Aladdin (1992)

  No, it's not the new one.  I've had a rough year; why would I do that to myself?  I just can't believe I've never posted about this movie before.

Aladdin (Scott Weinger) dreams of a life without poverty and hunger.  Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) dreams of a life of freedom away from the societal expectations of her position.  Grand Vizier Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) dreams of wielding the power to crush the populace and make slaves of his enemies.  Hey, not all dreams are nice.  And there is only one being capable of making all those dreams come true: the Genie of the Lamp (Robin Williams).  Aladdin forges an instant bond with the Genie, promising to use his third wish to free him from his eternal servitude.  But as Jafar plots and Aladdin becomes more entangled in his web of lies to woo Jasmine, he learns that bad decisions often follow good intentions.

Other than the inevitable sadness around hearing Robin Williams voice again, this movie remains one of the greatest in Disney animation.  It's 90 minutes of flawless entertainment.  I'm sure there's someone, somewhere who has never seen this film before.  Maybe you grew up in a cult that didn't have TV or in a bunker because of a mistaken belief that a nuclear catastrophe had occurred in 1989 and your stock of canned food has finally run out so you made your way to the surface expecting a wasteland only to be pleasantly surprised.  Those are the only two excuses I'm willing to accept.