You can't make an animated feature nowadays without having at least one Hollywood A-lister providing the vocals. Back in 1992, however, casting Robin Williams as Aladdin's Genie was a revelation that brought a whole new, adult audience to the Disney stable. Flipping through faces and voices with breathless élan, the sometime stand-up finds the perfect medium for his comic mania. His flights of fancy are anchored by a strong story and lush, flowing visuals inspired by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. Smart, fresh and funny: you couldn't wish for more.
DVD Extras:
The Mouse House goes to town with a shiny disc groaning with goodies. Best of the lot is A Diamond In The Rough, a two-hour Making Of that splices a recent cast'n'crew reunion with a seemingly endless parade of informative featurettes. Ditched songs, storyboards and a doc on composer Alan Menken swell the package, while the Games option should keep the tots entertained. Apart from brief footage of his original recordings, however, Williams is conspicuously absent - a legacy of his dispute with Disney over money and image rights. ("Why does Mickey Mouse have three fingers?" he once joked. "So he can't pick up the cheque!")
