Story
Aladdin (voiced by Scott Weinger) and his companion Abu, a pet monkey, live on the streets of the oriental city of Agrabah. They make ends meet by stealing what they need, and often they only just manage to escape the city guards. Although he’s a thief, Aladdin is good at heart, looks out for others who have less than him, and wishes that one day his luck will change.
Indeed, Aladdin’s life takes a major turn when sinister and power-hungry Jafar (voiced by Jonathan Freeman), chief adviser to the Sultan (voiced by Douglas Seale), finds out that Aladdin is the ‘chosen one’ who can access the mystical Cave of Wonder and retrieve the most powerful treasure in the world. This is a lamp containing a genie, who will grant 3 wishes to the person who becomes his master. Jafar makes a deal with Aladdin, promising to reward him generously if Aladdin gets the lamp but secretly planning to get rid of Aladdin as soon as he hands over the lamp.
In a crazy chain of events, Aladdin ends up with the lamp, infuriating Jafar. Aladdin releases the genie (voiced by Robin Williams) and makes his first wish – to be a prince. This is because only a prince can marry the Sultan’s beautiful daughter Jasmine (voiced by Linda Larkin). Aladdin has saved her from trouble once before, when she escaped her golden cage, the palace.
Of course, Jafar recognises that ‘Prince Ali Ababwa’ is Aladdin in disguise and is determined to get rid of him, get hold of the lamp, and become the new Sultan and most powerful sorcerer in the world. Can Aladdin outwit sinister Jafar and fulfil his dream of being with Jasmine?
Themes
Animated Disney classic; musical; adventure; Arabian tale; magic; good versus evil; love; identity
Violence
Aladdin has some violence. For example:
- Someone says, ‘I had to slit a few throats’.
- One of Jafar’s henchmen gets swallowed and buried alive by the beast that guards the Cave of Wonder.
- After Aladdin steals a loaf of bread, city guards with swords chase after him and threaten to cut off his hands.
- Jafar wants to get rid of Aladdin and has his accomplices throw Aladdin off a cliff to drown.
- Jafar repeatedly tries to kill Aladdin. He sends his sword-bearing guards after Aladdin, turns himself into a giant venomous snake, and catapults Aladdin to the top of a snowy mountain to freeze to death.
Sexual references
There are no sexual references in Aladdin.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
There’s one brief reference to pipe smoking in Aladdin.
Nudity and sexual activity
Aladdin has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:
- There are a few scenes featuring curvy dancers and harem women in revealing outfits.
- Jasmin’s costume is quite revealing.
- A middle-aged woman describes Aladdin as ‘tasty’.
- Jasmine and Aladdin kiss each other on the lips a couple of times.
Product placement
There’s no product placement in Aladdin.
Coarse language
Aladdin has some mild coarse language, including ‘jerk’, ‘Shut up, you moron’ and ‘You street rat’.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Disney’s 1992 animation Aladdin remains one of its finest animated family movies. It has a captivating story, catchy tunes, positive role models and messages, and an incredibly likeable and funny genie. It’s guaranteed to entertain the whole family.
Some of the violent and scary scenes in Aladdin are likely to be too intense for a very young audience, making it unsuitable for children under 5 years. We also recommend parental guidance for children aged 5-6 years.
The main messages from Aladdin are that it’s important to stay true to yourself and not pretend to be something or someone else.
Values in Aladdin that you could reinforce with your children include honesty, courage and friendship. The movie also emphasises the importance of staying true to yourself and looking out for others.
Aladdin could also give you the chance to talk with your children about the real-life consequences of greed. Jafar’s greed and thirst for power ultimately leads to his downfall. Insulted and blinded by Aladdin’s remark that he’ll never be as powerful as the genie, Jafar uses his last wish to become the most powerful genie of all time and, as a consequence, is locked up inside a lamp.