I bought Aladdin being a big fan of the Disney films and I was very pleased with the movie itself; Robin Williams is hilarious as the Genie, the story is good if not a bit too eccentric, the songs are wonderful and picture and sound quality are perfect.

However calling the DVD a 'Musical Masterpiece' edition is a bit of a marketing con. The only features are a pamphlet like booklet with song lyrics and then there's an option to put the film on with song subtitles appearing.

I did buy the DVD just for the film so I really didn't mind the lack of decent extras too much, it's a good price for a very good movie but if you're an extras fan it may be worth trying to find the DVD that was released in 2004.

Aladdin is an orphan stealing what he needs to eat. Jasmine is the princess, but is unhappy to be forced to marry. One day, they meet in the market, and its love at first sight. But Jasmine can only marry a prince. Meanwhile, Jafar's schemes to go from advisor to Sultan bring him across Aladdin's path. But when Aladdin finds the Genie of the lamp, things really get interesting.
And fun. As anyone who has seen this movie will tell you, Robin Williams as the Genie absolutely makes this movie. I still haven't caught all his characters and impersonations, but they still make me laugh. The plot itself is better then their usual fairy tale romance with Jafar making a truly evil villain. The songs are some of their best and most memorable, especially the romantic song "Whole New World." And the climax is one of my favorites because of how cleaver it is. The animation is beautiful with vibrant colors bringing the story to life.
I've been looking forward to this DVD release since it was announced. And let me tell you, it looks and sounds great. Perfect widescreen, and the immersive audio mix is truly breathtaking. Extras include two commentary tracks and a fun pop-up trivia option. The story got quite an overhaul from the original version they were thinking of, and some of the original material is presented here, including a song recorded by Clay Aiken. Disc two features a reunion of the producers, animators, and voice cast interspersed with behind the scenes material. Honestly, this felt like it was leaving stuff out and could have been more in depth. There's also a tribute to composure Alan Menken, games for kids, and the usual art galleries. Most noticeably missing from the extras is Robin Williams. With all the other principle voice cast returning for the extras, I was really disappointed not to hear from him.
This is a great movie in every sense of the word that everyone will enjoy watching many times. While the extras don't seem quite as impressive as previous Platinum Edition titles, there's still plenty here for fans. A disc well worth getting. Read more ›

Based on the classic tale from the Arabian Nights, "Aladdin" is one of the best Disney films; it is a tour-de-force of lovely animation and magical music. There's plenty of heart, as well, and whilst the story has its fair share of clichés, the film overall deserves a good five stars.

Having said that, this DVD edition (the Musical Masterpiece Edition) comes across as a bit pointless. I hate to nitpick and sound all geeky, but I shall be. A few years ago, "Aladdin" was released for the first time on DVD in a splendid two-disc edition featuring a whole two-hour documentary on the film's production, as well as audio-commentaries, trailers, production galleries and a tribute to Alan Menken (who wrote the songs for not just "Aladdin", but "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", "Enchanted", "Pocahontas" etc). However, quicker than you could say Scrooge McDuck is your uncle, it went back into the infamous Disney vault. And now the film has "returned from the Disney vault" with only a "sing along" feature and not much else.

I understand that some people will just want the movie, but as someone seriously considering going into the film/TV industry, I find it a bit depressing that studios should just be mediocre when it comes to releasing films, especially when they've done better in the past.

What I liked:

- No ads !!!
- No region lock
- Picture quality is really good, not just dvd source copied over to bd.
- Did I mention that there are no ads? I like it so much I would put it again. You put the disc into player and it goes straight to menu. No ads!

The release of Aladdin on Blu ray is warmly welcomed by all fans of the film but it has to be said the merciless gaze of Hi-Def does the film few favours.

The simple storyline of poor thief turned prince by a helpful genie is given a fun re-telling with a more modern heroine in the stroppy princess Jasmine & the introduction of a an evil vizier. For me it's Jafar's disdainful and ruthless character that makes this as good as it is although I have to admit that where I once found Iago, his Parrot henchman, funny he is for the most part pretty irritating.
The biggest plaudits have always gone to Robin Williams rapid fire Genie. There are an awful lot of easily missed moments of comic brilliance but it's easily forgotten just how late into the film his character appears and how little screen time he actually gets.

The picture here is as crisp as you could hope for. The colours are best when a scene is lamp lit, particularly the cave of wonders which glistens with gold & purple. It has to be said though that there are one or two moments of pretty ropey animation, (the carpet ride escape from the cave is poor and seems a good excuse for a game tie-in). Colours are not always vibrant and it sometimes feels as if special effort was made for a few spectacular scenes but not everywhere. Certainly compared to Beauty & the beast this is not reference standard.

The sound is adequate but is limited by the original. The standout moment is the opening of the cave of wonders, the creature's rumbling and growling fills both front and rear speakers and adds a nice sense of danger to the scene.
Elsewhere the standout audio moments are the songs which are sharp and make following the lyrics easy. This is great because Robin Williams get's some mileage out of his tunes and in particular the `prince Ali' entrance is a real spectacle.
In all there is little for either the sub or rears to really get their teeth into. Speech is clear & well centred & music lively.

The extras are on the whole pretty poor and certainly nothing like the all singing & dancing interactive wonder that Blu Ray was 1st promised to deliver. No doubt there'll be another dip into fans pockets for a 2 disc effort in the future.

If you love `Aladdin' & it's a favourite then this gives one final polish to the lamp but if not then while there is definite improvement over the DVD it has to be said it is limited and compared to other Disney/ Pixar Blu Ray releases, ( Monster inc Toy story 3 beauty & the beast ), this is not a premier release. Read more ›