Aladdin [Special Edition] [2 Discs] DVD

Aladdin
Robin Williams's dizzying and hilarious voicing of the Genie is the main attraction of Aladdin, the third in the series of modern Disney animated movies that began with 1989's The Little Mermaid and heralded a new age for the genre. After a sultan (Douglas Seale) gives his daughter, Jasmine (Linda Larkin), three days to find a husband, she escapes the palace and encounters the street-savvy urchin Aladdin (Scott Weinger), who charms his way into her heart. While the sultan's Vizier, Jafar (Jonathan Freeman), weaves a spell so that he may marry Jasmine and become sultan himself, Aladdin discovers the Genie's lamp in a cave, rubs it, and sets the mystical entity free, leading the Genie to pledge his undying loyalty to the dazzled youth. Aladdin begins his quest to defeat Jafar and win the hand of the princess, with the Genie's help. Monsters, Disney's trademark talking animals, and a flying carpet all figure into the ensuing adventures, but Williams' Genie, who can change into anything or anybody, steals the show as he launches into one crazed monologue after another, impersonating figures from Ed Sullivan to Elvis Presley. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Cast Brad Kane as Aladdin Singing Scott Weinger as Aladdin Robin Williams as Genie Linda Larkin as Jasmine Lea Salonga as Singing Jasmine John Freeman as Jafar Frank Welker as Abu Gilbert Gottfried as Iago Douglas Seale as Sultan

Crew Bill Perkins - Art Director Vera Lanpher - Animator Don Paul - Animator Steve Goldberg - Animator Ed Gombert - Animator Rasoul Azadani - Animator Kathy Altieri - Animator Donald W. Ernst - Co-producer Ron Clements - Director John Musker - Director H. Lee Peterson - Editor Alan Menken - Composer (Music Score) Howard Ashman - Songwriter Alice Dewey - Production Designer Ron Clements - Producer John Musker - Producer Doc Kane - Sound/Sound Designer David J. Hudson - Sound/Sound Designer Mel Metcalfe - Sound/Sound Designer Terry Porter - Sound/Sound Designer Ted Elliott - Screenwriter Terry Rossio - Screenwriter John Musker - Screenwriter Ron Clements - Screenwriter Mark Mangini - Sound Effects Editor Tim Rice - Lyricist

Aladdin
It is easy to forget the moribund state of feature-length animation before the 1989 release of The Little Mermaid. Beauty and the Beast kept the revival going and, with Aladdin, Disney proved that the animated film's resurgence was no fluke. Composer and lyricist Alan Menken rubbed his magic lamp once again to produce a toe-tapping (and Oscar-winning) score, including the radio-friendly A Whole New World. But if any one person can be credited with Aladdin's success, it is Robin Williams. With one-liners galore and imitations of everyone from William F. Buckley to Arsenio Hall, Williams' manic (what else?) genie is a comic whirlwind with an animated body that can keep up with the real thing's boundless energy. Not every joke in Aladdin hits, but more than a few adults were surprised to find themselves laughing harder than the little ones they brought in tow. The film falls a little short of the high mark set by its two predecessors, as its plotting and lead characters are somewhat more conventional. And not all viewers felt that Disney's foray into ethnic diversity was without stereotyping. But overall, Aladdin once again proved the Disney magic for creating an animated film worth watching with or without the kids. ~ Matthew Doberman, All Movie Guide
 

Alan Menken: Academy, Best Score (winner) Alan Menken: Academy, Best Song (winner) Alan Menken: Academy, Best Song (nominated) Alan Menken: British Academy Awards, Best Score (nominated) Alan Menken: Golden Globe, Best Original Score (winner) Alan Menken: Golden Globe, Best Original Song (winner) David J. Hudson: Academy, Best Sound (nominated) Doc Kane: Academy, Best Sound (nominated) Howard Ashman: Academy, Best Song (nominated) Mark Mangini: Academy, Best Sound Effects (nominated) Mel Metcalfe: Academy, Best Sound (nominated) Terry Porter: Academy, Best Sound (nominated) Tim Rice: Academy, Best Song (winner) Tim Rice: Golden Globe, Best Original Song (winner)

Golden Globe, Best Film (Musical or Comedy) (nominated) L.A. Film Critics Association, Best Animation (winner)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French, Spanish Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel THX: THX-Certified Mastering DD1: Dolby Digital Mono DD2: Dolby Digital Stereo DD: Generic Dolby Digital (unspecified format) Additional Features: cc First-ever digital presentation All-new 5.1 Disney enhanced home-theater mix All-new music videos: A Whole New World, performed by Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson and Proud of Your Boy, performed by Clay Aiken Disney's virtual DVD ride: Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride Inside the genie's lamp The genie world tour 3 Wishes game Deleted song found in the Disney vault A Diamond in the Rough: The Making of Aladdin Pop-up fun facts and much, much more! DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1: Vistavision MPAA Rating: G DVD Discs Included: 2 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 90 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- Disc 1 1. Opening Credits/"Arabian Nights" [:14] 2. It Begins on a Dark Night [1:19] 3. Aladdin on the Run/"One Jump Ahead" [1:14] 4. Princess Jasmine [3:41] 5. Jasmine Runs Away [:45] 6. Jafar Discovers His Diamond in the Rough [2:14] 7. Jasmine Confronts Jafar [2:50] 8. Aladdin at the Cave of Wonders [3:59] 9. A Narrow Escape [3:01] 10. Trapped! [4:11] 11. "Friend Like Me" [3:48] 12. The Sultan Upbraids Jafar [3:45] 13. Aladdin Contemplates His Three Wishes [3:30] 14. Jafar's Solution to the Problem [2:24] 15. "Prince Ali" [2:27] 16. Prince Ali Appears on Jasmine's Balcony [1:25] 17. A Ride on a Magic Carpet/"A Whole New World" [2:19] 18. Aladdin Almost Drowns [3:44] 19. Aladdin's Dilemma [1:23] 20. A Royal Announcement [2:52] 21. The Genie's New Master [3:48] 22. Jafar in Power [2:14] 23. Jafar the Snake [:18] 24. Back to Normal [2:39] 25. End Credits/"A Whole New World" [2:28]