Type Episode
Date 1994-04-24

Never Say Nefir

Aladdin 1x05

This episode once again confuses absurdity with comedy. Certainly absurdity can be a component of comedy, but it's not enough to just throw a giant pink rhinoceros on screen.

A giant, dancing, pink rhinoceros is destroying the city. Of course.

The plot is once again straightforward: they want to stop Semir from destroying the city, the unlikable guy turns out to be the real bad guy, and they soundly defeat him. As usual, the characters end up doing some bizarre and anachronistic things in the name of comedy.

And why was this necessary? Genie's magic works on Rule of Funny, apparently. Pity the jokes aren't better.

I'm fairly sure that I have heard of some other story where someone wears a pair of cursed shoes that force them to dance until they burn up. Hans Christian Andersen has a story "The Red Shoes" that is similar, but not quite right. The closest thing I can find at the moment is the Buffy episode "Once More, With Feeling".

Well, in short: this episode isn't bad, but it's still just the usual straightforward children's show fare.

Name Role
Alan Zaslove Director
Kevin Campbell Author