Aladdin

Coming near the end of a five year span of great animated films, Aladdin manages to be quite a force in the Disney canon as a highly energetic and entertaining film. Having grown up during the 90's, it is easily one of the Disney films that I really enjoyed the most as a kid and would constantly watch it again and again.

One of the biggest perks Aladdin has is that the film has very likeable and identifiable characters, especially in the form of Aladdin himself. Our main hero manages to come across as quite charming and self-assured while still having his own flaws as he yearns to be more than just a 'street rat.' For Jasmine, we find a princess who is fed up with the pampered lifestyle available to her and, in a similar manner to Aladdin, yearns to be more than who she is. This common element is what really helps bring the two together in a more believable fashion instead of simply falling in love at first sight and never talking to each other about their lives. We receive a great villain in the form of Jafar, a royal advisor who is willing to do anything it takes for power even if it means forcing the Princess to marry him. Of course, no review would be complete without mentioning the Genie. Robin William's is a very powerful driving force behind this character and not only manages to make his scenes hilarious, but also brings warmth and heart to the character when the scene calls for it.  All of our sidekicks are surprisingly entertaining and none feel like they're out of place or as if they are trying too hard to be funny.

Given the time span between Aladdin and the Little Mermaid, the animation has only improved to levels that at the very least manage to fall just a short step below that of the Lion King. The backgrounds are stunning, aided by the camera movements which give a slight live-action feel to things, and we almost move fully away from a more cartoon feeling to the animation. For it's time, the CGI works really well and is implemented in a way that works without it being jarring even if the CGI is considered vastly out of date by today's standards. This however is not a fault that will seriously hurt the film since it was limited by the technology available instead of simply being sub-par due to oversight or sheer laziness.

All of the songs in this film are enjoyable, and certainly memorable. One thing to note is that the opening song has had lyrics modified due to controversy in the past, but most people may never notice if they don't hear about it from more passionate Disney fans.

Ultimately, despite looking like a period piece Aladdin is more of a 1990's American pop culture film with it's contemporary and fast paced references. Not only does this film give small references to other Disney films before it, we also get a ton of pop culture references through the genie some of which include Jack Nicholson and Arsenio Hall impressions. If the film has any real flaw, it would simply be that these references will slightly date the film. In the end, however, this is a very minor flaw and is certainly one that can be overlooked by anyone who has grown up with this film.

4 1/2/5