A Wish Come True

I am often disappointed by cartoon series stemming from movies, but "Aladdin" proved to be an exception to the rule. While it does not have the creative genius of Robin Williams, Dan Castanella steps in to put nearly as much heart into the role of Genie as Williams did. All the old characters are back -- except, of course, for Jafar. Iago has become an important member in the cast of characters, as has Abysmal the bumbling thief. New recurring characters include Prince Uncouthma, the burly leader of Odiferous, Mechanicles, a neat freak who builds mechanical bugs, Thundra, a Spanish tropical bird who has stolen Iago's heart, Mirage, a feline enchantress, and a myriad of others. Each episode is packed with adventure and lots of laughs, chiefly provided by Genie.

As in the movies, Genie abounds with anachronisms, but he's a genie so I suppose that can be excused. There are no songs in the series, but I won't say that's a terribly bad thing because the songs in the second and third movies paled greatly in comparison to those of the first; the contrast with the series would probably have been even greater. The background music is very well done and the animation is as good as it was on the big screen. Along with all the adventure and humor, "Aladdin" has a lot of heart and teaches some valuable lessons, especially in the two-part episodes. For anyone who enjoyed the movie, this series is definitely worth checking out.