Aladdin

Released to critical and box office acclaim, although not without controversy for its depiction of Arab characters and culture, it's easy to forget the success Disney's Aladdin had given it would be soon eclipsed by The Lion King just two years later. While not the title character, it's impossible not to begin with Robin Williams as the voice of the Genie. Despite the negative experience with working with Disney, Robin's stream-of-consciousness comic style translated terrifically to an animated character (even if I could do without some of the more obvious Disney pop-culture references).

Adapted from the tale from One Thousand and One Nights, Aladdin follows the "street rat" Aladdin (Scott Weinger) who is given three wishes by the genie he discovers in the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin uses his first wish to turn himself into a prince allowing him to court the defiant Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) who he fell for earlier on the film after spending time with her on the streets of Agrabah. Our villain is the evil sorcerer Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) whose never-ending quest for power leads him to the lamp but also, ultimately, his defeat.

There are some interesting departures here for a Disney Princess film as Jasmine is relegated to fourth billing behind Genie, Aladdin, and Jafar. Jasmine is also a bit more fiery, and a bit more sexually suggestive in her design, than many of the earlier princess which (along with Aladdin's horndog energy) also make this easily one of Disney's horniest releases. And you can certainly make the case for the film pushing more more Western-thinking (and looking) characters as heroes while styling the villain in much stronger Arab stereotypes.

An immediate hit that spawned merchandise, toys, and eventually mediocre straight-to-video sequels and a live-action remake, Aladdin was an immediate success for both Disney and Williams. The signature song "A Whole New World" won both an Oscar and a Grammy headlining a soundtrack that also includes fun songs such as "Friend Like Me" and "Arabian Nights." The film has been released several times on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray and is currently available on a number of streaming platforms including Disney+.

• Title: Aladdin (1992)
• IMDb: link