When it comes to fairytales and folklore, there are several big ones that everyone knows by heart. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and The Tortoise and the Hare are a few that come to mind. During my childhood, however, my favorite bit of folklore involved a giant, blue talking genie, a street rat, a princess, and a nefarious wizard out to seize the crown. That’s right, I’m talking about Disney’s Aladdin.

One of Disney’s best and most successful animated features to date, Aladdin was full of singalong songs, vibrant colors, comedic genius, and plenty of thrilling action sequences. It’s a truly a genuine adventure film with enough comedy to keep it family-friendly.

The most sensational character in the film, by far, is Robin Williams’ take on the Genie in the lamp. One of Robin Williams’ most inspired forays into voice acting, his timing, goofiness, and nonstop snappy comedy makes the film what it is.

Interestingly, this film is pretty much the only time I can stand to hear Gilbert Gottfried’s voice as well. He fits well as a shrill, chatty parrot named Iago.

The story of the street-rat-turned-prince by way of a magical Genie is one that most kids already know, but here it is presented in what was, at the time, some of the most stunning animation every put on the silver screen. The scenes in the Cave of Wonders when Aladdin and his pet monkey Abu are barely escaping destruction while riding on a beautifully-rendered magic carpet were jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Its visual style has far outlived the recent influx of CGI-dominated animated features and it will be fondly remembered and admired for generations to come. I completely and totally recommend this film to any family looking for a fun, funny, fantastic feature film. It’ll always have a well-earned place in my movie collection.

Overall: 5/5