Magic Carpet (Aladdin)

Magic Carpet
File:Carpet1.jpg Carpet as seen in the film
First appearance	Aladdin (1992)
Created by	Ron Clements John Musker
Alias	Carpet

Magic Carpet is a character from the 1992 film Aladdin, as well as its sequels. The film's version was created using a CGI texture map on hand-drawn animation, while the animated series version was completely hand-drawn. As his moniker implies, he is an ancient carpet that was found by Aladdin within the Cave of Wonders' treasure room.

Carpet is a character without a voice, and expresses himself through pantomime and movements. He is playful, as he reacts with Abu, intelligent, as he beats Genie at chess, and helpful, as he helps Aladdin romance Princess Jasmine during the song "A Whole New World." Carpet sometimes uses his tassels as hands and feet to accentuate his feelings.

Development

The unique faux-Persian design of Carpet was solely maintained through CGI. Advances in CGI had progressed rapidly since animating the ballroom sequence in Beauty and the Beast, so much so that the texture and pattern of Carpet was much easier to accomplish, no matter which way he moved.

Animator Randy Cartwright refused to resort to the anthropomorphic style of simply putting a face on a carpet. He used body language to make Carpet more flexible, and almost human. Computer artist Tina Price took Cartwright's outlined form and super-imposed the Persian design that could stretch, squash, and roll up without changing. According to movie critic Leonard Maltin, this made Carpet's animation one of the best collaborations between traditional and technologically-advanced animation to date.

Appearances

Aladdin

Main article: Aladdin (1992 film)

He was first discovered by Abu in the film, who assumed he was seeing things, as Carpet would be playful with Abu until he was within Aladdin's line of sight, wherein he'd appear as a normal inanimate object. He is an old friend of Genie; Genie states that he hadn't seen Carpet "in a few millennia."

He assisted Aladdin and Abu in escaping the cave during the meltdown sequence triggered by Abu touching a forbidden gem. A running gag has the Carpet beating Genie at nearly every game they play, much to Genie's distress.

When Aladdin romances Princess Jasmine during the song "A Whole New World," Carpet plays a key role as he takes them on a romantic flight. He also encourages Aladdin to kiss Jasmine by nudging him.

Carpet is destroyed by Jafar in the climactic scene, but comes back to life when the villain is foiled.

The Return of Jafar

Main article: The Return of Jafar

In the second film, Carpet engages in combat with Jafar once more, and is turned into glass and shattered. He is again restored when Jafar is conquered.

Aladdin and the King of Thieves

Main article: Aladdin and the King of Thieves

In the third film, Carpet makes a brief appearance when Aladdin and Jasmine, on the Magic Carpet, pass and wave at the narrator.

Other appearances

Carpet appears in episodes of Aladdin, the animated series, both as a means of travel and a reacting character to the events of the stories.

He also is mentioned in the Kingdom Hearts video game during play in the Agrabah world, but is not shown. However in the second installment he plays a key role.

In Disney World's Magic Kingdom, there is a ride called "The Magic Carpets of Aladdin," which simulates flight on a carpet.

External links

• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin attraction at Walt Disney World