| Aladdin and the King of Thieves is the third
title in the Aladdin Trilogy and apparently the last. I have to admit I did see the first
one many years ago when it was released at the Cinema’s. I don’t remember a lot
about it and I haven’t seen the second sequel so this is basically a new experience
for me. Aladdin and Jasmine are to be wed in a
fantastic lavish ceremony in Agrabah. The genie is making final touches to the ceremony
and the vows are almost complete when suddenly all is thrown into disarray. Cassim and his
40 thieves have decided to disrupt the royal wedding in search of a very special wedding
gift given to the happy couple. Aladdin fights off Cassim and retains his precious wedding
gift.
Like the Genie (Robin Williams) the oracle is magical and
will answer one question of anyone who holds it. After some time Aladdin decides to ask
the oracle about his father who he believed was dead. Aladdin quickly learns that Cassim
is actually his father. He travels to the 40 thieves’ hideout and here he tells
Cassim that he is his son. Aladdin however faces a much more difficult task. The other
thieves believe that he has broken their code and must be punished for this. Of course
Aladdin lives and his father welcomes him into the gang of thieves.
From then on Aladdin and his father experience trials and
tribulations, which all lead to a very happy ending.
So How Does This Transfer Hold Up?
The transfer quality was once again superb. I was however disappointed with the animation
in the film compared to the lion king. I know this isn’t a transfer fault but the
animation seemed to be very flat. More like draw a line around the object and colour it in
and that’s it. I couldn’t really find fault with the transfer. The images are
consistently sharp and clear and the colouring is saturated and vibrant.
Video Highlights
Ch 02 01:25 – There’s a party in Agrabah (fabulous colouring and
animation)
Ch 05 16:45 and 21:24 The Oracle (great use of back lit effects)
Ch 05 23:25 - Open Sesame ( Flames and Water very difficult to animate but look fabulous)
Ch 11 67:45 - The Hand of Midas (striking use of gold)
The audio was also very impressive. I actually thought it was on par with the Lion King 2
if not a touch better. There is impressive use of the bass channel in the stampede and in
any scene with horses and other animals. I was also impressed with the use of the
surrounds in the many little sound effects. I have included in the highlights a few
instances where you get a very broad use of the entire sound stage in using these effects.
The genie is usually a cause for good audio and his presence usually brings with it some
great surround effects. The Soundtrack by Mark Watters and Bill Elliott was also fantastic
with lots of ambience in the musical score and the songs are all great singalong songs for
the kids.
Audio Highlights
Ch 04 11:30 – The Stampede (great use of bass channel)
Ch 07 33:45 - The Genie’s wedding plans (lots of little surround effects)
Ch 11 63:05 – The Vanishing Island (lots of surrounds and rushing water)
Extras: um, well, what extras??????? It is annoying to once
again see Scene access, listed as a special feature. This is a standard feature and is not
an extra by any means. The Interactive menu as it is shown on the cover is not overly
interactive at all. Just a stationary scene with three options. At least the selections
are easy to see. There is no list in the credits of which voices belong to which
characters. That’s why I haven’t mentioned any of them. And there is very little
information on the cover as to the people involved in the film other than Robin Williams.
Why do these films not include extras? It baffles me. There
has to be some fantastic background information that even kids would enjoy. What about how
the animation is produced, and the voices for the characters? Surely the power of Disney
can do better.
Overall I was impressed with this release. Not really my
kind of thing but I have to say that Robin Williams as the Genie absolutely makes the
film. He exudes his wit and humour even in a voice over. Great funloving film for your
kids.
| PICTURE QUALITY |
8/10 a bit flat looking |
| SOUND QUALITY |
9/10 great soundtrack |
| FEATURES |
0/10 looking looking looking... |
| OVERALL |
6.50/10 extras let it down |
Review Equipment
TV: GE 68cm (16:9 selectable)
DVD: Samsung DVD907 (via S-Video)
Receiver/Proc: Sansui A505/Sony Amp & Yamaha DSP-E390
Speakers:-
Fronts: Wharfdale Diamond R6 (on a pair of custom made stands you'd KILL for)
Centre: Venturi
Rears: Sony bookshelf
- Reviewed 30th November 1999
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