Aladdin (DVD)

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Audio:
The Disney folks provide two Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mixes on the disc, a regular 5.1 mix and a special 5.1 remix designed specifically for home theaters, just as they did on their "Lion King" DVD. I have to admit that the new home-theater mix is quite productive, every bit the equal of the movie's visual presentation, although it is not so pinpoint accurate in its placement of voices or sounds as the regular 5.1 mix. Dynamics are exceptionally wide and strong; bass is deep and robust; and every conceivable sound is directed toward the surround speakers, making the whole listening area--front, back, sides, and center--come to life with all-encompassing sonic effects and musical ambiance.

Extras:
The special features on "Aladdin" are typical of Disney, so extensive they need a fold-out road map to navigate them. "Clear? Why a four-year-old child could understand this. Run out and find me a four-year-old child; I can't make heads or tails of it." --Groucho Marx, "Duck Soup"

Disc one contains the widescreen feature presentation; the various 5.1 soundtracks; two audio commentaries, the first with several of the movie's filmmakers and the second with several of the movie's animators. In addition, there is an optional trivia track of pop-up text information; four deleted songs, "Proud of Your Boy," "You Can Count on Me," "Humiliate the Boy," and "Why Me," all sung to rough, preproduction sketches; two deleted scenes, "Aladdin and Jasmine's First Meeting" and "Aladdin in the Lap of Luxury," also done in rough sketch form; several music videos, "Proud of Your Boy" and "A Whole New World," performed in various ways by various artists including Clay Aikin, Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, Regina Belle, and Peabo Bryson; and several Disney song selections, with or without on-screen lyrics. English, French, and Spanish are the spoken languages provided, with English captions for the hearing impaired. The contents of the first disc conclude with some Sneak Peeks at other Disney titles, a THX Optimizer set of audiovisual calibration tests, twenty-five scene selections, a preview of disc two, and an index of items on both discs.

The second disc is divided into two groups of features, the first primarily for kids, "Games and Activity," and another primarily for adults, "Backstage Disney." Among the games and activities are "Inside the Genie's Lamp," six minutes; "The Genie World Tour," three minutes; "Aladdin's Magic Carpet Adventure," a virtual magic-carpet ride game over Agrabah with Aladdin trying to rescue the Princess; and a "3 Wishes" game.

Among the major "Backstage" items are two documentaries. The first is "A Diamond in the Rough: The Making of Aladdin," almost two hours of behind-the-scenes material hosted by Leonard Maltin and indexed for convenience. The second is "Alan Menken: Musial Renaissance Man," twenty minutes. Then, there are the final items: "The Art of Aladdin," an eight-minute art review with commentary; a still frames gallery; an original theatrical trailer; a publicity gallery; and miscellaneous other trailers for related Disney products.

The two discs are housed in a slim-line keep case, which is stored in an attractive cardboard slipcover. Personally, I've never seen any practical value for a slipcover; I find it another fuss to get at the disc inside. I mean, if the slipcover is there to protect the keep case, it makes little sense because any damage to the slipcover would be irreparable whereas the keep case can be replaced. Nevertheless, the slipcover bespeaks a prestige product, and since it opens up, too, it provides additional promotional space. So I suppose it helps sell the merchandise.

Parting Thoughts:
"Aladdin" walked away with two Academy Awards, one for Best Music (Alan Menken) and another for Best Original Song, "A Whole New World" (Alan Menken and Tim Rice). The songs and music are not exactly hummable or in any way memorable, but they are pleasant while they're happening and contribute to the high spirits of the adventure and the romance.

What I would liked to have seen among the extras were outtakes of Robin Williams ad-libbing his lines during filming, but I suppose these have to be family-oriented DVDs. As it is, his contribution to the movie is the single biggest factor in the movie's success, for children as well as adults. Good enough

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