Disney’s “Aladdin” Signature Edition

 

 

 

Review by John Delia

Flying in on the magic carpet and joining the Disney’s Signature Collection on Blu-ray is the fun animated film Aladdin. The film originally was released in 1992 and is still a favorite of youngsters. Whether you are a collector of the Disney treasure trove of animated classics or not, this 27 year old gem still entertains the youngest to pre-teen and young at heart. The music is very memorable and the comedy with Robin Williams as the Genie a fun adventure.

The story follows Princess Jasmine nearing the age of marriage being urged by her father the Sultan to choose a suitor. One day while walking in the marketplace disguised as a local girl, she meets Aladdin. He’s an adventurer and has big dreams, but Jasmine knows she must not speak with a common street urchin, especially since she lives in the palace.

The adventure goes from there to several characters that include the wicked Jafar who wants Princess Jasmine for himself and the Genie who’s inside a lamp until by a stroke of fate gets released by Aladdin. It’s a fun film and that’s family oriented with a lot of excitement for the youngsters.

BONUS FEATURES ON BLU-RAY & DIGITAL:

NEW BONUSES on the Signature Edition
“Sing Along With the Movie” – Sing along to your favorite tunes as you watch the film. With magical on-screen lyrics.
“Aladdin on Aladdin” – Join the speaking voice of Aladdin, Scott Weinger (“Fuller House”), as he reflects on almost 30 years of being Aladdin.
“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.
“Alternate Endings” – Enter the realm of “what if” and see just how differently the movie could have ended.

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
“Drawing Genie” – Join prolific animator Eric Goldberg as he draws and reminisces about the Genie.

CLASSIC BONUS – Revisit over 40 exciting bonus features from previous releases including:
“The Genie Outtakes”
“Aladdin”: Creating Broadway Magic
“Unboxing” Aladdin

*Bonus features may vary by retailer

Disney’s Signature Collection. It’s a special collection so look for Walt Disney’s signature on the front of the case. This animated feature joins the ranks with only nine others that have been honored by Disney studios that include “Cinderella”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Pinocchio,” “Bambi,” “The Lion King”, “Peter Pan” and “Lady and the Tramp”.

The songs of Aladdin are familiar and include; “One Jump Ahead”, “Friend Like Me”, “A Whole New World” and “Prince Ali” with the score winning an Oscar. In addition “A Whole New Word” won an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Song. As for the Animated Feature category it took the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture.

Aladdin has been rated G by the MPAA for general audiences. For the very young you may want to watch the film with the child the first time through to experience the wonderment. Also the scenes in the cave and Jafar’s strong presence may be a little unsettling for the immature, so being close by will be a good thing. Once the little one feels the adventure, it’s soon you will be plopping the disc in for another ride on the magic carpet.

FINAL ANALYSIS: One of the more adventurous of the Disney classics. (5 out of 5 Stars)

Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried, Douglas Seale
Director: Ron Clements and John Musker
MPAA Rating: G
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family
Running Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Video Release Date: September 10, 2019
Original Theatrical Release Date: November 25, 1992
Language: English (changeable to French or Spanish)
Added features: Descriptive Audio on 4K Digital and Digital HD
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray
Audio: Blu-ray- 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Video: Widescreen, 16×9 screens, Aspect Ratio 1.66:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French and CC Closed Captions in English
Number of Discs: 2 discs plus Digital Code
Distributed by: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Released on: 4K Ultra HD, Ultra Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD