JakeStevens Blog

One thing I can say about this film - it's pretty cool to look at (if you can read the subtitles fast enough, that is). Some of the visuals are literally breathtaking, as when the little boy passes out while in "The Gloom". Speaking of the subtitles, they're entertaining on their own (maybe a bit gimmicky, too) as they turn to smoke, disappear behind walls and fly out of frame to match the action on the screen. I'm curious to see the sequel, as it may answer the myriad of questions I have about the plot. It's also nice to see a film from Russia getting some attention (good AND bad). So, to be fair, for now I'll rate this as neutral.

With two viable hits under their collective belts (The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast), Disney conjured up yet another hit, Aladdin. The songwriting team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman create yet another stunning soundtrack, but it's mostly Robin Williams unhinged performance as The Genie that steals the show and makes this film so entertaining. It's almost like Williams was MADE for this part - his manic energy in his standup routine could be barely contained by his flesh - and here in animated form, it doesn't have to be. One gripe is the stereotypes present in the film. True, it takes place in the middle east, and most supporting characters look the part - except the two very American looking leads. But what do you expect? It's Disney, for crying out loud. Another gripe is their spinelessness in changing a lyric to the first song of the film because some overprotective mothers wrote tear-blotted letters to Disney telling them it's "inapropriate" for their tykes. Cry me a river. It's almost unforgivable that Disney did this, but whatever - it's THEIR film. Apart from that, this is a rather entertaining film that's fun for both children AND parents. Disney's luck would continue with one more film after this, the widely-loved The Lion King.

There are moments when this film gets incredibly eerie, but the effects are so bad, and the ending worse, that I can't help but NOT like this film much at all. Surprisingly, the young actors are more effective than the adults, and John Franklin and Courtney Gains give especially good performances. It's the ending, really, that killed the film for me. What REALLY boggles my mind, though, is how this film warrents SEVERAL sequels! I wonder who thought that would be a good idea?