Aladdin (1992 Disney film)
Aladdin (1992) is an animated Disney movie telling a version of the story of Aladdin and the magic lamp from The Arabian Nights. As is usual with Disney film adaptations, many aspects of the traditional story were changed for the film.
It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and songs were by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (with additional lyrics provided by Tim Rice after Ashman's death). Menken received the 1992 Academy Award for Original Music Score of Aladdin. The main soundtrack song "A Whole New World" by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle won a Grammy Award in 1993.
Voice actors included Robin Williams as the Genie. In fact, this was the first major American animated feature film in which particular attention was paid to a celebrity cast member in the film as part of its promotion. This has led to a subsequent increased attention to the casts of later productions, such as Toy Story and Shrek, as a major element of animated film marketing.
Aladdin was followed by two "direct-to-video" sequels: The Return of Jafar (1994) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), and an animated television series, Aladdin.
Synopsis
The sultan of a mystical land called Agrabah (who is never given a name) is secretly being controlled by his grand vizier, Jafar. Jafar, who is also a sorcerer, wants to be the sultan himself and rule Agrabah; to further his goals he has spent years searching for the Cave of Wonders, so he can harness the power of the Genie of the Lamp.
However, Jafar discovers that only one person, the "Diamond in the Rough," can enter the Cave. The sultan is having problems with finding a prince for his daughter, Princess Jasmine, to marry and Jafar convinces the sultan, by mesmerizing him, that he needs his ring to find Jasmine a husband. Jafar actually needs the ring to discover the identity of the "Diamond in the Rough."
Jasmine, who does not want to married off, decides to run away. In the anarchy of the streets, she is saved by a street urchin named Aladdin, though she doesn't learn his name. Meanwhile, Jafar, of course, discovers Aladdin is the "Diamond in the Rough" and he sends guards to apprehend him. Jafar lies to Jasmine and tells her that Aladdin had been executed for "kidnapping the princess."
Jafar, disguised as an old man, sneaks Aladdin to freedom and takes him to the Cave of Wonders. He tells Aladdin that if brings back the lamp, he will be rewarded. Inside the Cave, Aladdin successfully finds the lamp, but his pet monkey, Abu, breaks the rule that they aren't allowed to touch anything other than the lamp. Aladdin and Abu manage to escape with the aid of a flying carpet. Upon his escape, he hands Jafar the lamp and Jafar decides to give him his "eternal reward" by sealing him inside the cave.
However, Aladdin is saved by Abu, but he, Abu, and the flying carpet are all trapped inside the Cave of Wonders. Jafar discovers, to his dismay, that Abu got the lamp from him before they disappeared. Aladdin discovers that the lamp is home to a genie, who can grant him any three wishes, excluding wishes to make someone fall in love with somebody else, to kill someone, or to bring someone back from the dead.
Aladdin tricks the genie into getting them out of the Cave, without using up one of his wishes. Aladdin asks the genie what he would wish for and the genie says he'd wish for freedom. The genie is prisoner, and he can only the freed if his master wishes for his freedom. Aladdin promises to set the genie free with his last wish.
Aladdin, who has fallen in love with Princess Jasmine, is disappointed that he can't wish to make her fall in love with him. However, the law states that only a prince can marry a princess, so he wishes to become a prince. "Prince Ali" Aladdin returns to Agrabah and wins Jasmine's love by taking her on a romantic ride on the flying carpet. Afterwards, Jasmine tricks Aladdin into admitting he's the street urchin she met in the marketplace.
Jafar, who wants Aladdin out of the way, orders him thrown into the sea. The genie saves Aladdin, using up his second wish. Aladdin and the genie return to Agrabah and Aladdin shows that Jafar has really been plotting against the sultan. Jafar manages to escape, but Aladdin and company are convinced that their troubles are over as Jasmine has finally chosen a suitor.
All seems well, but the weight of his future responsibilities begins to distress Aladdin. He begins to consider reneging on his promise to free the Genie, which severely offends the spirit. Chastened, Aladdin decides to tell Jasmine the whole truth of the matter. Unfortunately, Jafar has figured out Aladdin has the lamp and he sends his parrot Iago, to steal it. Using the lamp, Jafar wishes to become sultan. When the former sultan and Jasmine refuse to bow to him, he wishes to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world.
With his new powers, Jafar reveals that "Prince Ali" is only Aladdin and he sends Aladdin to "the ends of the earth" in one of palace towers. Aladdin flies back on the flying carpet, but the genie can't help him, as Jafar is his master now. Aladdin tries to get the lamp, but Jafar spots him.
Jafar imprisons and transfigures all the good characters so they cannot steal the lamp back. Jafar eventually turns himself in a giant snake and fights Aladdin. When Aladdin appears to be defeated, Jafar tells Aladdin he was a fool for thinking he could defeat "the most powerful being on Earth." Aladdin tells Jafar he is not the most powerful being on Earth, the genie has more power than Jafar since the genie gave Jafar his power in the first place.
Jafar decides to use his final wish to become the most powerful genie in the world. Jafar is convinced with that with his powers he can now rule the universe, not realising that, as a genie, he does not have freedom and he must obey a master. Jafar, and Iago, are imprisoned in a lamp and the genie sends them to the Cave of Wonders.
Of course, now Aladdin is no longer a prince, so he cannot marry Jasmine. The genie insists that Aladdin use his final wish to make himself a prince again, but nevertheless, he uses his final wish to wish for the genie's freedom. But because of this, the sultan decides that Aladdin has proven his worth, and changes the law so that Aladdin and Jasmine can be married. The genie flies away to see the world.
Characters
- Aladdin - the beggar who becomes a hero.
- Abu - Aladdin's pet monkey, initially his only friend.
- Princess Jasmine - Aladdin's love interest and the Princess of Agrabah.
- The Sultan - Princess Jasmine's father and ruler of Agrabah.
- Rajah - Princess Jasmine's pet tiger.
- Genie - Aladdin's eccentric genie servant-turned-friend who makes many anachronistic pop culture references.
- Jafar - The scheming Grand Vizier of Agrabah.
- Iago - Jafar's parrot and right-hand man. Able to alter his voice tone sometimes tricking his master's enemies
- Razoul - Captain of the Guard. Doesn't trust Aladdin because of his background.
Controversy
One of the verses of the opening song "Arabian Nights" was censored because of political sensitivity. Following protests from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, (ADC) the lyrics were changed in July 1993 from "Where they'll cut off your ear if they don't like your face/It's barbaric, but, hey, it's home," in the original release to "Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense/It's barbaric, but, hey, it's home."