FILM

Aladdin Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements

by Sean McQuaid isney can’t seem to lose these days, at D least as far as animated musicals are concerned. The immense popularity of The Little Mermaid was followed by the phe- nomenal success of Beauty and the Beast, and that in turn may be equalled by Disney’s new animated adventure, Aladdin. The new film combines a good story with amazing animation and entertaining characters, not to mention a few fiendishly catchy tunes, and the end result is a family film that almost everyone can enjoy. The story is appealing and simple, as is the norm with Disney films: a Sultan seeking a suitor for his strong-willed daughter and heir, the Princess, is plotted against by his advisor, Jaffar, who covets the throne and princess. To get these things, Jaffar seeks the genie’s lamp, and tricks Aladdin, a young thief befriended by the princess, into obtaining the lamp. The plot thickens when Aladdin accidentally unleashes the genie and becomes its master, earning the

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right to three wishes. Aided and abetted by the genie, Aladdin sets out to win the Princess’s heart by taking on the identity of prince; how- ever, Aladdin eventually faces the reality that she must lover him for himself, and things are further complicated by the fact that Jaffar doesn’t appreciate any rivals for the princess’s hand. And when you’re an_ evil advisor with a few sorcerous tricks up your sleeve, eliminating a would-be prince seems like a piece-of- cake...especially if you can get your hands on a certain lamp. It’s apleasantly corny yarn it the Disney tradition, with an imposing bad guy and a strong message about the values of true love and being yourself (kinda gives you a warm, fuzzy glow, doesn’t it?).

The movie’s songs, whose writers include the Oscar-winning Ashman and Menken, are solidly entertaining,ranging from the genie’s manic ‘‘You’ve Never Had a Friend Like Me’ to Alladin and the Princess’s love duet, “‘A Whole New World’’ (already popular on radio). Even more spectacular is the animation, which is in some segments truly awe-inspiring (the flying carpet ride through the exploding Cave of Wonder is easily on par with the Death Star chase from Return of the Jedi or any escape by Indiana Jones). The characters are alive with personality and movement, and many of the backgrounds and locales are beautifully ren- dered (one rather striking scene is the opening

of the Cave of Wonder’s entrance, a gigantic, sentient cat’s head of mystically animated stone). Enhancing all of this are some first-rate vocal performances, ranging from the gleefully grat- ing Gilbert Gottfried’s portrayal of Iago (Jaffar’s perpetually abusive and surly parrot sidekick)

"...kinda gives you a warm

fuzzy glow... doesn't it?”

to the merrily maniacal characterization of the genie by Robin Williams, who perhaps finds the ultimate visual outlet for his spontaneous stant- up comedy in the genie’s ever-shifting ati- mated form (for instance, the genie can change shape accordingly as Williams unleashes dev- astating imitations of Ed Sullivan, Jack Nicholson, and a host of others). With hig! quality music and animation and a strong vocal cast, Aladdin deserves to be the big hit it has thus far been for Disney. @