Aladdin Central Messageboard

[imekitty]

It's an example of a movie that many adults love, and I do think the animation medium contributes to that. If this movie had been live-action, it would've been way too weird. If it had been CG, it would've come across as too much of a children's movie.

I know that people seem to think that CG animation is for kids AND adults while hand-drawn animation is somehow "just for kids," but I don't know how that reasoning came to be. Hand-drawn animation has the capacity to be "gritty" and very artistic while CGI doesn't seem to have much variation (not that I've seen, anyway, and not that I can really imagine). Movies like "Rock & Rule," "Cool World," "Fritz the Cat," "Fire and Ice," "Yellow Submarine," "Hey Good Lookin'," and "Heavy Metal" get their "adult" edge from the style of their animation. There are plenty of non-English movies that also get their adult edge from their animation ("Vampires in Havana," "Midori," "Havoc in Heaven," and all the really old Russian films come to mind). If these films had been CGI instead, they would not have looked as "mature." No way.

I know there have been a couple of attempts to create adult CG animation, but I don't think any of them were successful. There was a TV series I saw on Adult Swim that was awful, and there was a movie that came out a year or two ago that also wasn't great. Maybe they'll figure out how to manipulate CG animation to look more mature, but for now, it doesn't seem to have that edge. That's why adult animation is still hand-drawn (or it at least has a hand-drawn look even if it's technically not like South Park or Archer. Well, maybe South Park is closer to stop-motion...).

[Sinister Cutlass]

Yes, I agree that Aladdin would have been made by computers, which is galling. The magic of that film is eminently suited to the stylization of hand-drawn animation. The photo-realism of the new CG style being used in films like Frozen and Tangled and Big Hero 6 wouldn't have had half the creativity or the beauty. Those unrealistic, but oh-so-charismatic, arabesque curves are key!

I don't know if the voice actors would have come from the Middle East. I think part of the reason that Mulan and Pocahontas very studiously employed voice actors from the host culture (or close to the host culture) was the example of Aladdin. Without Aladdin to highlight the cultural sensitivity issues in the first place, those later films might not have the guidance or motivation to make the progress that they did.

I love that you guys are obsessed with Aladdin's running his hands through his hair. I've never once looked at Aladdin as a sexual icon, but that pic earlier has... em...

[imekitty]

Before Aladdin, I don't think anyone ever thought about the people behind the voices in animation. I'm sure it would've only been a small matter of time before a big celebrity was cast in an animated film which might have paved the way for thinking that a character of a certain race has to be voiced by one of the same race. We are so politically correct today that they might have still felt compelled to get Middle Eastern actors (or at least not white actors).

[Sinister Cutlass]

The thing is, though, American cinema is enjoyed by people from many, many different countries. Among all national cinemas, it is one with a very international audience. I'll wager there are hundreds of thousands of people in the Middle East or from a Middle Eastern country who have seen Aladdin, just as there are probably millions of Chinese people who have seen Mulan, and a huge number of Native Americans who have seen Pocahontas.

It's easy to imagine that in such films, where a culture other than "generic American" or "generic 18th century European" is explicitly portrayed, it would irritate people of that culture to hear voices coming out of those characters that sound very far away from what they "should" sound like. I'm a Caucasian American, and even I'm irritated by sword-and-sandals flicks these days like Gods of Egypt, which feature overly-familiar white faces. Doesn't Hollywood understand that casting like that hurts the ability of many audience members to suspend their disbelief?

As for Aladdin's attractiveness... well, I've never thought of him as unattractive. I've just always found him very bland and uninteresting. No, I was much more attracted to Jafar

[imekitty]

Well...it's hard to say what their voices should sound like since they're speaking a language other than what they would normally speak.

Oh, I see. You're just more of a villain fangirl, so the heroes aren't as interesting. :b I wish I could say I find Jafar attractive. For one, he doesn't have hair, and good hair is important to me. I think I'd have to choose Mozenrath as the most attractive Aladdin villain (as probably most would, I suppose...). I don't think we ever see his hair completely, but he seems to have some good locks under that headwear. I love his pale skin, and he's also got some pretty luscious lips...

[Sinister Cutlass]

Yeah, Mozenrath is quite good-looking, and has some great lines too.

As for Jafar, I've seen some fan art of him that gives him a head of hair, not least of which is his portrayal by Naveen Andrews in the short-lived show Once Upon A Time In Wonderland. Did you ever see that? It was on in 2013 on ABC. I've also got my own head-canon ideas of what his hair should look like

[Meesh]

I watched the first few episodes but couldn't get it into it.

Is it just me, or does Kylo Ren remind anyone else here of Mozenrath?
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[imekitty]

I've never actually watched the show, but I remember it being on TV when I visited someone a couple years ago, and I remember seeing Jafar and being like "wuuuuuuut?" I don't remember what his hair looked like, though.

I actually Googled "sexy Jafar" yesterday and saw that most depict him with a very long mane of thick hair. Is that what you imagine? It suits him pretty well. Sort of makes him look like Captain Hook, though.

But alas, the one time we see him without his turban in the movie, he is completely bald...but maybe he had that beautiful hair in his younger years...

While I was searching for images of Mozenrath's hair, I saw an image comparing Kylo Ren to Mozenrath, so you're not alone! And yes, they do look a lot alike. He's even got Mozenrath's pouty lips. XD

[Sinister Cutlass]

Yes, the second Adam Driver took off his mask and revealed that young, pouty face with the lovely cloud of hair, I said, mentally, "Well, hello Mozenrath. Didn't expect to see you here..." The character Kylo Ren even acts like Mozenrath... megalomaniacal, throwing tantrums all the time...

I don't picture Jafar with long hair - I think that's going too far in the opposite direction. No, I think of him with hair either like Lord Vetinari's (in the Discworld series), and for young Jafar, I picture something more chin-length.

[imekitty]

I miss Mozenrath's tantrums...I miss the show...

I could see that hairstyle, yeah. But it's too short for me personally. I like to be able to run my fingers through a guy's hair. Er...not that I would want to run my fingers through Jafar's hair. He's too old and evil for me. D:

[Sinister Cutlass]

You could still watch the show... it's entirely on YouTube now Here's a slice of Arabian nostalgia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfSGqp0WMss

Yeah... Jafar's definitely not the romantic type. Yet despite that slight repulsion he inspires with his physical appearance, it's his personality, the sarcasm, and how expressive he is, which have always fascinated me. He's sort of like Maleficent, if she were funnier and more relatable.

Not to say that she isn't totally unrelatable... I absolutely relish that scene in the 1959 film where she taunts Prince Phillip in his hour of despair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC5YUsxROMU

Bonus video clip: I found this nice version of "Prince Ali", arranged for orchestral performance. I hadn't heard it before (and that's saying something), so here, enjoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsk5uu-OI_A

[Meesh]

That video isn't playing for me, but I found this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVxyukaDWog

I eat this stuff for dinner. Especially since I'm studying film score, and Aladdin is my #1 <3

I found an orchestral version about "Forget About Love," which I thought was random (and wonderful), since it's hardly known at all. I wonder if I could dig it up again...
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[imekitty]

That's something that probably would've been different. They probably would not have had Alan Menken write the music (not sure why they haven't been using him as much lately), so the score would've been very different...and probably not as good. TPatF didn't have great music, and I didn't really love the Frozen score either. It was okay, but not on the level of Menken's music.

I love that Prince Ali arrangement! Ah, such a good song with amazing lyrics. I wish Howard Ashman could've stayed around longer to write more.

I've heard that suite before! I wish they played the actual version of One Jump Ahead instead of just the reprise. But otherwise, it's beautiful.

I would be really interested in hearing an orchestral version of Forget About Love. I adore that song. :3 I especially love Brad's vocals.

[Meesh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAIkuT91akY


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