Aladdin Central Messageboard

[Minerva]

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to the board and just wanted to say how much I like this board. It's nice to have a community devoted to a childhood obsession I never grew out of. Anyway, I was just wondering when everyone first saw Aladdin, how old they were, what appealed to them about it, etc.

Since I posted this, I guess I'll start. I first saw Aladdin when it came out. I was four at the time but didn't really get into it until I was about six. And I really liked it because (1) it took place somewhere different and (2) it featured a main female character with personality and intelligence.

Alright, so that's me. What about you guys?

[Calluna]

Er, there was another thread around here somewhere... Wait a sec...

Edit: There it is. Sorry for not retyping, but it is very long.

[Minerva]

Whoops...didn't realize there was another thread out there. Guess you can tell how new I am

[Calluna]

NP, it's very old; it took me awhile to find it. And there are a bunch of people who joined since then.

[AladdinsGenie]

Hey, I made that thread I'm cool

[Ariellen]

Hello, Minerva!

I was seven when Aladdin came out, and that's when I saw it. I ended up seeing it a total of four times in release (my personal record, shared w/ Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King). What drew me to it? I loved Disney from my baby days...no joke; the baby book says I was a Mickey lover. And I'd absolutely ADORED The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, so I was very interested in a new Disney movie! Actually, I remember NOT being terribly interested in Aladdin when I FIRST heard about it (the really early previews didn't give me enough of an idea of the plot for me to really care about it...hey, I was six or seven!), but when I started learning what it was about (and heard some funny Genie quotes and a snippet of "A Whole New World" in one of the previews), I knew I REALLY wanted to see this movie!

Why did I like it? Well, at the time, because it was a Disney movie with a funny character and a love story and good songs, which was about all that I cared about when I was seven. Aladdin was really cool and Jasmine was someone I'd like to be, Genie was funny, and Jafar was mean. I was happy. The things I most remember about my first time seeing it were:

1. My dad turning to me when Aladdin first appears on screen, loaf of bread in hand, and whispering "So what's his name?" (I THINK he was probably kidding, but I took this very seriously as a kid!), to which I replied, in true early '90s fashion, "Daddy, that's Aladdin! DUH!" which my dad found amusing.

2. Really liking the way Jasmine delivered the line "And does...ABU have anything else to say?"

3. Genie made me laugh, especially when he referenced other Disney movies or wore a Goofy hat.

4. "How DARE you? ALL of you! Standing around deciding MY future? I am NOT a prize to be won!" - I discovered shortly after seeing the movie that I could do a really good imitation of Jasmine's voice (I'm really out of practice at it now, though...), and I said this on the playground a LOT, often by request. (I wasn't popular, but people DID think it was cool that I could talk like Jasmine!)

4. The "A Whole New World" scene/song was SO PRETTY AND COOL!

5. JASMINE KISSED JAFAR!!!! which simultaneously was SO WRONG and SO BRAVE of her! That really stuck with me...when I saw the track "The Kiss" on the soundtrack (which I got for Christmas that year...the old one with the non-P.C. Arabian Nights and original version of "Happy End in Agrabah"), I remember listening to it and thinking "That's not the music that plays when she kissed Jafar!" I'd almost forgotten there WAS a cool kiss with Aladdin in the movie because I was so shocked that the princess kissed the bad guy!

6. At the end, I REALLY thought that Aladdin and Jasmine weren't going to be able to be together! And that was sad. But then they were. And it was happy.

Why do I love Aladdin now? (I promise the short version, since this is a long post already!)

-It really is a good movie, and I still think the music is really good. (And I'm a music major, so I like to give myself at least a little credibility on the matter. That discussion is for later, though, if at all.)

-It's very varied in its "style," if you will. So many people just call it a comedy, but I think it has such strong elements of other styles that it's a disservice to just say "comedy." It's funny (for kids AND adults), exciting and adventurous, romantic, and touching, and it doesn't feel forced most of the time. It's paced well and has lots of interesting elements to it.

-The sequels and TV series (among other follow-up adventures) actually develop the characters and their relationships further, in addition to introducing some new characters who weren't only cool because they could be sold as action figures. I LOVE the sequels and series!

Oh, and I think the title character is absolutely wonderful...in personality and appearance. I envy Jasmine so much.

[AladdinsGenie]

At the end, I REALLY thought that Aladdin and Jasmine weren't going to be able to be together!

You know, I thought that too and I think that's part of why I cry at the end.

I'm still working on refining my Jasmine imitation. It's ok, but I could work on it some more

And yes-totally envious

[Husse]

Weird...maybe I'm just satirical, but I always knew it'd be a happy ending "we dance, we kiss, we shmooze, we come home happy," thing.

I said this before somewhere, once I find that thread, I'll repost, but it's LOOONNNG!
_________________
You can never have too much Baklava.

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YES I CAAAAAAAAAAAN!

[Ariellen]

But we carry on before we come home happy...what do you say?

[Husse]

I'm SORRY, I'm an underpriveleged person who doesn't have the movie.
_________________
You can never have too much Baklava.

NO YOU CAN'T!

YES I CAAAAAAAAAAAN!

[Husse]

Kay, I found one:

Jeepers, I'm a very recent Aladdin fan. I was two when the movie came out and my mother, ignorant as usual of all things media, thought there was a lot of SORCERY in the movie and didn't take me.

Time passed, and I didn't really think about the movie, obviously. My favorite Disney flick was and barely still is BatB.

One day, when watching a weird movie that everyone should see at least once: Teacher's Pet, my friend Jo walked in and asked if she could watch it with me.

I said yes, and we watched the previews together first.

They had that glamourized trailer of Aladdin on first, and Jo squealed. What, I asked.

I HAD to see it, apparently.

I did. Twice. Three times. Memorized it. Memorized the cut parts of it. I friggin loved this movie! Then I saw the sequels which were, hm, fair as sequels go, but very fun to watch.

I think I had an Aladdin question when I came here, and you all are so fun I never left!
_________________
You can never have too much Baklava.

NO YOU CAN'T!

YES I CAAAAAAAAAAAN!

[AladdinsGenie]

[Husse]

Literally, yeah.

Me not having it and all, I noticed it was coming on on Thursday, reserved the TV, and watched it.

Mom gave me her "weirdo" look and said, "WHAT is that?"

I gave her one back, "It' Hercules!"

"Oh...should your sister be watching that?"

"Probably not. It's very sacriligous."

"Hm."

My mother is weird.
_________________
You can never have too much Baklava.

NO YOU CAN'T!

YES I CAAAAAAAAAAAN!

[Nez]

[Husse]

Actually, the sacrilege in it bothered ME, too. It probsbly would've been one of my favorite movies if they'd fixed a couple things, one namely that problem. Okay, I can tolerate the whol "Oh my gods" praying tot eh gods, and other little tics like that, it's almost funny, but I wasn't sure it was necessary to have the Muses sing about the "Gospel Truth." That's all but blatant.
_________________
You can never have too much Baklava.

NO YOU CAN'T!

YES I CAAAAAAAAAAAN!