Revenge of the Cheapquels

When a Disney sequel from a picture we thought to have forget it (Moana) has just hit theaters, it only throughout back the old tendencies of the company to producing sequels of past movies, of what we could says about, the "cheapquels".

What's a "cheapquel"?

It mostly consistsed of a sequel from a movie that tent to be aimed by families and million of people around the world, certainly at a speculation from the corporation that audience wanted more. Most of my generation have known these films, by be released straight to Videocassette until a new generation of this have hit DVD. That fad has ended thankfully in the end of the 00s, BUT, with a compromise that Pixar would greenlight their own sequels from their own franchises. So, if you wanna made a series about characters that have hit the big screen, why not just pitched it to a TV half-hour series? (See Buzz Lightyear of Star Command for a good example of that.)

This is that the topic of today. The Return of Jafar is Disney, trying to cash-in with the 1992s Aladdin success, but without that Robin Williams been involved for voicing the Blue Genie, whose instead, been replaced by Dan Castellaneta, whom you probably known very well for his Homer Simpson voice. It was the first-ever DTV movie in its true sense of the word. I was in luck to seen and rented the movie by myself back it hit home video for the first time, but a sentiment of predictability started to rear its ugly head. The animation itself, while serviceable, is no match with the 1992s theatrical film.

It's only few months later that what I suspected about was finally revealed. It was mostly made for an animated TV series. The TVs Aladdin series is even more typical than Return was, if it's possible. And parts why I wasn't a big fan of the TV show. But it went enough succesful to lasted 86 episodes, while a large part of it was overrun in syndication by its Disney Afternoon block. Finally, Aladdin and pals made a better career and run than does past and future Disney hits like Goof Troop. Darkwing Duck or also, Kim Possible, when the true reason why it lasted more than 65 episodes was by the online petition from frustrated fans who asked more with the fearless heroine girl. The Aladdin's franchise ended gentfully by the 1996s DTV movie Aladdin and the King of Thieves, a DTV sequel that I need to look, if I would and if it is still available somewhere.

To seen Bob Iger or the other one to plays comfortably with some pointless remakes projects of Frozen or Zootopia (WHY THIS?) when the current reality of now ask us to be careful of everything you have to pitch. In a longtime past, people complained on forums of the laziness of the company to producing DTV cheapquels only for seek money. That hold us with dreary attempts like the two-three Cinderella follow-ups or forced ones like Bambi 2 or worse, a Fox and the Hound cheapquel. (Remember! It's all done in the most cheapest and uncomfortable way than was these original past films) And to say nothing for unnecessary fillers like bad remakes of past movies with real actors like Dumbo or Pinocchio released straightly for Disney+, by tell us perfectly that the magical touch of Walt himself is burried forever. This is another innaptitude from a large corporation that ignoring the harsh issues of the world by preaching anything to its audience for what they never would for themselves.

This was long before I become a Warner Bros. animation fan myself and when life was more easier and fun with family and friends. No nostalgia. That was only based of the many challenges I've had experienced when I was a troublemaker kid. And when pieces of animation like this one was done by people who really known what kids like me wanted like adventures and clever humor in shots like made litterally in this film. Even the Fandom website have made a Wiki page about this picture for a better explanation of why this movie was created, so enjoy!