Aladdin - Review

An employer of mine threatened to unfollow my Instagram account if I gave this film a bad review. So if you are reading this, you know who you are, you have no reason to worry. Aladdin is a fantastic movie. Lately, I have been talking about how nostalgia can often mask a film's entertainment value when watching it again many years later. So when I decided I wanted to re-experience Aladdin, I was worried that it wasn't going to be as good as I remember. Nope. Not this viewing. Aladdin was always my favourite Disney movie growing up because although I liked the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin seemed like the first Disney film for boys. Yes, this film still has the "find love in three days" scenario and it has the Disney whimsical songs, but this film is an adventure. I keep hearing news about how Disney is planning to make a live-action version of this film and honestly, I think this film is the most worthy of a live-action remake because you have so much material for action and excitement. The magic carpet chase ride through the cave of wonders, the genie's powers, Prince Ali's big parade, and the final battle between Aladdin and Jafar, all very well animated here, by the way, would be great opportunities for Disney to do something creative with live-action. However, even for an animated movie, this movie still feels intense and exciting and I think that's why many boys I know liked this film when we were kids. The musical numbers are all fantastic and you'll be humming them all day. From "Friend Like Me" to "A Whole New World", you'll be singing those songs in the shower, in the car, or even in your buddy's backyard when you're black out drunk (Trust me, I've seen it. Don't drink kids). So this film is exciting, it's got the great songs and it's got likable colourful characters, but what makes this film worth a perfect rating? Two words. Robin. Williams. Best voice acting performance ever. Hands down. To this day he is hilarious and as an adult, I definitely understood more of the jokes and references. Add Robin Williams to a film full of adventure, romance, and comedy mixed in with some great colourful Disney animation, and you have yourself a great movie!