Friday, September 13, 2019

Blu-ray Review: Aladdin: The Signature Collection


*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Walmart
Once upon a time, Disney actually made 2D animations! Their last string of success with traditional animation occurred in 1989 with the Little Mermaid and ended in 1999 with Tarzan. In 1992, Disney released the now animated classic Aladdin, based on the folklore Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, which featured the late comedic genius Robin Williams as the voice of Genie. The film was critical and commercial success, taking in over $500 million at the box office. It spawned two direct-to-video sequels, a television series, and a live-action remake.

Aladdin was released on 4K Ultra Blu-ray, Blu-ray Multi-Screen Edition, Digital, and On Demand this week featuring never-before-seen bonus features, including an alternate ending!

 Set in the fictional city of Agrabah, Aladdin tells the story of a young street urchin, Aladdin, who's recruited by the evil Grand vizier Jafar to steal magic lamp from the hidden Cave of Wonders. Things don't go as planned when Jafar betrays Aladdin. However, thanks to sneaky monkey, Abu, Aladdin releases Genie from the lamp and receives three wishes.

The one thing Aladdin desperately wants is to win the heart of Princess Jasmine. He wishes to be a prince so he can impress Jasmine. Genie is determined to grant Aladdin's wish and befriends him in the process.


Special Features include:
  • (New) Sing Along With The Movie – Sing along to your favorite tunes as you watch the film. With magical on-screen lyrics.
  • (New) Aladdin on Aladdin – Join the speaking voice of Aladdin, Scott Weinger (“Fuller House”), as he reflects on almost 30 years of being Aladdin.
  • (New)“Let’s Not Be Too Hasty”: The Voices of “Aladdin” – Take your seat in the recording booth and watch as the voice actors of “Aladdin” work their microphone magic.
  • (New) Alternate Endings – Enter the realm of “what if” and see just how differently the movie could have ended. 
  • (Old) Revisit over 40 exciting bonus features from previous releases including:
    • The Genie Outtakes
    • “Aladdin”: Creating Broadway Magic
    • Unboxing “Aladdin” 
  • (Digital Exclusive) Drawing Genie – Join prolific animator Eric Goldberg as he draws and reminices about the Genie.  


Final Thoughts

I hate to admit this but this is first time I ever watched Aladdin! The movie was released in 1992 when I was an eleven-years-old, a time in my life when I was more into horror movies than cartoons, which explains why I missed most of the Disney Renaissance years.

Compared to other great Disney animations, Aladdin is a major step down in storytelling and animation quality. It feels less like a feature film and more like a Disney Afternoon pilot. Ironically, the direct-to-video sequel The Return of Jafar served as a pilot for the television series. The only saving grace is Robin William's wacky voice performance as the Genie and a few catchy songs.

The picture and sound quality on the Blu-ray is topnotch! There are plenty of new and old special features to keep you entertained.

Overall, I'm just not a very big fan of Aladdin. Typically, I enjoy Disney animations, but there's something about this one that just doesn't connect with me. This is just my personal opinion of the film. I'm sure there are many young and old fans who love the movie.

FYI: I'm rating the movie 2 out of 5 but giving the Blu-ray release a 3 out 5 due to the many special features.

No comments:

Post a Comment

I adore reading reader feedback! I will, however, remove all spam and pointless comments.

Please take note that I have the right to delete comments from this site. Please only post constructive and respectful feedback.