Sequels are generally bad ideas. Not even Disney, the kings of brilliant ideas and great movies, can pull off a good sequel. With the upcoming release of movies like Toy Story 3 and a remake of Alice in Wonderland, I felt the need to re-affirm why my enthusiasm about these movies is missing. So the best choice film to critique: Disney’s first feature length animated sequel, Return of Jafar.
This movie was one of those direct-to-VHS sale that came out in 1994, two years after Aladdin was released in theaters. The original movie earned Disney $504 million worldwide in its release and sold 25 million copies in its VHS release. The dollar signs that appeared from the first caused Disney to come back to this world again and create this movie and yet another bad sequel Aladdin and the King of Thieves two years after this one. Apparently, no one learns from their mistakes.
The animation seems like a back step for Disney, who by 1994 had released films like Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, all which were well animated and each held stunning visual attractions. Each also contributed something new to the animation and movie-making world. Sequels, which all three of these films had (Lion King 1 1/2 and 2, Beauty and the Beast 2, and Aladdin 2 and 3), never do the same job as their predecessors did. They use repeated techniques and more often than not, dried up plots now searching for a few good jokes to throw in.
The colors in this film are dull, sticking to a child’s Crayola set instead of shades that brought characters and backgrounds to life. The jokes are used, the music from the first movie, the music that made the movie, was missing and left it lifeless. Without some of the greater voice actors, such as Robin Williams and Douglas Seale, the characters didn’t even feel the same. The plot is lacking in any sustenance. The title explains everything. Jafar has returned seeking revenge and fails miserably.
An example of this failure can be found in the following scene that is Iago’s special song and dance. Iago was a character with a special cranky old man humor that was better in response to other character’s plain lines. On his own, Iago falls to be obnoxious and the animal dance he gives is too reminiscent of Aladdin’s “Prince Ali” song mixed with “Street Rat” to create this piece.
School blog 
Totally agree with you. Most sequels are horrible! And I feel like when you have a bad sequel…it almost ruins the first movie for you. And characters do seem “annoying” instead of “quirky” for example in sequels. Very interesting blog!
I agree. It is VERY difficult to pull off a good sequel, especially when the first plot is a big hit. There are high expectations for the next one, and they go down the drain when the sequel refuses to deliver. Its the same with trilogy. One example that comes to mind (although not entirely animation, but Davy Jones’ face definitely animated!) is the Disney movie Pirates of the Caribbean. While I absolutely loved the first two m0vies, I thought the third one was absolutely horrible. In Disney cartoons, not only the Aladdin sequels were a let down, but films like Cinderella even had sequels that were not even near the success of the original movie.
I agree that sequels are just not a good idea. Its so easy to name bad sequels, but stop and try really hard to think of good ones. I wonder if sequels from great films are just made in hopes that they will make enough money from the existing fan base to justify a bad movie. Sequels somehow show the sheer moneymaking side of the biz.
I think that your point about the sequels to box office hit sequel being like a child’s box of crayolas is very appropriate. Disney is not trying to win a new audience with these films — noted by the fact that they bypass the big screen all together. Remarketing the storyline to children who will recognize the characters but not really understand the lackluster musical score or the unknown voices the character’s have gives them a broad retail market.
Pingback: Blog Post #6 – The Sword in the Stone « History of Animation
Pingback: Blog Post #6 – The Sword in the Stone | Keeping Track of It All