ALADDIN
A film review by Jeff Meyer
Copyright 1992 Jeff Meyer
Short, concise review: I HAD A GREAT TIME. IT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN "CATS." I'M GOING TO SEE IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.
---- *Ahem*
I leave the amazingly-detailed, minutae-infested reviewing of this film to Kathy Li, and provide some short, non-spoiler observations on ALADDIN:
* I haven't had this much fun at the movies.... Honest-to-God, folks, I plan to go see this at least two more times. Yes, the animation is very good, yes, the it has fine songs (which I plan to listen to on the CD when I get the chance)...
Okay, short and sweet -- I went with two other people, and we were still buzzing about that film hours later over a late dinner. I laughed at the gags, I laughed because I enjoyed the characters and the situations; in short, I had a helluva good time. Definitely my favorite film of the year, and one of the five best films (I think ... well, let's wait until MALCOM X and A FEW GOOD MEN come to town.)
But skip all that good/bad crap. It was fun. *FUN*!! (And if you're a fan of classic Looney Toons animation: <<<<<<******F+U+N!!!!!******>>>>>>
In the words of Itchy: Oh ME, Oh MY!
* I think that this is something of a departure for Disney (at least in their animated feature-length film area), in that some of the humor is, well, wacky. Looney. Tex Avery/Bob Clampett like. There are fourth wall gags in it. There are references to other Disney films. In other words, they're occasionally winking at the audience this time -- not what you expect from Disney. However, I don't think it hurts the story any.
The gags aren't all over the place -- much of it is the usual Disney slapstick/character humor. However, humor does seem to have it over romance this time around (at least compared to THE LITTLE MERMAID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST). Perfectly valid change in the recipe; as you can tell from my yammering, it went down very well. (Frankly, though, it would be hard to imagine casting Robin Williams in a part like this, and then expecting him to just read his lines....)
* Regarding The Williams Boy: Technology is a wonderful thing. Whenever we've heard Robin Williams do his improvisations, he's been handicapped by having to channel all that energy through a mortal shell. From now on, all Robin Williams comedy routines should be animated, because this medium was designed specifically for him. Frankly, I missed 1/3 of his gags, because I and the audience were laughing so hard at the previous ones. (Again, this is defintely a more-than-one-viewing film.)
Really, it's a shame that the Academy has shifted to giving Best Actor awards, for the most part, to non-comic performances. If Williams does as well as I suspect he may with Levinson's TOYS, this could be a killer year for him.
(P.S. This is the first, and I suspect only, time I have ever enjoyed seeing Gilbert Gotfried in anything.)
* Technically, it's very good. I've probably seen better individual examples of various bits in other animated films (mostly Disney).... But it's right up there. (The rug is particularly impressive.) I think the songs are less memorable (on their own) than those in THE LITTLE MERMAID; in how they're "staged" in the film, I think they're every bit as good as those in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
* Yes, the inevitable comparison: I liked it differently (but as well) as THE LITTLE MERMAID, and more than BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. I love good romance, but I like to laugh; and Hell's bells, I'm glad I didn't cough up a lung.
P.S. Just to satisfy curiosity (I missed it in the credits): who did the voice of the narrator/peddler who opens the film? Williams?
P.P.S. Damn, do I want this on laserdisc! (I and the rest of the Holy Trinity who accompanied me to the film (Jerry Boyajian and Rob Ferguson as The Holy Ghost) would gladly sell Jeffrey Katzenberg's soul to get a good, letterboxed CAV edition of this film tomorrow. (But, given JK's position, it's probably too late.))
P.P.P.S. My remaining question: What will Dan Parmenter find horribly wrong with this Disney film? :-)
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Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
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