Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996) (Movie Review)

       

  With the release of Disney’s live action "Aladdin" remake this month, I’ve reviewed both the original 1992 animated “Aladdin” classic, and covered the TV show that aired on Disney channel. I feel I might as well finish-up the month by reviewing the 1996 direct to video sequel titled “Aladdin and the King of Thieves”. While I’ve always been a Disney fan, I’ve never really been on board with their direct to video sequels. Even the first Aladdin sequel titled “The Return of Jafar”, while not terrible, just felt very mediocre and forgettable. “Aladdin and the King of Thieves” by contrast is that one rare direct to video sequel that’s stuck with me into adulthood, and I find myself enjoying it just like any one of Disney's theatrical productions. That’s not to say it’s on par with the first “Aladdin”, but it is a close second favorite of Aladdin’s properties under the Disney banner, and a rare sequel that I feel is worth talking about.  

  Taking place after the events of both movies and the TV show, Aladdin and Princess Jasmine are at long last ready to get married. The one thing eating away at our hero is that he has no family to share the day with, and wonders if he’s ready to be a father himself, as he’s never had anyone to draw inspiration from. Things heat up when the wedding is interrupted by a band of thieves who pillage all the treasury. Their mysterious leader is especially interested in a golden scepter that was donated as a wedding gift. After fighting off the villains, our heroes learn that the scepter contains the spirit of a mystical Oracle, who can answer any one question. With his parentage on his mind, Aladdin asks about the fate of his father Cassim … and the answer is very troubling. Turns out his father lives, but he soled is soul to a life a crime, and is now the leader of the 40 Thieves. We discover later that Cassim initially become a thief to provide for his family, but ever sense his wife perished and his son disappeared on the street, he stayed in his place of power, and is now obsessed with finding the ultimate treasure … the golden hand of Mites. Hoping to free Cassim from the life he’s trapped in, Aladdin sets off on a journey to win his father over and be a complete family again … preferably in time for his wedding. Yet, while his dad has a sense of honor and family ties, will that be enough to win him over after lifetime of greed and treasure hunting?

  The story was heavily inspired by “The Tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” from classic Arabian Knights lore, except Ali Baba was replaced with both Aladdin and his father. I love that this film drew inspiration from other Arabian Tales, and it makes the movie feel like a new Aladdin venture, without retreading any familiar grounds from the first movie. This is when sequels are at their best, exploring more of the main character, moving the story forward, and challenging our hero’s with new emotional stakes. Also, I’ve always been intrigued about stories in which a good son tries to fix a problem with either a conflicted or just plain dead-beat parent. For the most part, the relation between Aladdin and his father Cassim works, and the two share a genuinely engaging chemistry. John Rhys-Davies voices Aladdin’s father, and he’s a great talent that you can never go wrong with. His voice is like a cross between Sean Connery and Christopher Lee, and when combined with the performance, he can just give a character this magnetic presence. You can tell the writers really aimed to give the movie a heart and soul that stood apart from the first, and the effort shows. However, I can’t say this is a perfectly written story, as there are clashing character motivations that don’t always make sense, but the film does compensate with some genuinely great character moments.

  For example, we have Aladdin trying to give his father a second chance, and invites him to live with his new family in the palace, which he accepts, but only to try and steal the Golden Scepter from them again. This never worked for me as a motivation, especially when he seemed so honest for the feelings he expressed for his son, but the scenes that follow afterward … I really love. After his father gets arrested by the palace guards, Aladdin adorns a disguise, breaks him out of prison, and during a thrilling chase, Aladdin’s identity is revealed, and he’s forced to flee the kingdom, his home, his future … his betrothed … and all he has left is a father who betrayed him. It all builds to a heated back and forth argument about running away from your problems, as the father wishes to disappear into the desert, while the other aims to return and face the consequences. It’s a great scene, with strong vocal performances from both … I just wish the path leading to this moment was written with a pinch more depth, and better realized character motivations. 

  One good thing the movie has going is a proper balance between the emotional conflicts of the father, and the physical threat provided by the main villain named Sa’luk. He’s the second in command of the 40 Thieves, and wants to claim the crown for himself. On the surface, he may seem like a one-note brute, especially when compared to such high-ranking Disney villains as Jafar, or even some of the villains from the TV show, but he’s still important for adding a level of excitement to the film. Aladdin’s father Cassim is the antagonist with the complex narrative, and the one who needs to be the most compelling. However, in his arc, Cassim can never provide a sense of urgency or excitement, which is why Sa’luk works as the straight forward physical challenge to balance out. He’s ruthless, strategic, and apparently an X-Men fan, as he’s got gold painted Wolverine claws. It’s a cool design, although I always found it amusing that his skin is supper pail … especially for a guy who lives out in the desert. On a side note, he’s voiced by Jerry Orbach, who you may recognize as the voice of the candle-stick Lumiere from “Beauty and the Beast”. He actually has an effective villain voice, and even though he’s not French in this film, I can still recognize him as the candle stick.    

  One thing that’s a mixed bag is the return of the other main characters. While the film has the right idea of putting the focus on Aladdin and his father, the remaining characters don’t always feel like they have a place within that story. The one exception is actually Iago of all characters, who becomes the figurative shoulder-devil to Aladdin’s father, and keeps him on the path of greed ... which makes me dislike him even more, especially after he had a full reformation in the last movie. Princess Jasmine is mostly just there for emotional support, which is good, but for a movie that features the event of their wedding … I just feel like she should be playing a bigger part in the narrative. She at least gets involved in the action, I really like that she’s become an action prone heroine in this film, and she never once becomes a helpless damsel ... which is great. Just as a side note, I love that both Aladdin and Jasmine have finally gotten upgraded clothing that’s not revealing as much skin as before, and their new color schemes are great. The remaining characters we all remember are present, but pushed over to the side where they don’t get in anyone’s way … that is with the unfortunate exception of one character …       

  Robin Williams returned to voice the Genie, which is both a pro and a con. On the one hand, this was one of my favorite talents returning to voice one of my favorite animated characters, so I’m naturally going to laugh and enjoy him. However, while it’s great to have him back, he also has a bad habit of high-jacking the movie, and all for the purpose of making pop-culture references. That’s not to say he didn’t chew scenery in the first movie, but that film at least gave him a story arc, and emotional ties to our main character. 

This time around, he’s really just there to deliver the jokes. That’s his whole character, and his scenes tend to overstay their welcome. Still, he has some funny quips, and even provides some adult jokes that I found hilarious to re-discover as a grown-up. My favorite line by far is during the opening wedding attack, just before a stamped of elephants burst through the pavilion. The place starts rattling, and Genie remarks … “The ground wasn’t supposed to shake until the honeymoon” … that alone just busted my gut.

There’s also kind of a cereal moment when Genie takes on the likeness of “Mrs. Doubtfire” … that’s crazy, one of Williams characters is imitating another. There are at least three dozen other movie references in this film … including “Forest Gump”, “Robocop”, “The Godfather”, “Rocky”, “Aliens” (quoting “Game Over Man”), “Rambo”, and even little nods and winks to TV shows like “The Brady Bunch” and “Battlestar Galactica”. That doesn’t even begin to cover the dozens of references made to other Disney properties. I won’t mention every single one of them, but I will say that I loved seeing Princess Jasmine adorn the looks of both “Cinereal” and “Snow White” … not too often you see an iconic Disney princess dress up as other classic Disney girls.   

  Let’s finally talk about songs, because even in a Disney sequel, there can be musical numbers worth highlighting. The opening number called “There's a Party Here in Agrabah” is something of a mixed bag, as it's less of a song, and more a string of Genie jokes with music accompanying. 

However, once this song finds its footing, it becomes a very colorful and upscale number with a really fast, catchy beat and a grand finish. Aladdin and Jasmine get a musical duet called “Out of Thin Air”, which makes for a genuinely sweet scene that echoes back to their original carpet ride, but the song itself I find rather forgettable. Complete opposite is “Welcome to the Forty Thieves”, which is memorable, but I also find it incredibly annoying, and would much rather have anything else drumming around in my head. The song “Father and Son” is perhaps my least favorite of all, as it could have been a potentially heartfelt bonding song between our two leads, but once again is really just a string of Genie jokes, and even the song itself is just painfully average. At last, we have Sa’luk’s big villain song called “Are you in or Out”, which I loved back when I was a kid. Granted, it’s not one of the great Disney villain songs, but it has stuck with me as something memorable. Now two talents I need to mention are Mark Watters and Carl Johnson, who composed and conducted the music for the film. Needless to say, the instrumental score for this movie is excellent, and really elevates the film with a sense of excitement and adventure. Some of the instrumental ques feel like they could have been pulled right out of Zorro, Robin Hood or Sinbad, which is good company.

  On that note, of the three Aladdin movies, this one does feel the most like a classic adventure flick. It’s not contained to either the palace or streets of Agrabah, there’s more exploring, treasure hunting, mystical elements and beautifully detailed locations. The backgrounds, the environment, and the designs all seem to take a life on their own.

I feel there’s a wider mythos being explored here, with the mystical Oracle leading our heroes on their quest, the words “Open Sesame” are used to open a secret cavern, a cursed object called “The Hand of Mites” turns anything it touches into gold, and there’s a vanishing island on the back of a giant turtle ... it’s great stuff. The animation is also really impressive, at least on the grounds of a direct to video movie. It’s not on par with the animation of the first film, but it’s much grander, and has a larger scale then your typical Disney sequel. At last, this movie has far more action highlights then either of the previous films. Back when I was a kid, my favorite scene was the massive opening attack during the wedding, which featured stampedes of elephants knocking down pavilions, Genie firing off magic to repel the invaders, and Aladdin’s first confrontation with his father. As an adult, my favorite action set-piece is Aladdin’s duel to the death with the villains Sa’luk on the mountain side. This scene was shot with a great sense of intensity, has a gorgeous color pallet, and features some genuinely cinematic shots. At last, there’s a decent climax that brings together all our heroes for one final showdown with the 40 Thieves. It also builds to an awesome Disney villain death, that might just rank among my favorites.      

  Overall, this is a really good sequel, and could easily be my favorite of the direct to video Disney sequel’s I’ve seen. It’s no masterpiece, and it obviously isn’t on par with the original, but it’s a worthy continuation of the story, it gives the characters a little more dimension, and is just a really fun adventure, with a layered mythos. Compared to how average to bad Disney sequels have ranged, this one stands out, and there was clearly a lot of passion from the creators to make this a worthy finale to the Disney Aladdin series. If you’ve never been on board with direct to video sequels, but still have fondness for Disney’s “Aladdin”, I’d highly recommend giving this one a viewing. It may not stick with you as anything extraordinary, but you might be surprised to find it a more engaging experience then it really had any right to be.

Thanks for reading my review of Disney's animated 1996 sequel “Aladdin and the King of Thieves” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!  

The End     

Aladdin: The Disney Series (1994-1995) (TV-Show Review)

  Disney’s 1992 animated classic “Aladdin” was a childhood favorite of mine, and has stuck with me into adult hood as one of Disney’s best. It also had a perfect setting to expand on with further animated sequels, and other forms of media. Case in point for today is Disney’s animated “Aladdin” TV series that ran from 1994 through 1995. 

This series follows our heroes from the movie as both the protectors of Agrabah, and as travelers going to uncharted lands and discovering new mystical oddities along the way. The Arabian Knights setting offered many possibilities for new adventures with our favorite characters from the film, and effectively followed the winning formula that made Sinbad so popular. The show also featured a colorful cast of memorable reoccurring villains, giant monsters and exotic locations. It certainly wasn’t a perfect show all around, had its share of duds, and admittedly hasn’t aged as well as other Disney offerings. Never the less, there were some solid episodes from this series, I certainly had a lot of fun growing-up with it, and it still offers some excitement that’s worth looking back on. So, if you have fondness for Disney’s Aladdin, but don’t really care to watch the series all the way through, consider this a guide to single out the best of what the show had to offer.

"The Return of Jafar" (1994)

It all began in 1994, with the primer of “The Return of Jafar”, which is often regarded as the very first of Disney’s direct to video sequels. In reality, it was actually the pilot episode of the series, as it set the stage for what was to come in the show, and is the only film of the three Aladdin movies to have clips playing alongside episode clips during the show’s opening. As one would expect from the title, Jafar returns to seek vengeance on our heroes, but the main story revolves around his bird Iago, who goes from evil henchmen, to best friend of our heroes. While I liked Iago fine as a nasty henchman, I personally couldn’t stand him as one of the shows main hero’s. Hearing his high-pitched voice and bombastic personality constantly in every episode just got grading after a while. 

This film also introduced the thief Abis Mal, who would become a main villain in the show. The movie also ends with Aladdin and team saying they’ll go out and see the world, which leads us into their travels in the series. Jafar sadly meets his demise at the end of the movie, and never made an appearance in the series … which really sucks as he’s one of my favorite Disney villains. When jugged as a sequel to “Aladdin”, “The Return of Jafar” leaves much to be desired. With the focus centered on Iago as opposed to our main hero’s, a one-note revenge premise, and completely forgettable songs … it can be skipped all together. However, when judged as a pilot episode for the TV show, “The Return of Jafar” is suddenly awesome in its own simple way. The animation may not be on-par with the movie, but it’s still higher quality then the series. It’s also worth savoring one final battle with Jafar, before the further adventures take shape. Had it just been a pilot spread-out over multiple episodes, I’d be looking back fondly on “The Return of Jafar” as something great, as opposed to an underwhelming sequel.  

     

  All the recognizable voice actors from the movie reprise their signature roles in the show, that is with the two exceptions of The Sultan, and the one big exception of Robin Williams, who originally voiced the Genie. 

In both “The Return of Jafar” and the series, he’s voiced by Homer Simpson himself Dan Castellaneta, who’s a great talent, but the character is far more dimwitted in the series, and that’s consistently an irritation. Apparently, the character had to be more dimwitted to compensate for the fact that a Genie should overpower just about every villain they encounter. The show ran for three seasons, and had a total of 86 episodes, beating out the usual 65 limit of most Disney animated programs. The series ended in November 1995, with the episode titled "The Great Rift", which focused on a family of wizards who tried to seize the throne, but thanks to our hero's end-up reforming, and are welcomed to live in the palace. The format was mostly consistent with self-contained, one and done episodes, although there was some continuity maintained between a number of reoccurring characters. I'll keep it simple by highlighting my two favorites. 

Sadira (voiced by Kellie Martin)

Arguably the shows most well rounded and fully developed antagonist comes in the form of another street rat named Sadira. Like Aladdin, she lived a poppers life on the street, but also had the skills, resources to take care of herself and fight off the guards. Aladdin can’t help but admire her on some level, while Sadira on the other hand is completely love struck … to bad he’s already engaged to the Princess. After discovering an abandoned cavern that once belonged to a clan of witches, Sadira becomes an enchantress herself and utilizes just about every spell in the book to win over Aladdin. Over time, she puts aside her selfish ways and makes a full reformation ... even becoming Jasmines best friend. Unfortunately, even when on the side of the good guys, trouble has a way of finding her. It’s always something different with Sadira, and it made her one of the show’s most intriguing reoccurring characters.  

Eden (voiced by Valery Pappas)

Aladdin’s got it pretty good with Jasmine … but guess what, Genie has it even better. Yes, even the Genie has a love interest in this show, and she comes in the form of a green female Genie of the Bottle … who’s lovingly named Eden as a homage to the old Sit-Come “I Dream of Jeannie”. Aside from being ridiculously cute, she also has a distinct personality and sense of hummer that sets her apart from Aladdin’s Genie. The only downside to Eden is that she just didn’t appear in enough episodes, and really should have been utilized more frequently. Regardless, she still stood out as one of the shows best original characters, and one who I’d love to see return in other Disney Aladdin material.    

Putting aside the continuity of these reoccurring characters, there were never any real story arcs, multi-part episodes ... that is with the exception of a single two-part episode event in late season 2 called ... 

“Seems Like Old Crimes”  

In a lengthy flashback, we see the origins of how Aladdin and Abu first met, and how they became best friends. Originally, Aladdin and Abu were street thieves, collecting coin for three circus performers. However, Aladdin has a big conscience, and doesn’t want to take more than he needs, a choice that doesn’t sit well with his three employers. Their greed goes too far one day, when they try to steal a mighty stone from its sacred temple. For their crimes, the three are trapped within, while Aladdin and Abu escape with their new found friendship. 

In present day, the three have finally emerged from their crystal prison, and have taken on the forms of a Minotaur, a Harpy and a magical Green Goblin. Hungry for riches and thirsty for vengeance, the three beasts lay siege to Agrabah, and they have their sights dead set on their two old comrades. Once again, Aladdin and Abu find their friendship in danger, while Jasmine tries to find the humanity within the monsters. As a longtime fan of Disney’s "Aladdin", it’s a real treat to explore parts of his origin never touched on in the films. This marks the only two-part episode of the whole show, and it’s a solid mix of both character building and high-stake action. The tone is a little more serious, as it trades the usual goofy antics for more emotional character beats. 

The three villains are unique in both design and personality, and there’s some solid guest voice acting featured here … especially from the always outstanding Keith David (of “Gargoyles” fame) as the voice of the Minotaur. Which reminds me, in Jafar’s absence, the show dose compensate with some new villains, most of which are one-shot foes, while select others stick around for the long run. I won’t cover every single villain in the show, but I’ll certainly highlight the special ones that have stuck with me.     

Mozenrath (voiced by Jonathan Brandis)

Appearing in nine episodes was the dark wizard Mozenrath, who’s easily my favorite character in the whole show. He stood out as Aladdin’s personal worst enemy, and managed to fill the void left behind by Jafar, without being a one-note imitation. This dark wizard was the same age as Aladdin, making him look a feel like an evil opposite. In fact, there were plans to make them both long lost brothers, which would have been explored in a third movie, but those plans were replaced with “Aladdin and the King of Thieves” instead. Even though they’re not related, the two never the less have the chemistry of two siblings. Also, unlike Jafar, Mozenrath ruled his own Kingdome called the Land of the Black Sand, had an army of un-dead soldiers, and drew all his power from a single magical gauntlet … which was slowly draining his life force over the course of the series. Aside from that, Mozenrath stood out with his signature laid back tone, quippy lines and sense of dark hummer. The late Jonathan Brandis absolutely shined in the role, and as a side note ... I grew up with a lot of movies featuring Jonathan Brandis when he was a child actor. This included “The Neverending Story 2: The Next Chapter”, Steven Kings “It”, “Sidekicks”, and it was really cool discovering that he voiced one of my favorite animated Disney channel villains. 

Abis Mal (voiced by Jason Alexander)

There’s not much on the surface of Abis Mal, as he’s a straightforward thief, and a bit of a clumsy goof ... yet, for some reason this character just couldn’t be left alone. Along with his appearance in the sequel movie “Return of Jaffar”, as well as appearing in thirteen episodes of the series, he has subsequently become Aladdin’s most frequently reoccurring adversary … which is ridiculous to think about. Of all the high-profile villains that Aladdin has faced in both the movies and this show, it’s this goofball crook who’s come around the most in the Disney Aladdin timeline. The one good thing is Jason Alexander, who’s always been a talented comedian, and he certainly brings a charm to the character. Other than that, Abis Mal stands as my least favorite of Aladdin’s main villains.

     

Mechanicles (voiced by Charlie Adler) 

Appearing in seven episodes of the series, this looney Greek inventor has a talent for creating mechanized marvels ... but, being a bad guy, he chooses to unleash them on our hero's. Again, a very straight forward villain, but his method of creating new robotic terrors did lend to a verity of creative designs and situations. His first episode titled "Getting the Bugs Out" just happened to be the primer episode of the whole series, firmly establishing that Aladdin was going to have his own unique rogues glary of villains. In the season 2 episode titled "The Flawed Couple", we see Mechanicals team-up with Abis Mal for the only villain crossover of the show. 

Mirage (voiced by Bebe Neuwirth)

When it comes to Aladdin’s Rouges Gallery … Jafar is obviously the most famous, Mozenrath is his personal nemesis, Abis Mal is the most reoccurring, and yet … none are more evil then the Cat-Goddess named Mirage. Unlike the others, she isn’t about conquest or world domination … she simply aims to snuff-out all hope and good-will from the world. If there are noble virtues of love or truth, she’ll aim to replace them with malice and hate ... as she’s the self-proclaimed mistress of malevolence. Mirage also presents the highest threat level of any villain, as our heroes can’t directly beat her, they simply have to endure her wraith without breaking. Bebe Neuwirth delivers a chillingly wicked vocal performance, and the design of the character is very unique. Despite only appearing in six episodes, and never appearing in a movie, Mirage has a secure spot ranked among my favorite of Disney’s female villains. 

That takes care of the characters, so lets look over some of the shows select highlights. The opening "Arabian Knights" theme song from the movie cared over to the opening title sequence, which was great, and the clip montage always got me excited to watch the show. As a kid, I always had to point out select clips and say "I want to see that episode" or "I hope it's going to be that one". I'l keep the rest of this short, simple, and count down my own personal Top 10 Favorite episodes, beginning with ...      

#10 "Forget Me Lots" (Season 2: Episode 21)

We all know Jasmine as one of Disney’s most iconic Princesses, but can you imagine seeing her as … well … a villain! When the street thief Abis Mal infiltrates the palace, he uses a magic rose called the Rose of Forgetfulness to erase Jasmine's memory, and tricks her into thinking she is his daughter … one destined to take over Agrabah.

 In a unique turn of events, Jasmine betrays Mal, takes over his army of bandits, adorns the title Desert Scourge, and lays siege to the palace. Obviously, she didn't become a reoccurring villain, but evil Jasmine has always stuck with me as one of the best rouges of the series. After all, how often do we get the novelty of a famous Disney Princess in the role of villain. Actress Linda Larkin had such a gentle princess voice, so it was really cool to hear her channel something rough and imposing. Her new evil look with a whip and leather black crop-top might just be one of my favorite character designs in the show. Sometimes, it’s just more exciting … when the good guys (or girls in this case) go bad. 

#9 “When Chaos Comes Calling” (Season 2: Episode 62)

When a show follows a repetitive formula, things can get a bit predictable … which is why it’s such a treat when a show calls out its own faults and treats us to something different. Unable to corrupt the will of Agrabah, Mirage gets a visit from another Cat-God named Chaos ... who thrives on the unpredictable. 

Convinced that Aladdin and friends are a one-note bunch that can never loose, she send’s Chaos down to Agrabah to stir-up some trouble on a colossal scale. Chaos might just be the greatest one-shot character of the whole series, as he’s like a mix between Star Treks God-like Q and Wonderlands Cheshire Cat. I think this might just be the most “FUN” episode of the whole series, as it’s one big grab-bag of possibilities, and crazy situations. We get people transforming into animals, Iago gets a human head, Jasmine gets shrunk to ant size, Aladdin battles an evil twin, and Genie goes all Godzilla mode fighting a monster genie. There’s an amusing gag in which Genie points out their all in a cartoon show, and we get a visual reference to all the villains in one frame. Also, if you grew-up with 90’s Disney channel, you might get a kick out of seeing our hero’s take on the roles of the characters from “Tale Spin”. Funny, chaotic, detailed and, well … unpredictable, this is one loony venture that’s worth checking out.

#8 “The Book of Khartoum” (Season 3: Episode 81)

It’s date night for Genie and Eden, as there off to celebrate the one-year anniversary of when they first met. Unfortunately for them, the evil wizard Mozenrath has just discovered a new spell book with a recipe for a mighty Philosopher Stone ... and the chief ingredient happens to be essence of Genie magic. Thus, he takes Genie captive and uses him to power the Philosopher Stone, and increase his magical powers. Eden however is none too happy about her boyfriend getting kidnapped, so she strikes back against Mozenrath. I really shouldn’t say this but … she’s so cute when she gets angry.

 What she doesn’t count on is Mozenrath's cunning wit, as he ends up tricking Eden to join Genie in his gloomy fate. While this episode highlights Mozenrath as a tricky adversary, it’s also one of his funniest episodes, as he dishes out some deadpan quips. Just when things seem to be at their worst, we discover that Mozenrath has been receiving tips from a cursed entity living within the pages of his book, and aims to use the stone as a means of escaping confinement. It’s a battle against the clock to rescue both genies before they parish, and stop the demon from escaping the cursed book. It all builds to a powerhouse climax with betrayals, giant monsters, two evil wizards locked in combat, and our two genies using their power of unity to vanquish the villains. If this wild adventure is their idea of a romantic anniversary … I have got to be there for the wedding.   

#7 “The Lost Ones” (Season 2: Episode 77)

Children are constantly disappearing in Agrabah, and when Aladdin runs into a street rat named Wahid, he is reminded of his childhood friend named Amal … who also disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Fearing that history is repeating itself, Aladdin and friends set out to find the missing children. Their search leads to a race of monsters referred to as “Shadow Walkers”, who come about every seven years to snatch children. One horrifying secret after another is revealed, and the team soon learn that the monsters are in-fact the very children that went missing, and one of them is Aladdin’s long-lost friend. 

Claiming to have finally made something of himself, he now lures a new generation of kids into the tribe with the promise of both power and immortality. The final thread to this nightmare comes in the form of the Shadow Walkers leader, and surprise, surprise … it’s Mirage. This is all around one of the shows darker episodes, with a sinister atmosphere, creepy creatures, missing children, hauntings from the past, and another mature ending that isn’t afraid to show some consequences ... like some of the mutated kids permanently disappearing at day break. Mirage has also never felt more sinister then in this episode, and our hero’s find themselves battling against some high stakes. More importantly, this episode highlights Aladdin at his most selfless heroism, which he uses to help his friends rediscover their lost humanity. There’s also some good subtext in this episode revolving around how an individual can make something of themselves, without resorting to either power or consumption.

#6 “Garden of Evil” (Season 2: Episode 14)

Now here’s something I’ll bet you never saw in 90’s children’s programming … an environmental awareness episode. Yeah, for whatever reason the 90’s was the decade of animated movies, shows and multiple episodes from various TV programs that revolved around “save the environment”. Some of these were subtle and mature, while others were preachy to a fault. 

In the case of this episode of “Aladdin”, you can count it among one of the better ones … as it stuck with me for years. We open twenty years ago, when a much younger Sultan discovered a magnificent garden, and plucked a flower to take home to his bride. This simple act enraged the garden's master … an enchanted plant creature named Arbutus. This being sees himself as an artist and creates beautiful things, but despises man for carelessly destroying his work. The only way he allows the Sultan to leave alive is the promise of the Sultan's most valuable treasure twenty years later... which turns out to be Jasmine. 

In present day, Jasmine is kidnapped and taken to the garden … and it’s a mater of two opposites seeing eye to eye. The message of the story goes one step further then simply “be good to the environment”, as it’s also about judging appearances. Maybe there’s more life in a plant then we give it credit, more beauty to a Princess then her outward appearance, and perhaps even a monster could have a soul hidden deep within. The creature Arbutus was one of the shows best one-shot characters, with a memorable design, and brought to life though the vocal talents of the wickedly talented Ron Perlman. At last, what really makes this episode work is its courage to have a mature ending. Rather than do the simple correction of a misunderstanding, this finale has some dire consequences, as it ends with a chilling visual of life needlessly taken away, and a promise from our hero’s to grow beyond who they were before.  

#5 “The Hunted” (Season 3: Episode 79) 

A mysterious monster has quietly invaded Agrabah, and soon takes Aladdin and friends captive, with one exception ... the Genie. The creature reveals himself to be Genie’s most feared enemy named Mukhtar, a beast sworn to kill off all genies. However, he’s tracked down Aladdin’s genie for a favor. In exchange for his friend’s freedom, Genie must join forces with his greatest enemy to infiltrate the castle of Mozenrath. Apparently, the evil wizard has a secret weapon, and has dispatched his zombie army after them both. It’s an exciting mission as this unlikely pair must put aside personal problems and trust one another. 

All the good stuff ensues along the way, including betrayals, redemption, self-sacrifice, monster battles, sword fights, high stakes and a thrilling final showdown with the show’s best villain. The climactic showdown with Mozenrath features some of the shows highest stakes, as Genies powers are slowly drained to fuel the wizards, Jasmine is turned into a stone statue, Aladdin battles a ghostly dragon, and one character needs to make a final decision to set everything right. The real meat of this episode is the paring of a hero and villain. I’ve always been a sucker for stories in which enemies must put their feuds aside to vanquish a greater evil, and seeing the Genie form a partnership with the Mukhtar is great stuff.  

#4 “Eye of the Beholder” (Season 2: Episode 67)

One of the many strengths of the Aladdin movie was the romantic chemistry between Aladdin and Jasmine. Unfortunately for me, I rarely felt that the same engaging chemistry carried over into the show. However, there is an exceptionally good episode that elevates their romance in a way that I feel none of the movies did. After several defeats, Mirage plans to concur her adversaries by snuffing out a hero’s love, and she starts by putting Aladdin's love for Jasmine to the ultimate test. Disguised as a peddler woman, she gives Jasmine a lotion that she says will transform her into someone more worthy of her man, but instead it slowly changes her into a snake woman. 

Now the quest is on for Aladdin and the team to search for a sacred tree that could potentially heel Jasmines affliction. Along the journey they battle monsters, get around booby traps, fight off bandits, and even Jasmines new snake form gets more dangerous by the minuet. Still, Aladdin stops at nothing to save Jasmine and be with her forever … even if it means becoming a snake creature himself. The premise follows the winning formula of “Jason and the Argonauts”, with a lot of adventure elements, mythical locations, and a trippy nightmare sequence. However, the real strength of the episode is seeing Aladdin hold on to his love for Jasmine, even as she turns into a frightening monster, and his means of bringing her back are about as heroic and heartfelt as they get. The voice acting in this episode is likewise some of the shows best, as it just felt like something the cast was really on board with.     

#3 “SandSwitch” (Season 2: Episode 23)

With her heart and mind fixed on Aladdin, Sadira strikes up a new spell to cast over Agrabah while everyone sleeps. The next morning, everyone's memories have been rearranged so that Sadira is the princess, and Jasmine is a street rat. The only ones unaffected by the change are the animals, which means Iago, Abu and Rajah must put aside differences, find Jasmine and set everything wright. They’d better hurry, because Sadira plans on marrying Aladdin at midnight, in which the spell will be permanent. 

All around, this is a very exciting premise, with characters acting against their status quo's, and there’s lots of highlights along the way. Once again, it’s Aladdin and Jasmines genuine love for one another that really hits home in this episode. Even though their memories were erased, they still feel drawn to each other, and seeing them rediscover their connection despite being under a spell makes for one of their best moments. I also like seeing Jasmine in the role of a Ione survivalist, showing that she’s just as capable as fending for herself as Aladdin. Finally, this venture highlights Sadira in one of her most creative and original ideas … one that goes beyond basic sand monsters or hypnoses.

#2 “Two to Tangle” (Season 3: Episode 83)

As stated above, Mozenrath is my favorite villain of the show by far, and of all his appearances, it’s his final confrontation with Aladdin that’s always stuck with me as the best. After prolonged use of his magic gauntlet, Mozenrath finds his days are numbered, and is eager to inhabit a young, agile new body … hmmm … who could he possibly have in mind? When Aladdin comes around, he finds himself trapped in the wizards lab, and Mozenrath is ready for a game of body swapping. 

Due to intervention from his friends, the spell is broken prematurely, the wizard is transformed into a stone statue, and everything seems fine … until Aladdin begins speaking with Mozenraths voice … whoops. Turns out that both their spirits are sharing Aladdin’s body, and neither are happy to be spending close time together. Thus, they set out on a quest to drink from the Elixir of Life, which should restore balance in the body … but which spirit will be extracted? In the end, Aladdin and Mozenrath have an epic final showdown on the astral plain of Aladdin’s mind. The villain was already Aladdin’s dual opposite, and now it’s literally become a battle for the hero to expel his inner demon. It’s an awesome climax, complete with Harry Potter style magic colliding. Sometimes, the rivalry between hero and villain can stand out as a shows highlight, and here at the end is when the two made the strongest connection.   

Before I reveal my #1 favorite episode, here are some honorable mentions …

“Some Enchanted Genie”

“The Wind Jackals of Mozenrath”

“Witch Way Did She Go?”

“Destiny on Fire”

“While the City Snoozes”

#1 “The Ethereal” (Season 3: Episode 84)

Like I alluded to earlier, Aladdin was very episodic in nature, and relied on a safe, familiar formula. There’s nothing wrong with that approach, but as a result, the show never took any big chances, or surprised us with anything too different. This episode however managed to take the formula, twist it on its head, and took a gamble with something that was a little more mature and layered then what we typically got. Jasmine dreams of a powerful spirit called the Ethereal, who will judge Agrabah, and bring about its reckoning if it’s not pleased. 

It doesn’t take long before signs of the Ethereal's arrival to take shape, and it takes even less time for the mysterious entity to take form. Now Aladdin and his friends must find the one thing that makes Agrabah worthy of the Ethereal's approval before it ends up like Pompeii or Atlantis. It’s challenging to explain, but there’s something about the tone and atmosphere that just feels different in this episode. The Ethereal isn’t just another threat, she’s merely passing judgement, and challenging our hero’s to look deeper at what gives their kingdom substance. The stakes feel real, and the story is mature enough to balance its excitement with a sound message. 

During the climax, Jasmine rescues a boy from a falling building … but at the coast of her own life. Yeah, we see a building collapse right on top of her, and for a few minuets, we see her dead body under the ruble. Obviously, that won’t be her permanent fate, but I applaud the episode for taking a risky gamble like that, and with such a beloved Disney princess. The big take away from this episode is how Jasmine grows as a character, one who looks at the needs of the people in her kingdom, and discovers that it’s the people that gives Agrabah it’s importance. With a fascinating supernatural entity at the for front, a sinister tone, destructive action, and a humble message … “The Ethereal” in my view highlights this show at its best.

Uh Oh, time for a bone’s episode …

#0 “Hercules and the Arabian Knight” 

I couldn’t fit this episode on my list, as it’s part of the animated “Hercules” TV show, but it’s such a special crossover that I just had to mention it. Deep in the underworld, Hades is having trouble with a rather restless spirit, which turns out to be none other than Jafar. Once the two realize they have a common problem with battling hero’s, the two join forces, and Hades grants Jafar his life back. However, rather than engaging their enemies directly, the pair decide that both Hercules and Aladdin should be tricked into fighting one another … that way they’ll both vanquish. After a thrilling showdown, both young heroes learn of the deception, and team up to fight the villains. 

Hercules and Aladdin were my two childhood favorite Disney movies, and seeing all the familiar characters together in this crossover was nothing short of awesome. The real highlight is seeing my two favorite villains Hades and Jafar pair up. The two make fun of each other’s quirks, and the two play off each other so well that I wish they could have their own spin-off show. I can’t say that I was overly fond of the Hercules series, but this crossover is well worth seeing if you’re a fan of both characters. In the end, the “Aladdin” TV series wasn’t as consistently strong as other Disney programs, but when it was good … it was exceptionally good. I certainly wouldn’t recommend watching the whole show, but if you’re a fan of Disney’s “Aladdin”, then do check out some episodes, and I hope my post gave you a good place to start. 

 

Thanks for reading my review of the "Aladdin" TV series, and if you have some free time ... come on down, stop on by, hop on a carpet and fly ... with another Arabian Knights!  

UP Next: A full review of "Aladdin and the King of Thieves".