8/10 · 15 June 2005]

Just watched this recently, on the new-and-improved DVD which features a restored print, and it looks spectacular. The story is slightly shallower than the best of Disney's films, but this is balanced by the sheer lunacy of Robin Williams' bad, blue Genie. Whoever first thought of putting Robin Williams in a Disney flick should get a Pulitzer, or a Nobel, or something. The comic timing of his riffs combined with the comic timing of the animators transform the Genie from a "Deus Ex Machina" into the soul of "Aladdin."

I have a tiny issue with the fact that the most recent VHS and DVD prints of the movie have bowed to pressure from activist groups and altered a line in the opening song. The original line was, "...where they cut if your ear if they don't like your face/It's barbaric, but hey, it's home." The revised line reads, "...where the land is immense and the heat is intense/It's barbaric, but hey, it's home." Protesters claimed the original line perpetuated a negative stereotype of Arab countries and peoples. But...but...but marketplaces and cities in Arabian countries still cut the hands off convicted thieves. And there's even a scene in the film which threatens to relieve the princess of an appendage. They're not being negative; they're being accurate. And, oh yeah, IT'S A CARTOON. But that's just my opinion.

Aladdin may be the best Disney film of them all

[veeleen · 10/10 · 18 November 2015]

The film opens with a merchant's tell-tale song, performed by the classic Robin Williams. It begins the (inaccurate, but good) story of a boy named Aladdin, who has the power to open the Cave of Wonders, a place that holds magic and wealth. We don't meet Aladdin yet, as it first introduces us to the villain of the story, the well-written "Jafar". Jafar is cunning and witty. He is a classic villain, with a terrifying look and an evil laugh. We are shown Jafar and another man trying to open the Cave of Wonders. Since the other man is not Aladdin, he cannot go into the cave and come out unharmed. Jafar grows angry after learning this fate, and hatches a plan to find Aladdin.

Now, we center on a scraggly boy in a marketplace, stealing bread. There's the beautiful singing of Scott Weinger that immediately grabs your heart. Guards are trying to catch Aladdin for stealing. Through this song, you realize the boy is a poor orphan unable to afford food. He owns a pet monkey named Abu, who has an attitude of his own. Aladdin escapes the guards with an allusion to a magic carpet as his escape method, and lands in an alley, while the guards land in manure.

Now, one may think Aladdin deserves to be caught for stealing. It's at this moment that Aladdin notices two starving children and gives his own bread to them. Abu does the same, with a little persuasion.

I won't give everything away, but what I will say is that this film is something I hold very dear to my heart. Throughout the past 20+ years, it has touched the hearts of many. It's got a great musical score, amazing character development, great voice actresses and actors (including Robin Williams!), and a story that you can't forget. This movie truly is magical.

My favorite animated movie.

[0U · 21 February 2020]

From start to finish, Aladdin is timeless classic! Very funny, very exciting and intense, amazing visuals, and excellent pacing! The story is also amazing, as are the characters. Holy crap do the characters in this movie rock! They all play a very important role in the movie. You have Aladdin and Abu as two fearless adventurers/thieves, Jasmine as one of the best and most charming Disney princesses of all time, Jafar as the highly cunning, intelligent, and awesome sorcerer and one of the best Disney villains of all time, Iago, who has to be the best henchman of any villain in any movie (he and Jafar are the best together), and of course, the Genie. From his design to his style to pretty much everything there is about him, he absolutely steals the show! From the moment he appears during the movie, he is just seems so much like the the star of the movie. Robin Williams as the Genie is one of the best performances in any animated movie. Aladdin is such an awesome movie that I can't give it anything other than 10 out of 10

Lots of color and pep, good songs but derivative elements...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 23 March 2009]

Arabian Nights tale via the Disney people, presented in the much-missed, regrettably vanquished hand-drawn era of animation. The Sultan's daughter must marry a prince in three days or be forced to wed her father's version of a concierge, who drips with disdain and evil; meanwhile, young rogue Aladdin and his pet monkey have been allowed into a hallowed cave of treasures where they rescue a manic genie from a magic lamp. In-jokes aside, the movie visually borrows from other Disney product (particularly "Sleeping Beauty" towards the end), not to mention "Raiders of the Lost Ark". It doesn't seem to have much spirit of its own apart from Robin Williams and his vocal hamming (which was seen as a tour-de-force in its time). There are funny bits and pieces, beautiful designs and scene transitions, and the romance between the young people comes off well. It's a little screechy and a little staid, with illogical rewrites to the Aladdin legend which do nothing but prolong the inevitable; however, the Disney magic is in evidence and the film is satisfying on a non-think level. **1/2 from ****

Much better than the live action remake.

[Marianna-k · 10/10 · 15 July 2021]

Don't waste your time watching the live action. Just watch this version twice.

The Clements/Musker Team

[bblack1-699-968577 · 7/10 · 15 June 2014]

"Aladdin" is brought to us by the same team who made "The Little Mermaid." So, of course, this movie leaves me a little baffled. There are some things I like and some things I don't.

ANIMATION: The best thing about the animation is the color of the look of Arabia. I didn't see this movie until last December; before I saw it, I heard about how great the colors and the lights were. Everything pops, it's bright, and it's great.

SONGS/MUSIC: Sadly, this was the last Disney film to have Howard Ashman's work in it; he passed away before "Beauty and the Beast" was completed. Fortunately, he left us some really good songs in this movie, along with Alan Menken and Tim Rice. Not every song in this film is memorable, but they almost are. Of course everyone knows and loves "A Whole New World," which both does sound nice and contributes greatly to the movie; we really see our main characters fall in love. My favorite song is "Friend Like Me." Not only are the lyrics, music, and animation great, but Robin Williams gets just as animated as the animation.

ROMANCE: I mentioned our main characters' romance a bit earlier, and, again, you believe they're in love. Though, have you noticed this is the same romance we had in "The Little Mermaid?" The protagonist sees their romantic interest and falls in love. They save their life and admires them, but the two of them are kept apart for some reason. Then our protagonist has to take on a new form/identity to get their romantic interest to fall in love with them, the villain eventually tests their relationship, but they wind up being together again in the end...Huh. I don't see the downside in disliking their relationship, though. It still seems genuine. At least Aladdin has more time with Jasmine before he becomes a prince than Ariel did with Eric before she became human.

CHARACTERS: Most of the characters are OK. Aladdin, Jasmine, and the Sultan are OK. Iago and the Magic Carpet are a little annoying, but they're not that bad. In my opinion, the Genie - again, voiced by Robin Williams - is the best character! When I was watching this last December I said to myself, "This film is OK, but why was it a hit during the Disney Renaissance?" Then the Genie came on the screen. He is the most entertaining thing in this movie! Robin Williams puts so much energy and passion in playing this role. I like that the Genie isn't just a funny, pop-culture referencing character; he actually has development to him. That makes him both likable and relatable. I don't like Abu, I think he's too annoying and too selfish. The character I can't figure out is the villain, Jafar. People have said he's one of the greatest Disney villains...Really? I'm glad you see that, but I don't. To me, he's not consistent. Based on what I saw of Jafar in the beginning of the movie, I didn't expect him to be the type who would dress as a crazy old man or have witty remarks with a parrot. That's not to say that Jafar can't be funny, but did you really think the guy we saw in the beginning of the movie would speak as he did throughout the movie? Not only that, but his power is weak! Did you notice the Sultan did not fall under Jafar's spell when he tried to hypnotize him before the "Prince Ali" number? Why? What made him come out the spell so easily? He did it TWICE! Jafar's victims can decide when they'll be hypnotize? And why is his evilness so obvious, yet so hidden from everyone else? Out of all the times he's hypnotized the Sultan, NO ONE NOTICED?! Aladdin realized something was wrong the first time he saw it happen - no one else in the palace ever saw it?!

STORY: The story is OK, I guess. One thing bothered me, though: in the beginning, Jasmine tells the Sultan she doesn't want to be forced to be married, she wants to marry for love (Blah, blah, blah, we've heard it before). At the end of the movie when Aladdin and Jasmine come together, the Sultan decides to let them marry. "Am I Sultan, or am I Sultan," he asks. "From this day forth, the Princess will marry whomever she deems worthy." WHY IN THE CRUD DIDN'T HE DO THAT BEFORE!??! He could have stopped this whole thing from happening...MUCH LIKE ARIEL IN "The Little Mermaid!!!" Gosh! What's up with the Clements/Musker team?

CONCLUSION: I couldn't go into too much detail, but you get the gist of it. There are some things I really like, some things I'm indifferent to, and some things I don't like. Overall, I still like this movie, though. I surprisingly find myself attracted to how entertaining this movie is, even the weird Jafar moments. I like it, and hopefully you will too. BOOYIKA!

Aladdin is my favorite movie of all time.

[katspike69 · 10/10 · 1 September 2006]

This is my favorite movie of all time. I have loved this movie since I saw it when it came out in 1992. I have watched it so many times, that I know all the words. I think this movie is great to watch with the kids. Or even if you don't have kids. I own all three on DVD and VHS. It is the first movie my daughter saw. I think it is the best Disney movie ever made. I like all three, but the first is still my favorite one. it's the original that sticks with you. the others may be good, but not as good as the first. I hope everyone can enjoy this movie. I think no matter how old you are, or no matter what you do, that there is always room for a good Disney movie.

Aladdin is a fine children's cartoon.

[patrick_dunne · 7/10 · 20 October 2005]

Aladdin is one of the many Disney Classics. Like the others, Aladdin has songs, detailed animation, and a good versus evil setting. It is pretty predictable, and has a main character who usually falls in love with some pretty girl.

One of Aladdins many strong points was the talented voice acting of Robin Williams. The ability to portray so many different and silly characters that the genie does is one of the best parts in the movie. It is similar to how Eddie Murphy got to play Mushu in Mulan.

Something else remarkable about this film was the storyline. The storyline starts off with Jafar (the villain) trying to find the Magic Lamp which will give him three wishes. Jafar finds the Cave of Wonders, in which the lamp is hidden. However, the cave won't let just anybody in. The only person who can enter the cave is a "street rat" named Aladdin. Meanwhile, Aladdin is stealing a loaf of bread and running away from the guards. Of course, this means a song would be involved. So, while singing a-long with the guards, Aladdin is stealing a loaf of bread because he has no money. Another plot that is happening at this time, is Jasmine's story. Jasmine has to marry a prince, but doesn't seem to like any of the ones her father picked out for her. The three character's quests and stories later merge together to make the main storyline.

However, in the storyline there is one small flaw. How come Aladdin is the only person who can enter the Cave of Wonders? That's what I have been wondering. Is it just to make a storyline?

Anyways, ignoring that detail, I wanted to say that it seems like Aladdin has a little something for everyone. It has action for the little boys. Girls may like the romance. Little children will probably like the singing and the fact that it's a cartoon. Finally, dads will probably enjoy the fact that Robin Williams is doing the voice acting in this film. (My dad does anyways, and requested to put that in there.) See it.

6.5/10

Feel free to send me a Private Message regarding this comment.

Not that good, actually...

[Chromium_5 · 5/10 · 25 March 2005]

I don't consider this a Disney "classic." I consider it the exact point where Disney started going downhill, and they have yet to come back up (with the exception of "The Lion King," which was great). It is worth noting for the early computer animation, and the excellent voice work by Robin Williams, Gilbert Gottfried, Frank Welker, and Jonathan Freeman, but on the whole, this is nothing but a big Saturday morning cartoon. For one thing, the 2-D artwork is absolute crap. The characters look like they're off of cereal boxes, and even the backgrounds are shoddy. The animation is technically very good, but good animation isn't all that impressive if the characters are crudely drawn to begin with. Compare this to stuff like, say, "Pinocchio" to see the huge difference in effort and talent on the artists' part.

For another thing, the songs in this one are horrible. Sure, the tunes are catchy, but has anyone taken time to listen to those LYRICS? "Arabian nights/ Like Arabian days/ More often than not/ Are hotter than hot/ In a lot of good ways." Wow, incredible. And how about this moving line: "Would they see a poor boy? No siree. They'd find out there's so much more to me." Seriously... "no siree"!? I can't believe people get paid to write junk like that.

Add the fact that Aladdin and Jasmine, our main characters, are bland and unlikeable, and you have a really bad movie. I remember loving this movie when I saw it in theaters as a kid, but there was a time when Disney movies didn't lose their charm after you turned 13. With the start of movies like "Aladdin," that time is long gone.