The only Disney cell animated movie in my library is Aladdin. (I used to have The Lion King, but that was back in my pre-DVD laserdisc days and the laser-disc player has long since expired and the discs discarded.)
I saw this film on its theatrical release back in 1992and thoroughly enjoyed it. While it has all the usual hallmarks of a safe family film from Disney, it plays well for both adult and younger audiences. There was a controversy upon the film’s release. In the theatrical release the opening songs has the lyric “Where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face” and after the controversy the home video version altered the lyrics with a similar but somewhat distinctly different voice singing “Where it’s flat and immense and the heat is intense.” I have the first issue of the CD soundtrack with the original lyric, but later ones were altered to match the home video release.
The story, of course, is a bastardized version of the tale of Aladdin from 1001 Arabic Nights. In the movie Aladdin is a street orphan in a fictional Arabic city, surviving day-to-day by stealing bread and avoiding the city guard. His only companion is a mischievous monkey name Abu. Aladdin life is turned upside down by the appearance of Princess Jasmine in market place after running away from home to avoid the prospect of an arraigned marriage.
Events are further complicated by Jafar, the sultan trusted Vizier, who needs Aladdin to steal a magic lamp from a trapped cave. Jafar, sporting a traditional goatee of evil, with visions of a palace coup dancing in his head is, naturally, plotting against the Sultan. (In at least one of the tales from 1001 Arabic Nights I remember Jafar being the most reasonable character. As the Sultan kept drifting towards disaster and poorly thought-out plans, it was Jafar who tried to remind the sovereign of his word and commitments.) Jafar seeks the magic lamp that would release a wishing granting Genie, playing with manic vocal energy by Robin Williams.
Aladdin is a musical and its songs are a through joy. I thank this film for introducing me to the absolutely stunning voice of Lea Solonga, I have an album of hers and her voice is never unwelcome.
Certainly for anyone with children, or whose childhood has not died away within their soul, this is an enjoyable bit of movie making.