Anthony's Film Review - Aladdin and the King of Thieves (Video-Only Release, 1996)

The final chapter of the Aladdin trilogy is a fine adventure that nicely wraps the story...

Aladdin and the King of Thieves is the second direct-to-video sequel to 1992's Aladdin and it's a good one. It's a lot better than the other Aladdin sequel, The Return of Jafar, a movie that seemed to be based on tying up loose ends. The King of Thieves provides a great hook for its story: a quest to obtain a valuable treasure and discovery of one's past. This is exactly what Aladdin gets involved in, just as he is also engaged to Princess Jasmine.

So what is this treasure I'm talking about? Is it gold? No. It's something that can create gold. Basically, there's a magical artifact that can turn anything into gold, essentially with a Midas touch. Certainly, anyone who is greedy for limitless wealth is going to want it. As for Aladdin's past, he meets his father, also a thief, for the first time. It is these two who go on this trek towards the treasure.

For those of you who love the Aladdin movies mainly because of the Genie, you'll be happy to know that he doesn't disappoint here. For one thing, Robin Williams is back to provide the voice. He is definitely as funny as he was in the first Aladdin movie with rapid-fire gags and spontaneous voice changes. I remember one joke that involves a reference to Mrs. Doubtfire, another movie with Robin Williams. Believe me. The Genie here will certainly make you laugh.

And who can forget the romance between Aladdin and Princess Jasmine? Seeing them together for good is a great finale for this movie series. In fact, the final shot of the movie is a nice surprise because it comes full circle with the first one. If you remember the beginning of that original movie, you'll know what I mean. All in all, Aladdin and the King of Thieves is a very good movie, much better than I expected.

I shall conclude by commenting on straight-to-video Disney sequels. I can agree that many of these types of movies aren't that great, but I won't say they're all bad. Disney had a few good straight-to-video releases early on before their later mediocre ones. After watching Aladdin and the King of Thieves, which I enjoyed, I would say that you can at least watch this one. It's a lot better than you think.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Aladdin and the King of Thieves, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my reviews of Aladdin, Aladdin in The Return of Jafar, and the live-action remake Aladdin.