Review: ALADDIN Diamond Edition DVD is 'Treasure Trove of Musical Theatre Goodies

In 1989, Disney revitalized both animation and musical theatre for generations to come with their Academy Award-winning film THE LITTLE MERMAID. They followed up that success with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST in 1991, which won another two Oscars, and then in 1992 they again broke the animated mold with Aladdin, which took home two more trophies. Not only did these three films reinvigorate the nearly dead genre of animated musicals, but Aladdin specifically inspired decades of films that were not only enjoyable to kids, but were also funny on another level that kept adults entertained as well.

While, two of the men who were invaluable to the success of the latter film are no longer with us, many of the bonus features in the Aladdin Diamond Edition DVD and BluRay, which is available in stores and online today, celebrate the contributions of the late Robin Williams and Howard Ashman. From outtakes to demo recordings, this DVD set is a must have for anyone who loves the magic of this special film and these two men who are not here to celebrate its enduring success.

At this point, nearly 23 years after its original release, it is probably unnecessary to review the film itself, but I will say that the brilliance of Robin Williams is so much more evident to me now than it was when I was 12 years old. Then, it was just some crazy guy doing a bunch of funny voices, and that was enough for me, but now I understand why he chose those particular voices and I appreciate their specificity. Having seen Williams do similar character juggling bits in his act for decades subsequently, you understand what a unique and special talent he was; and while those bits were always hysterical, and often exhausting, on stage, Williams was limited by the rules of time and space, but via Disney's special brand of magic, there were no rules to confine The Genie's creativity. If you haven't seen the film in a few years, it deserves a rewatch, if for nothing more than to see Williams given the animated freedom to allow his mind to go wherever if it wanted.

There are an incredible amount of bonus features in Aladdin's Diamond Edition; some are unique to this collection, and others are from previous releases, but undoubtedly, the two best are "Genie Outtakes" and "ALADDIN: Creating Broadway Magic."

In the former, Aladdin co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker and The Genie's Supervising Animator, Eric Goldberg, share stories of Robin Williams improvising some of the film's best material. They all acknowledge that they knew by hiring Williams that they were in fact hiring a cast of thousands; and while not all of those thousands made it into the final picture, many were preserved in this never-before-seen feature.

The one-of-a-kind talent did dozens of unused impressions from Marlon Brando to Glinda the Good, and while it all was extremely funny, it was also a bit sad, knowing that Williams was no longer with us. All three men spoke of how the legendary comedian became the heart of the film, and that his warmth and kindness radiated throughout every inch of the movie.

For theatre fans, "ALADDIN: Creating Broadway Magic" is a great mini-documentary exploring the ups and downs of bringing the movie to the stage. Hosted by Darren Criss, the feature includes interviews with all of the major players in getting the show off the ground.

Early on, Thomas Schumacher, President of Disney Theatrical, says that there were three major issues with adapting Aladdin into a musical. 1) How do you bring a magical genie to the stage? 2) How do you make an actual carpet fly believably? and 3) Do people still care about Aladdin?

I think by now it is clear that the answer to #3 is a resounding yes, and as anyone familiar with the Broadway show knows, the two most talked about aspects of the show are James Monroe Iglehart's Tony-winning performance as The Genie, and people trying to figure out just how they got the carpet to fly with no visible strings or tricks.

While they don't reveal the secret of the carpet, they do talk about its progression from being a "mattress on a stick" to bringing in master illusionists to help figure it out.

In terms of bringing Williams' blue, shape-shifting Genie to the stage, the team realized that the answer was in the original plans for the film. Early on, the creative team envisioned Aladdin more as a Hope and Crosby "Road to..." movie, in which The Genie was a Fats Waller/Cab Calloway-style jazz man. Once that decision was made, Menken said that it allowed him to dig into a "treasure trove of material" that he and Ashman had written decades ago.

One of the songs that found new life in the Broadway version of Aladdin was "Proud of your Boy." Though one of the hardest cuts, as the film's story changed, it no longer fit, however, it always maintained a special place in the hearts of the movie's creators, especially Menken. There are a number of other features on the disc that talk about the song as well, but this is the most poignant. Last week BroadwayWorld premiered an exclusive clip from the DVD about the song:

(Check out another exclusive BroadwayWorld clip from this feature HERE.)

Other fun new features include "Unboxing Aladdin," in which Disney Channel star Joe Bragg highlights some of the Easter eggs in the film, from Hidden Mickeys to subtle appearances by other Disney characters, and "Genie 101." In this one, original Aladdin, Scott Weinger, walks you through a feature dedicated to the memory of Robin Williams by highlighting some of the best impressions that Williams did in the film; including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert De Niro, and Jack Nicholson. Another is "Ron and John: You Ain't Never Had a Friend Like Me" a feature that looks at the four decade friendship and partnership of Clements and Musker.

Other extras that have appeared in previous releases include a few dated music videos featuring Clay Aiken and Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, and "Inside the Genie's Lamp: A Guided Tour," including the voices of Iago (Gilbert Godrfey) and the lamp itself (Robin Leach).

Another feature that I really enjoyed is a collection of deleted songs and scenes. While they aren't fully animated, it is cool to hear songs and see sketches from various stages in the film's development, some voiced by the stars themselves, and some not. There is a demo version of "Proud of Your Boy" sung by Menken, an unused "I Want" song for Aladdin called "You Can Count on Me," and two cut songs for Jafar "Humiliate the Boy" and "Why Me." It always amazes me when you hear what great work is edited out of a musical, either for the stage or screen.

The last feature of note is an old mini-documentary called "Alan Menken: Musical Renaissance Man." It is a fairly insightful look back on the composer's life through interviews with his parents, wife, and collaborators. From a musically-gifted child to an unsatisfied dental student (puts LITTLE SHOP in a different light, doesn't it?) to his first meeting with Ashman, Menken talks about it all.

While this feature has been seen on other versions of the DVD before, one thing that Menken said seems incredibly important based on the marvelous worlds that his music has created over the past three and a half decades. "Music transports you," he says. "Sometimes it's someplace very specific; sometimes it's someplace in a dream," and generations of children have you to thank for many of their favorite dreams maestro.

Which special feature are you most excited to check out? Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. If you want to follow along with my "366 in 366" articles, you can check out #BWW366in366 on Twitter. Also, make sure to follow @BWWMoviesWorld on Twitter for all of the biggest news from the world of movies.

Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Feature Animation, and Buena Vista Pictures