Aladdin
It was quite interesting to watch this movie after watching the first seven or so Disney feature films - this is a film that grabs you from the beginning and holds your attention until the end. The opening number Arabian Nights sets up the story perfectly. It's a tune that really sticks in your head, which is true of the other great number, prince Ali. The plot is really well paced and there's no slow moments in the film, characters really work well together and all of their motivations are clear. It's clear by this time, Disney Studios had the financial resources to put money into the production of its films, and they were the best at what they did when this film was released. Obviously, I enjoyed the film, but I think there are parts that just didn't hold up. The first time I watched it I thought Robin Williams's performance as the genie was hilarious, but it contains a lot of references that audiences, today would have trouble understanding. For example, there's a reference to Ed Sullivan and Rodney Dangerfield. My kids did not understand these references at all - but what they really found funny was the character of Iago. I have to say that makes sense because the comedy connected to this character is more timeless - it's basically an irritable old man - and everyone knows at least one of those. The animation at times is clearly CGI from the era, and it looks dated. There is also the fact that the evil characters are portrayed in a more stereotypically Arab way whereas the main characters are portrayed in a more stereotypically American way, even though these characters live in the same area. I think this is mostly in regard to the character of Jafar, who was designed independently of the rest of the characters and resembles what a human version of Scar from The Lion King would look like. So that's a bit racist - but it's not racist in the same way Song of the South is racist. It's racist in a way that all the people who created this movie are not from this culture, and you're making a movie about characters that are from this culture, so you're applying your kind of own standards of what is good and bad and what looks good and bad. The other thing is that because the movie flows along so quickly the main characters meet and fall in love within about 2 minutes which is a little bit unrealistic, but I prefer that than a slow paced movie. The characters of Aladdin and Jasmine are also interesting, there's real character development there. Jasmine gets to make choices, and she's portrayed as being a real person. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see the best of Disney.
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