The Return of Jafar (1994) on Netflix
G19941h 9mAdventureAnimationComedyFamilyFantasyMusical
A year after Jafar's defeat, Aladdin and Abu live in Agrabah's palace with Princess Jasmine. In the desert, Iago drops Jafar's lamp down a well, and Abis Mal finds it.
- Netflix3.4/5
- IMDb5.8/1034,764 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes33%
Trailer
Plot summary
Aladdin longs for adventure, and finds some when he breaks up a gang of robbers under the dimwitted Abis Mal and gives their stolen goods back to Agrabah's people. Iago, weary of Jafar's cruelty, escapes the lamp, refuses to set him free, and drops the lamp down a well before flying to the palace, hoping to make a friend of Aladdin. Abis Mal pulls the lamp from the well and releases Jafar, who maneuvers his new master into wasting two wishes. Genie arrives home after a year of travel, still capable of some magic but much weaker than he once was. The Sultan names Aladdin Royal Vizier, Rajah finds Iago in the garden, and Jasmine is upset to learn that Aladdin never told her about the parrot.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Return of Jafar (1994)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Robin Williams refused to reprise his role as the Genie in The Return of Jafar due to a bitter fallout over his voice being used in Aladdin's marketing. He was replaced by Dan Castellaneta, and producer Tad Stones claimed Williams helped select Castellaneta for the role.
- The Return of Jafar was the first Disney direct-to-video animated feature film and the first American direct-to-video animated feature film. It was also the second Disney animated feature sequel, after The Rescuers Down Under.
- The Return of Jafar was created by combining the planned first five episodes of the Aladdin animated television series into a feature-length film.
- Disney originally planned an hour-long TV special to launch the Aladdin series, but producer Tad Stones suggested a direct-to-video release. Disney executives Peter Schneider and Michael Eisner resisted the idea, fearing it would cheapen the Disney brand.
- The film's opening scene was conceived by layout designer Paul Felix and animated at Disney Animation Australia. Impressed by the animation, Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg allowed the first half to be animated in Australia and the climax in Japan.
- The Return of Jafar's success removed the "low-quality stigma" from direct-to-video films, as described by the Los Angeles Times, and led Disney, Universal Pictures, and other studios to release more direct-to-video films.
- The Return of Jafar sold 15 million VHS tapes and grossed over $300 million worldwide on a budget of about $5 million, making it one of the United States' best-selling films on home video.
