Aladdin (1992) Movie Review

Aladdin (1992)

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Written by: Ron Clements & John Musker and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio (screenplay by), Burny Mattinson & Roger Allers & Daan Jippes & Kevin Harkey & Sue C. Nichols & Francis Glebas & Darrell Rooney & Larry Leker & James Fujii & Kirk Hanson  & Kevin Lima & Rebecca Rees & David S. Smith & Chris Sanders & Brian Pimental & Patrick A. Ventura (story)
Directed by: Ron Clements, John Musker
Starring: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman, Frank Welker
Rated: G
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Plot
A kindhearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for the genie in a magic lamp that has the power to make their wishes come true.

Verdict
While the movie comments on being yourself and the dangers of greed and entitlement, the Genie is the star. Robin Williams infuses the Genie with an infectious energy. The character alone is worth watching, but the hand drawn animation imbues a wonderful aesthetic that is no longer used in modern animated movies. This is classic Disney.
Watch it.

Review
After watching the live action Aladdin (2019), I had to revisit the original. This is the superior version. Animation lends itself to legends and myths better than live action. Growing up, Disney movies were always the types of stories you'd see in an illustrated book. There were no live images of such fantasies. This story is sourced from The Arabian Nights, though a number of elements were changed.

The animation looks great. It's hand drawn, not the computer generated images we see today. While it's a dated method, it's so unique watching it now. With the 2019 version, it looks like every other movie.

The cartoon also allows the animals to be funnier. The parrot Iago is anthropomorphized and a deeper character in the cartoon. If the live action tried to replicate that, it would shift the 2019 version from a fantasy adventure to some kind of animal movie.

Aladdin and Jasmine.

Aladdin meets Jasmine who's disguised. The problem arises when he discovers she's a princess. I wonder why 2019 changed the reveal of the princess when everything else follows so closely? The problem becomes how can he woo her when princesses only marry princes.

Princess Jasmine and Jafar.

Power hungry Jafar is the problem and solution. He wants a lamp to get the Genie. His plan to use Aladdin backfires. While Jafar is a cookie cutter villain, it works in a cartoon.

Robin Williams voices the Genie.

The Genie, voiced by Robin Williams, steals the show. The character is a lot of fun, using Williams's over the top energy and fast paced dialog. It's difficult for a voice actor to become the animated character but Robin Williams does that. With the Genie, Aladdin's impediment to the Princess is gone. With influence Aladdin becomes greedy. He's changed to impress Jasmine, and now he's threatening to break a promise to the Genie.

This includes a message about being yourself and keeping your promises, but the overarching message is balanced by the entertaining Genie. I do appreciate that Jasmine has a certain amount of empowerment, even if she isn't a main  character.

Disney's animated movies have always been a remix of old fairy tales. Now Disney is remixing their own cartoons and making them live action. The cartoons are always better, and that's not just nostalgia. The original stories were design for animation. I'll forgive an animated movie for being simpler as it's geared for kids. With a live action movie I expect a higher quality of writing. While Pixar has blurred that line, Disney hasn't.