DuckTales, The Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp

Based on the popular TV series (which has also spawned a pair of video games), DuckTales, The Movie doesn't measure up to Disney's last outing, The Little Mermaid, either in terms of animation or story quality. Borrowing from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the story has Scrooge McDuck and his adventurous nephews on the trail of Collie Baba's lost treasure. In the Arabian desert, the intrepid explorers uncover a buried pyramid which, once entered, features a number of Raiders-inspired booby-traps. No sooner do the duck yuppies get their webbed feet firmly clasped around Baba's gold, when the evil magician Merlock (the voice of Christopher Lloyd) steals their booty. Overlooked in the melee is a magic lamp, which Scrooge's niece and nephews have a heyday with back at the McDuck mansion. The impish Genie (Rip Taylor) grants the kids mountain-size ice cream sundaes, whizzing fire engines, and toy animals come to life. Eventually Scrooge notices the otherworldly goings on, as does the bad Merlock, and the film cranks up the action for the final tussle between good and evil. Mildly entertaining for the whole family, DuckTales is a built-in winner for young children who follow the TV series. Recommended. (R. Pitman)