Disney Animated Movie: **** Aladdin: King of Thieves

With Robin Williams back we have the comedic genius of Genie restored, who even turns into Mr. Doubtfire for a second.  New actors if John Rhys-Davies as the King of Thieves and Jerry Orbach as Sa'luk.

They are finally getting married, Aladdin and Jasmine; but things do not go right at the wedding.  The King of Thieves and his thieves raid on elephant back and destroy everything.  They were after an oracle which will answer one question for you.  Aladdin asks to know where his father might be.  He discovers he is with the thieves.  This results in Aladdin going after the King of Thieves, and the wedding is put on hold.  Everything is now in doubt as we Aladdin has to deal with his heritage.  

Voice Cast:

Robin Williams as The Genie

Scott Weinger as Aladdin

Linda Larkin as Princess Jasmine

John Rhys-Davies as the King of Thieves

Gilbert Gottfried as Iago

Val Bettin as Sultan

Frank Welker as Abu (Aladdin's monkey), Fazahl, Raja (Jasmine's tiger)

Jerry Orbach as Sa'luk

Brad Kane as Aladdin (singing voice)

Liz Callaway as Jasmine (singing voice)

Disney Animated Movie Review: ***Aladdin: The Return of Jafar (1994)

Not near as good as the original; and went strait to video rather than to theaters.  The glaring lack is that of Robin Williams.  He is the master and in this case he cannot be copied.

Jafar finally finds someone he can manipulate to touch the lamp, so as to keep himself out of the lamp and able to extract his revenge on Aladdin and Jasmine and her family.   Iago is conflicted in this movie; whether he should be Jafar's second fiddle or strike out on his own.  Jafar has many powers as a genie and a wizard.  However he cannot kill nor make people fall in love.  He imprisons everyone; and imitates Jasmine to order Aladdin's death.  Only the Genie has enough power to save him.

Voice Cast:

Dan Castellaneta as The Genie

Scott Weinger as Aladdin

Linda Larkin as Princess Jasmine

Jonathan Freeman as Jafar

Gilbert Gottfried as Iago

Val Bettin as Sultan

Jason Alexander as Abis Mal

Frank Welker as Abu (Aladdin's monkey), Raja (Jasmine's tiger)

Brad Kane as Aladdin (singing voice)

Liz Callaway as Jasmine (singing voice)

Musical Movie Review; ****^Anastasia (1997)

This is one of my favorite animated musicals.   This film boasts an all star cast.  Meg Ryan portrays Anastasia, and Kirsten Dunst plays the girl Anastasia.  However they do not provide the singing parts.  Liz Callaway sings for Anastasia.  John Cusack and Kelsey Grammer plan the two who discover her.  Christopher Lloyd plays the evil Rasputin.  Bernadette Peters plays the grandmother's cohort, and Angela Lansbury the Queen mother, or Anastasia's grand mother.  I love the song "Once Upon a December."  "Journey to the Past" is also wonderful.  And the story of finding yourself, and then maybe that is not the thing you really want to do.  I think the Rasputin character may be over done.  He is always falling apart and putting himself back together, and it gets old after a time.