DVD Review: Aladdin
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that the bad guy, Jafar, can be pretty scary with his sorcery and mind control. So can Aladdin being chased by henchmen with giant swords and some mythological monsters. Genie provides plenty of comic relief to the more dangerous moments, however. Also expect a bit of mild name-calling and revealing outfits on Princess Jasmine and some curvy dancing ladies.
- Families can talk about contradictions -- how people can be both good and bad, and learn from their mistakes? Ask kids how they think Aladdin acted selfishly or unselfishly throughout the movie.
- Try playing the "three wishes" game in your family, and discuss the possible consequences of everyone's wishes.
In this animated Disney adventure, street urchin Aladdin (voiced by Scott Weinger) woos Arabian Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) by pretending to be a prince. He gets help from an exuberant blue genie (Robin Williams), who grants him three wishes. But before this story ends happily ever after, Aladdin must tell Princess Jasmine the truth about his identity, and defeat evil royal advisor Jafar ( Jonathan Freeman), neither one an easy task!
Jasmine is no Belle and Aladdin is no Beast, but add a big blue genie voiced by Robin Williams to the picture and you've got a very entertaining Disney movie. Williams brings humor and vitality to a movie that might otherwise be just another "princess forced to marry against her will" story. His imagination and antics clearly inspired the animators, too, and every scene with the genie is off-the-charts creative.
Songs like "A Whole New World," and a magic carpet with more personality than all of Disney's animal sidekicks put together, help give scenes without the genie a lift. Jasmine is spunky even though her predicament isn't very original, and Aladdin is sweet and eventually learns his own self worth. DVD extras include a virtual magic carpet ride in which viewers speed through different Arabian settings as if on a roller coaster, a fun interactive 3-D tour of Genie's lamp, and music videos by pop singers Clay Aiken and Jessica Simpson.
Beauty and the Beast
Kiki's Delivery Service
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
Join Us