‘Jafar’ Video Lacks the Magic of ‘Aladdin’

“The Return of Jafar” is a straight-to-video sequel to Disney’s “Aladdin,” and the results are about what you’d expect--not nearly up to the studio’s big-screen standards but better than most kiddie TV animation.

An almost entirely new group of producers, directors, writers, animators and composers worked on the sequel, but it’s not slovenly--just repetitive and uninspired. The score, in particular, is an unhummable melange of pseudo-tunes. The only big number that works up a head of steam is, paradoxically, “You’re Only Second Rate,” with words and music by Randy Petersen and Kevin Quinn.

The script, credited to eight writers, has the sorcerer Jafar escaping from his magic lamp and wreaking vengeance on Aladdin, now living in the Sultan’s palace and being an all-around nice guy to the poor people of Agrabah.

Aladdin and Jasmine, his doe-eyed paramour, are still as bland as ever, but Iago, the parrot who escapes the lamp with Jafar, is even more manic than he was the first time around. Gilbert Gottfried does Iago’s voice again, and he’s so screechingly overbearing that, when Genie finally tapes his beak, you want to cheer.

Robin Williams does not do the Genie’s voice this time, but all the other featured characters in “Aladdin” repeat their roles. His replacement, Dan Castellaneta, is the voice of Homer Simpson, and he’s not bad. Given the competition, he could hardly have bested our memories of Williams. He’s a lot closer in quality to Williams than “The Return of Jafar” is to “Aladdin.”