Aladdin

Aladdin
November 25, 1992
Disney
Children's, Comedy, Romance, Musical
VHS
B

I had fallen off the Disney bandwagon by the time their late '80s/ early '90s comeback came along.  Seeing most of these movies years later, I was not overly impressed.  But this one stood out.  It's funny, sweet, action-packed, and has strong voice performances, with Robin Williams's genie of course the stand-out, although I'm fond of Gilbert Gottfried as the evil parrot Iago.  The movie is also borderline racist and there are parts where things start to drag out.  The main characters aren't terribly sympathetic, although they do have much more personality than your average Disney "prince" and princess.  But for the most part it's a fun ride.

When Williams killed himself, this was one of the movies people thought of most.  Although we don't see him, we hear him, that very versatile voice playing so many roles within one.  His two show-stopping numbers remain amazing (and more worthy of an Oscar than "I Can Show You the World"), but it's not all laughs.  There's pathos, too, which was always there inside Williams, although we tried not to see it.  But, yes, it's still possible to watch this as a kids' movie that adults will delight in, too.  And, yes, the anachronisms and Disney references are very '90s.

Linda Larkin (Joanne in Zapped Again!) voices Princess Jasmine.  Hal Smith does the voice of Jafar's Horse.  Frank Welker, who specializes in animal voices, here does Abu (the monkey) Rajah (the tiger), and the cat-like Cave of Wonders.  Ron Clements and John Musker would also collaborate on The Princess and the Frog.

Zapped Again!

Zapped Again!
April 14, 1990
Incorporated Television Company (ITC)
Comedy, Sci-Fi, Romance
VHS
B

This movie is far better than it has any right to be, considering it's a direct-to-video sequel to a movie where Scott Baio uses telekinesis to undress girls.  It's been a long while since I've seen the original Zapped (1982), but I remember it as being much less likable.  Not that this movie's protagonist, Kevin, doesn't abuse his powers in a similar fashion, but that's a surprisingly small part of the action.

Like Think Big, this is a decade-straddler, made in '89, released the following year.  But much more than that movie about twin truckers, this high school comedy shows a surprisingly '90s attitude towards the '80s,  That is, yes, we've got some of the usual high school movie stereotypes, from a shallow cheerleader to a horny football coach (Lyle Alzado).  But the nerds don't at all fit '80s stereotypes.  From wise-cracking Kevin to the gorgeous "plain brainiac" to the heavy-metal couple, this is not your usual Science Club.  (Only Elliott seems traditionally geeky, and even he has been given a good sense of humor.)  And the cheerleader and one of the jocks turn out to be nice people.  Heck, the coach quotes e. e. cummings to impress the female principal!

And throughout, there's an offbeat sense of humor, like in the way that Kevin both mocks and befriends the surfer-sounding President of the Ski Club.  Karen Black, who's more memorable in her small role here as a substitute than she was as the mother of The Invisible Kid, and Linda Blair also tweak their roles a bit.  The sci-fi isn't particularly notable.  The effects are cheesy and/or cheap, but like I said, it's not that important to the movie.

Much of the film is driven by the chemistry between Kevin and Lucy, the smart girl who he somehow sees as just a pal, until one night when they have a silly and not all explicit love scene.  (My copy is off late-night ABC, but I did watch a couple Youtube videos to find out what I was missing in terms of nudity.)  They're both very likable, especially together, which I don't recall being able to say of Baio and Felice Schachter.

The movie ends with a video, a full-fledged music video with a separate director.  The band and the cast sing "She's Gonna Get It," and it's actually pretty good.  (It includes the phrase "Zapped Again" but is not a title song per se.)  Then there's a blooper where the Science Club is throwing things and Lucy tells us to not try this at home.  Even with a videocamera and a small budget, I don't think most of us would get as good results.

Brent Hinkley, who plays Larry here, would be Bif the Patriot in Bob Roberts.  Linda Larkin, who doesn't say much as Joanne, would ironically provide the voice of Jasmine in Aladdin.

Paving the way for a more nerd-friendly era.