Aladdin

Out of circulation for nearly a decade, Aladdin has topped many a Disney buff's DVD wish list, and the new "platinum edition" doesn't disappoint. The Oscar-winning musical fantasy following the misadventures of the title character, his monkey Abu, the lovely princess Jasmine, and the famous wish-giving Genie (a brilliant Robin Williams), soars to dazzling new heights in this magical two-disc set, offering a brand new digital transfer that serves up eye- and ear-popping picture and sound. The second disc contains nearly two hours of entertaining and illuminating segments taking viewers behind-the-scenes of the tumultuous production. Among the highlights are: clips of the test animation that convinced Robin Williams to sign on as the voice of Genie; memories of "Black Friday," when the project seemed doomed after a poorly received early screening; and hilarious green-room interviews with the reunited filmmakers and cast members (but not Williams, unfortunately) conducted by Gilbert Gottfried, the voice of hench-parrot Iago. Other gems include deleted scenes--rendered here in storyboards--and, for the kids, two music videos: "A Whole New World" performed by Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, and the deleted song "Proud of Your Boy," performed by Clay Aiken. Aladdin was a rollicking departure from the fairytale romance of Beauty and the Beast, with a hip sense of humor unprecedented in a Disney animated film. With its timeless Arabian Nights-inspired adventure, wondrous animation (check out the awesome flying carpet), and Williams' tour de force performance, Aladdin is truly one for the ages. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson) [Blu-ray Review—Oct. 20, 2015—Walt Disney, 91 min., G, $39.99—Making its Blu-ray debut, 1992's Aladdin: Diamond Edition features a fine transfer and a DTS-HD 7.1 soundtrack. New extras include behind-the-scenes segments on 'Creating Broadway Magic' (19 min.), 'The Genie Outtakes' (9 min.), 'Ron & John: You Ain't Never Had a Friend Like Me' with filmmakers Ron Clements and John Musker (6 min.), 'Unboxing Aladdin' Easter eggs (5 min.), and a 'Genie 101' hosted by star Scott Weinger (4 min.), as well as bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Extras carried over from previous releases include two audio commentaries (one with Musker, Clements, and co-producer Amy Pell; the other with supervising animators Andreas Deja, Will Finn, Eric Goldberg, and Glen Keane), a 'making-of' documentary (71 min.), 'Alan Menken: Musical Renaissance Man' (20 min.), 'The Art of Aladdin' (9 min.), 'Inside the Genies Lamp: Guided Tour' (6 min.), 'The Genie World Tour' (3 min.), deleted scenes (6 min.), deleted songs (14 min.), a 'Disney Song Selection' playlist (12 min.), the music videos 'Proud of Your Boy' by Clay Aiken featuring original storyboards with a behind-the-scenes segment (9 min.), 'A Whole New World' by Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey with a behind-the-scenes segment (8 min.), and the original 'A Whole New World' by Regina Belle and Peabo Bryson, along with trailers. Bottom line: a beloved ‘90s Disney classic shines on Blu-ray.] [Blu-ray Review—Sept. 10, 2019—Disney, 90 min., G, Blu-ray: $39.99—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray as part of Disney’s 'Signature' collection, 1992’s Aladdin features a fine transfer with DTS-HD 7.1 audio. Extras new to this release include an 'Aladdin on Aladdin' interview with voice actor Scott Weinger (31 min.), a 'Let's Not Be Too Hasty: The Voices of Aladdin' featurette (3 min.), and alternate endings (2 min.). Extras carried over from previous releases include a sing-along movie mode, two audio commentaries (one with directors John Musker and Ron Clements, and co-producer Amy Pell; the other with supervising animators Andreas Deja, Will Finn, Eric Goldberg, and Glen Keane), and the production featurettes 'Creating Broadway Magic' (19 min.), 'The Genie Outtakes' (9 min.), 'Ron & John: You Ain’t Never Had a Friend Like Me' with Clements and Musker (6 min.), and a 'Genie 101' segment hosted by Weinger (4 min.), as well as bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: released to coincide with Disney’s live-action remake, this is recommended for those who don’t already own the 'Diamond' edition.]