Ny
Magic Aladdin

Animated film highlighted by
Robin Williams’ manic humor

Aladdin & & # & (Walt Disney)
Rated G {at the Esplanade,
Capitol, Richmond Centre,
Eagle Ridge, Willowbrook and
Station Square cinemas)

Tim Bell

FILM REVIEW

IDS LOVE

undenvear jokes. So

says one of Aladdin’s
animators who did his best
with the unmentionable ma-
terial.

But the movie kas more than
just funny undies. Thanks to Robin
Williams, this is the most enier-

* taining cartoon feature to come
from the Disney factory.

Williams is the voice af Genie
who dwells in the magic lamp.
When ke explodes (and explades
he does} onto the screen, a
remarkably good cartoon is raised
to the level of a fabulous event.

You're treated to some dazzling
animation highlighted by an eye-
popping escape from the Cave of
Wonders, catchy tunes and a
strong storyline,

jafar, the nasty Grand Vizier,
with his just-as-nasty parrot, lusts
for the powerful magic lamp. The
only snag is that it is buried in a
tiving cave and only a “diamond
in the rough” can enter and five to
tell about it.

Ah, enter Aladdin. Now there’s
not one rougher than the Arabian
street kid.

He steals, outwits sword-

’ wielding pursuers and falls for the
beautiful Princess Jasmine ~
much to the chagrin of his chimp,
Abu, a simian Donald Ouck. (Sort
of a “me ‘n’ you and a monkey
named Abu’’ story.)

But true dove must wait since the
Princess’ father, a befuddied
Sultan, must obey the law and
allow only a Prince to tarry his
daughter. That's how the schem-
ing Jafar gets Al to enter the Cave
of Wonders fo sted! the famp and
that’s where the magic comes in.

Although the adventure moves
ata tast clip trom the very begin-
ging, with a rub of the lamp, we
have lift off.

Not only ts the Genie a rapid-fire
one-line artist, he does wicked im-
tations. Jack Nicholson, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Peter Lorre,
William © Buckley, Jr, and about
40 more blast by at warp-speed.

This is a tailor-made role for
Robin's manic humor and one that
deserves an Oscar. (Gee, ton had
it wasn'ta Cansdian-made film,
then the Genie would be up fora
Genie, too.)

Beauty and the Beast (La Belle
ct ta Bete) & & &Y% (Criterion
Laserdisc) Rated G

Long betore Disney's Beauty and
the Beastiin 1946 to be exact) a
warweurcy director, Jean Cocteau,
wanted to create a fantasy that
achieved poetry.

To do so, he had to fight another
war, this time against electricat
failures, illness and even @ short-
age of raw film stock.

But there was a happy ending: a
haunting, surreal fairy tale, that
charms and dazzles today.

Of course, the big seiler this
Christmas is going to be the
recently released Disney video.
Superb animation, a firm female
character, and award-winnin
Broadway-style songs place this in
Disney's top 10.

That’s for all the little kids on
your list. What the big kids (all
those ‘toon buffs) will want to find
under the Christmas tree, is a
lasecclisc copy of the work print —
a mixture of line drawings, story
boards and finished animation.
That's the unpolished version
shown at the Cannes ‘91 Film Fes-
tival. It received a lot of acclaim,
and they knew they were backing
a winner,

SHOWTIME HOTLINES:
Famous Players ........... 581-4255
Cineplex Odeon ........,. 687-1515

in cooperation with
Tne Pier Group invite you to

a celebration of arts and crafts
featuring the work of more than
forty local artists as part of the

Gala Launching of Pier 96

Saturday, December 12
I] ara-3 pm.
at Pier 96
116 East Esplanade,
North Vancouver

Door prizes ® refreshments © free parking

Aras Earnie

Wednesday, December 9, 1992 - North Shore News - 41

pe Sor =~

The Wait Gisnay Company

DISNEY’S 31ST full-length animated film, Aladdin, boasts new songs and an original score by
.Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken.

FACTORY DIRECT, SEWING MACHINE
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This unique sale affords you an opportunity to get the sewing machine or serger
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SUPER SERGERSPECIAL  *399_

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DEC. 10, 11, 12, 13

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MasterCard and Visa accepted; your cheques are welcome.