Toon Talk: Aladdni Platinum Edition DVD - Oct 4, 2004

Toon Talk: Aladdni Platinum Edition DVD
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(c) Disney

The Filmmakers’ Audio Commentary, featuring Musker, Clements and co-producer Amy Pell, deals with an overview of the production, while the Animators’ Audio Commentary (a first for a Disney DVD, and a welcome addition), featuring supervising animators Glen Keane (Aladdin), Eric Goldberg (Genie), Andreas Deja (Jafar) and Will Finn (Iago), is more laid-back and conversational, as one would expect from a group of co-workers such as this. Both are filled with new insights into the creation of the film, so much so that instead of just 10, we have …

The Top 20 Things We Learn From These Commentaries:
  1. Note the color scheme, appropriate for its desert setting, used throughout the film: blue represents water, which is good, while red represents heat, which is bad.
  2. Aladdin was the first feature to use computer-generated imagery (CGI) for character work, with both the Cave of Wonders and the Magic Carpet.
  3. Iago was originally conceived with a British accent, but obviously re-imagined once Gilbert Gottfried was cast, after the directors saw him in Beverly Hills Cop II.
  4. The melon seller in the marketplace is modeled after comic actor Zero Mostel (The Producers).
  5. Believe it or not, Robin Williams was nervous about singing the Genie’s songs.
  6. Noted film directors Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese were both appreciative of Aladdin’s homages to two of their most famous films, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Taxi Driver, respectively.
  7. In the original story treatment of the film, the Genie could grant an unlimited number of wishes. It was paired down to a mere three by co-writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, who went on to co-write such hits as Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
  8. During recording, Robin Williams had his own version of “Prince Ali�? called, in honor of Jeffrey Katzenberg, “Prince Jeffrey�?.
  9. The Genie’s Jack Nicholson bit was almost John Wayne instead.
  10. During the filmmaker’s commentary, they actually mention (and debunk, of course) the infamous ‘urban legend’ supposedly heard during the balcony scene.
  11. Watch for a visual homage to Johnny Carson at the climax of Jafar’s song.
  12. A famous scene from Buster Keaton’s silent classic Steamboat Bill, Jr. inspired the bit with the tower rolling down the icy mountaintop toward Aladdin.
  13. Some Genie impressions courtesy of Robin Williams’ improv genius that were not used in the final film included George C. Scott (as Patton), Sylvester Stallone, Howard Cosell and Walter Cronkite.
  14. Genie’s tourist outfit at the end of the film was a subtle homage to Williams’ appearance in the Back to Neverland film used in the Animation Tour attraction at the Disney-MGM Studios.
  15. The Narrator was originally supposed to return at the end of the film, where he sung (in a reprise of “Arabian Nights�?) of Aladdin and Jasmine’s wedding and was then revealed to be the Genie. The bit was cut, but eventually turned up in the video sequel Aladdin and the King of Thieves.
  16. Eric Goldberg (who has quite an infectious laugh, by the way) provided rough animation of the Cave of Wonders that was used by the computer animators to bring the tiger head to life.
  17. Andreas Deja was inspired by another famous Disney villain in his animation of Jafar, that of Marc Davis’ Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.
  18. Note the Genie’s ears are slightly shorter during the “Friend Like Me�? number.
  19. While animating Iago, Will Finn avoided Gilbert Gottfried’s trademark ‘squinty eyes’, but kept his big teeth … even though parrots don’t actually have teeth.
  20. Finn also provided the voice of ‘Pinky’ the flamingo.


(c) Disney

With all that info in the audio commentaries (and we haven’t even got to the ‘making of’ doc on disc two yet), the Pop-Up Fun Facts (basically a text commentary, with trivia and other behind-the-scenes information appearing on the bottom of the screen during the film) covers a lot of the same bases, but it does note such inside jokes as Disney staff ‘cameos’ and a pretty thorough accounting of all of Genie’s celebrity transformations, plus points out a very Hidden Mickey towards the end of the film.

Note: All three of these viewing modes (as well as the ‘making of’ feature) mention, mostly in passing, the original version of the Aladdin story, which included a mother and three best friends for Aladdin as well as an additional Genie and a slew of unused musical numbers. For a more in-depth account on that version of the film, I suggest you hunt down the box set (available on either CD or cassette) titled The Magic Behind the Music: The Musical Artistry of Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice.

You won’t find anything from that original story in the Deleted Songs and Deleted Scenes sections either save for the original story reel in the former of “Proud of Your Boy�?, the cut song by Ashman and Menken, wherein Aladdin sings of his yearning to please his mom, seen here with its original story reel with vocals by Menken himself. Also in this section is, in a rare attempt by Menken to write lyrics, another variation of Al’s “I Want�? song, “You Can Count on Me�? (which he sang to … his monkey), and two attempts at giving Jafar a full-fledged ‘villain song‘, “Humiliate the Boy�? (Ashman’s last song) and “Why Me�? (co-written by Rice); it was decided that it was too late in the movie to introduce a new song, so Rice composed alternate lyrics for the “Prince Ali�? reprise. (“Why Me�? was used in the Disney on Ice version of Aladdin.) The deleted scenes section is comprised of just two alternate scenes, seen in story reel, from the second version of the story.

“Proud of Your Boy�? can also be heard, newly recorded by American Idol Clay Aiken, in the Music Videos section. Actually, it can be heard a couple of times; in addition to the new version played with the story reel, there’s a brand new music video featuring Aiken. “A Whole New World�? is also available twice in this section, with the original Peabo Bryson/Regina Belle video, plus a new one starring Newlyweds Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. Both of the new videos are also given ‘behind-the-scenes’ featurettes in obvious but utterly unnecessary attempts to get the most out of the three reality TV stars for this DVD. You can also activate the Disney Song Selection from the ‘Music and More’ section, where the song lyrics appear on screen while watching the movie (which would actually make it five ways to watch the movie).