Aladdin and the King of Thieves

Aladdin and the King of Thieves
DVD cover
Directed by	Tad Stones
Produced by	Jeannine Roussel Tad Stones
Written by	Mark McCorkle Robert Schooley
Starring	Scott Weinger Robin Williams John Rhys-Davies Gilbert Gottfried Linda Larkin Jerry Orbach Frank Welker
Distributed by	Walt Disney Home Video
Release date(s)	August 13, 1996 (VHS) January 18, 2005 (DVD re-release)
Running time	80 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Aladdin and the King of Thieves is a 1996 animated film that is the second direct-to-video sequel to the Disney animated feature Aladdin. Aladdin and the King of Thieves serves as the final chapter of the Arabian Nights-inspired Disney stories that began with the theatrical feature Aladdin (1992) and continued with its first direct-to-video sequel The Return of Jafar (1994) and the Aladdin animated TV series (1994–1995).

Robin Williams returned to voice the Genie after Disney apologized for the use of his likeness in the promotion of the original Aladdin film (Williams believed Disney had broken the terms of his contract). Dan Castellaneta had actually recorded all the dialogue of the Genie for this film, as he did with the previous sequel due to Disney's differences with Williams, but his recording session was not used when Robin Williams agreed to reprise his role.

This film grossed $186 million, making it the fourth-highest-grossing direct-to-video animated feature film of all time. In 2005, the film was re-released as a Special Edition DVD, with digitally restored picture and remastered sound. The DVD however has the film matted to 1.85:1 Widescreen, an aspect ratio Disney never uses for animation. The DVD went back into the Disney Vault along with the other two films in the series in January 2008.^[1]

The film is inspired by the tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves from the 1001 Arabian Nights, replacing Ali Baba with Aladdin, and for the first time since the original Aladdin, the film has a completely new soundtrack instead of the rearranged music from the original film for The Return of Jafar and the TV series.

Plot

Aladdin (Scott Weinger) and Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) prepare for their marriage. Aladdin recovers a dagger, his only memento of his lost father, who had abandoned his family when Aladdin had been a small child. During the ceremony, they and the assembled guests find themselves the targets of a raid by the infamous Forty Thieves, led by a man named Cassim (John Rhys-Davies), who is after a particular piece of treasure: a staff which is the receptacle of a powerful oracle. Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine and the Genie fight back against the thieves, driving them off. They discover the Oracle, who has the power to answer a single question about absolutely anything to any individual. When Iago accidentally asks her why the thieves want the staff so badly, she says that they were looking for the "ultimate treasure". Learning of the Oracle's power, Aladdin become curious about his past. She hints to him that those questions can be answered by his father, who is still alive much to Aladdin's shock. After some encouragement from Jasmine, Aladdin asks the oracle about his father; the oracle reveals that his father is with the Forty Thieves, "trapped within their world".

Aladdin, along with Abu, Iago and Carpet, tracks them down and stows away into their hideout, Mount Sesame, where he discovers, to his shock, that his father is actually Cassim himself. Though Aladdin shares a brief, heartfelt reunion with Cassim, Sa'luk (Jerry Orbach), Cassim's subordinate tries to punish Aladdin from entering. Cassim, however, slyly suggests that Aladdin instead face "the Challenge"—an initiation ritual—where he must defeat another one of the Forty Thieves and take his place. Sa'luk fights Aladdin, but the latter just barely manages to prevail by throwing his opponent off a cliff into the sea. He is welcomed into the band, and Cassim reveals to Aladdin why he had left his wife and son: to find the Hand of Midas, a powerful artifact that can transform anything it touches into gold. Cassim believed that, with the Hand, he could return to his family and give them the life they deserved instead of one living out in the streets, and had instigated the raid so he could capture the oracle's staff and question the seer as to the precise whereabouts of the artifact. Aladdin convinces Cassim to return with him to Agrabah to live an honest life. Initially reluctant, Cassim eventually agrees when Iago inadvertently reveals that Aladdin's wedding may be his final chance to get the Oracle.

For a while, Cassim is happy to spend quality time with his son. Cassim meets with Genie, Jasmine and the Sultan, and they immediately take a liking to Aladdin's father. Cassim decides to carry on his original scheme with Iago as his new henchman. Meanwhile, Sa'luk makes his way to Agrabah. He reveals himself to Razoul and sells out his fellow thieves by telling Razoul the password to their hideout in exchange for immunity from prosecution. After 31 of the thieves are captured, Sa'luk tells them that Aladdin is one of the forty, and his father Cassim is the King himself.

While attempting to steal the Oracle from the palace treasure chamber, Cassim and Iago are captured by the royal guards and Razoul reveals to the Sultan that Cassim is the King of Thieves. The Sultan has Razoul detain Cassim and Iago in the dungeon for life. Aladdin frees Cassim, but is discovered by Razoul. Despite being a criminal, Aladdin returns to the palace to take responsibility for his actions. The Sultan prepares to punish Aladdin, but Genie and Jasmine come to his defense, stating that all he wanted was to give his father a second chance. The Sultan accepts his apology, much to Razoul's dismay.

With the oracle in hand, Cassim and Iago return to Mount Sesame, only to be captured by Sa'luk and the remaining Thieves. Cassim is forced to use the stolen oracle in order to find the location of the Hand of Midas and then lead his men there. The Oracle directs them to The Vanishing Isle, a great marble fortress built on the back of a gigantic undersea turtle that periodically dives to the bottom of the ocean, where the Hand is hidden. Iago flees from the group, and goes off to lead Aladdin and Jasmine, Abu and Carpet to his imprisoned father.

Aladdin manages to free and reconcile with his father. Working together, they retrieve the Hand just as the turtle is beginning to submerge, when they are attacked by Sa'luk. While trying to flee from the flood Sa'luk takes Aladdin hostage, demanding that Cassim surrender the Hand. Cassim throws the Hand of Midas to Sa'luk, but Sa'luk turns into a gold statue after grabbing the Hand and Cassim and Aladdin flee. Having discovered that his obsession with the Hand can cause destruction, Cassim decides to toss it into the sea, realizing that his ultimate treasure is actually Aladdin. The Hand of Midas lands on the ship with the remaining thieves aboard, turning it into gold and sinking it.

Aladdin and Jasmine finally get married, with Cassim attending in the shadows, as he is still wanted for his crimes. Also among the guests are several cameos from characters from the TV series. Iago decides to join Cassim as a traveling companion, and they both go off once again to see the world.

A reprise of "Arabian Nights" is then sung; the Peddler makes an appearance at the end of this film to mark the end of the legend of Aladdin (originally planned for the end of the first film) as Aladdin and Jasmine fly past him and wave good-bye to Cassim and Iago.

Cast

• Scott Weinger as Aladdin (Brad Kane singing)
• Robin Williams as Genie
• John Rhys-Davies as Cassim
• Linda Larkin as Princess Jasmine (Liz Callaway singing)
• Gilbert Gottfried as Iago
• Jerry Orbach as Sa'luk
• Frank Welker as Abu and Rajah
• Val Bettin as Sultan
• C. C. H. Pounder as The Oracle
• Jim Cummings as Razoul
• Robin Williams as The Narrator, the mysterious merchant who appears at the beginning of the first film. His singing voice is supplied by Bruce Adler.

Reception

The film received a 30% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It also received 58% from the RT community.^[2]

Soundtrack

• There's a Party Here in Agrabah: Sung mostly by Genie, and partly by Iago, some of the Forty Thieves, Aladdin, and Jasmine. There is a brief pause in the song in which Aladdin takes out his father's dagger. It tells about what Genie does during the beginning of the wedding.

• Out of Thin Air: Sung by Aladdin and Jasmine. Aladdin reminisces about his childhood and Jasmine urges him to find his father, saying their wedding can wait until he returns.

• Welcome to the Forty Thieves: Sung by the Forty Thieves after the defeat of Sa'luk and Aladdin's acceptance into the team.

• Father and Son: Sung mostly by Genie after Cassim arrives at the palace in Agrabah and Genie says how Aladdin and Cassim are together again.

• Are You In or Out?: Sung by Sa'luk and those who remained of the Forty Thieves, where Sa'luk turned them against Cassim. During the song, the Forty Thieves make several attempts to kill Sa'luk, but he easily defeats them even when they gang up on him in groups.

• Arabian Nights Reprise: Sung by the peddler seen in the beginning of Aladdin Originally meant for the first movie.^{[citation needed]}

Adaptation

Two comic adaptations of the movie were on sale September 1996.

• The first was in Marvel Comics Disney Comic Hits #12.
• The second was in Disney Adventures Volume 6 #12.

Genie's Guises

• Williams' many impersonations included a live-action character he portrayed: The title character of the 1993 comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire.
• At the very end of the credits, the Genie appears in front of the black screen and says, "Game Over, man! Game Over!" This is a spoof of an identical line by the character Private William Hudson in the movie Aliens.
• The "security system" set up by the Genie has the classic Cylon "sweep eye" found in Battlestar Galactica.
• During the first song, the Genie turns into Rocky.
• Ali Baba and the forty thieves are mentioned at the beginning of the song Friend Like Me from the first Aladdin movie.
• During the song "Father and Son", Genie references The Jetsons.
• Various references included Pocahontas, Pumbaa from The Lion King, Rocky Balboa, ED-209 from RoboCop, and Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie, all of which Genie turned into or made with magic.
• Genie transforms into a parody of Forrest Gump during the wedding fight scene and says "Mama always said, 'Magic is magic does.'"^{[citation needed]}
• Genie also turns into various things in the film: a ninja, an old man, a baby, Tinker Bell, a construction worker, Rainman, Elvis Presley, the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, Copernicus, Sagittarius, Castor and Pollux, Walter Cronkite, Albert Einstein, The Godfather, Shaquille O'Neal, Mickey Mouse's dog Pluto, a fat farmer, a wrestler, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Donald Duck, Baloo the Bear, Ozzie Nelson, Woody Allen, and simultaneously, the Marx Brothers Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.
• There is a scene where he turns Jasmine's wedding dresses into that of Cinderella's and Snow White's. He also contemplates what she would look like as Ariel, Minnie Mouse, and Jessica Rabbit. During these scenes, Bambi and Roger Rabbit make brief appearances.

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Aladdin and the King of Thieves

• Aladdin and the King of Thieves at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• Aladdin and the King of Thieves at the Internet Movie Database
• Aladdin and the King of Thieves at Rotten Tomatoes