Intro
The Disney remakes have been there for a very long time. While not all of them are great, I do like the Aladdin Live Action a lot. Though my work on this blog has made me very critical and analytical, I still enjoy it and can find good things. Is it perfect? Not really... Is it better than the original? Absolutely not. But still there are elements in it that make it enjoyable.
It is not simply a shot for shot remake of the original. There is added content, and they take their own spin on the characters instead of being exactly like the original characters. So, let's dive in to the movie I will explain what I like or don't like.
Genie's Character And Subplot
I used to love the Genie in the original, and I still do. I would always be smiling and giggling every time he'd come onto screen. Of course, as a child I didn't understand most of the gags or references in the movie, but I just loved how hyper active he was and went from one shape to another all the time.
What I like about Will Smith's version, is that he made the Genie character his own, and didn't just copy the previous script. He also has a bigger role. While the Genie was only with Aladdin in the first movie and hiding away in his lamp whenever anyone else was there, this version was there the whole time. Like his advisor (I think that's what they made him could be another name).
Another thing I liked was his added subplot with Daliah, Jasmine's handmaiden. They could have simply kept him as a character only being there for Aladdin, but they gave him his own story, and his own role. He was not simply helping Aladdin and waiting for him to make his last wish and set him free. He fell in love and got his own life after the movie.
Writer's Note: This is a perfect example for a side character in a story. They have to have their own life. A side character should not just be there to support the hero and do nothing whenever the hero isn't there. Let them have their own life and problems. Let them disagree with the hero or be tempted to betray the hero in some way. They have their own backstory, and the reader should like them just as much as the hero, even when the story is not about them.
Jasmine's Character
To be honest, while I like the live action version of Jasmine, I am not sure if I like her better than the original version. Jasmine was sassy, and she took initiative herself, even if she had to be saved like all the other princesses before her.
For example when she was on the market and nearly got her hand cut of because she stole an apple, she might have been saved by Aladdin, but she understood the assignment and played along as his dumb little sister that needed to be taken care of. In this movie, Aladdin just took her mother's bracelet, then stole it back for her again and they ran around trying to get away from the guards. I do kind of like their first meeting on this one, but I do think I prefer the original.
Her having Daliah as a friend is something I did like in this movie. In the original, she was all alone and there seemed to be literally no one besides her, the Sultan and Jafar. She was sheltered and didn't want to be a princess, and the reason she ran away, is because she didn't want to be locked up in the palace. In this version, Jasmine does want to be Sultan. She doesn't leave because she wants to be free, but because she wants to see and know her people. She wants to be Sultan, but she has to marry someone, because a female leader has never been done before.
By the end, the sultan decides to get rid of that law and allow her to be the Sultan without her having to be married. And this also allows her to get rid of the law of her being forced to marry a prince.
Writer's Note: It's good for a character to have a life before their journey starts. Even though Jasmine is not the real main character, she has a big role, and actually a goal and a friend. The hero of a story can have friends before the story even begins. They could be part of the journey, or only be there in the beginning. But not every hero has to start off as a loner with not any friends. It even has a better impact if they DO have friends or family, because it will give them more conflict when they have to or decide to leave them behind if they have to.
Jafar's Character
So, Jafar's character is something I actually absolutely do not like in this movie and I think they should have done it better.
In the original movie he was creepy. We knew from the beginning what he wanted, because the movie basically opened with him. He is calm and manipulative towards both Jasmine and the Sultan, which is why he gets what he needs. He even manages to get Aladdin involved with his schemes to get the lamp by getting him captured and locked up in the dungeons. Why? Well he just wants to rule Agrabah, that's why. When he puts down his mask and gets the lamp, he is maniacle and even more creepy. He actually wants to marry Jasmine, and magically puts her in chains and slave clothes. The age gap is very creepy, yes, but I feel like that is the whole point.
In this movie, he doesn't laugh or scheme. He isn't creepy. He is just plain angry all the time. He uses his magic staff to hypnotize the Sultan like in the movie, but not to get something he needs. No, to invade the country that used to be Jasmine's Mother's home. He is just busy trying to invade instead of actually trying to take over Agrabah. He isn't manipulative towards Jasmine either. He just straight up tells her that she should stay in her place and should be seen and not heard. That is not what the original Jafar would do. Not in that way at least.
Also his sudden backstory of also being a thief, but climbing his way up. How? We don't know, because it isn't said. It is only mentioned that he killed a lot of people and spend a long time in prison and that was actually in the queens kingdom. So that also makes me wonder how he became a grand visor and only second to the sultan. He does force Jasmine to marry him, but I don't even know why.
His final battle is simply using his powers to freeze everyone and choke people to death, while in the original movie he enjoyed toying with Aladdin and turned himself into an actual snake. In this movie it was simply turning Iago into a huge bird, and a chase to get the lamp back, eventually summoning a storm to get everyone back to the palace and captured.
Writer's note: In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with having a very creepy villain who wants the main character or something. I mean yeah, it's inappropriate and would definitely be problematic if you liked something like that in real life. But in a book or movie... I'd say as long as they get a satisfying ending I wouldn't mind too much. If the book revolves around it and it is actually a romance book where they end up together... That wouldn't be my kind of story. But still having a villain like this, wouldn't be much of a problem to me if it is written right.
Aladdin's Character
I do like this version of Aladdin. I think the fact of him being so socially awkward as he tries too hard to win over Jasmine instead of just being himself is funny and cute. It is also a bit understandable, because he doesn't think he is anybody. Being a prince makes him someone, and he is convinced that Jasmine wouldn't like the streetrat he used to be. That part is what I like.
Though I do feel like they took away a lot of his morally grey character. In the original, when he is stuck in the cave of wonders, he cleverly manipulates Genie into getting them out by pretending to undermine his powers. He's like: "If you can't even bring back someone from the dead, you probably aren't that powerful... Can you even get us out of here?" Which makes the Genie mad and use his powers to get them out, without it actually being an official wish. In this Movie, Aladdin takes the lamp and puts it behind his back as he says the wish, giving it to Abu. And because he didn't rub the lamp, that wish was apparently not counted as an official wish. I mean, clever, but the other version would have been better.
He also doesn't fight Jafar. He does manage to trick him into wishing to be a Genie while he is nearly being choked to death, but that is about all that happens. So, while I do like this version of him, he lost his more thief / streetrat like character.
Conclusion
So... I might have gotten too analytical and critical, because I found out there was a lot more "wrong" with it than I initially remembered. But to be honest it is still a good movie and I would watch it again.
So what is your favorite Disney Live Action movie if you have one? Do you like Aladdin as well? Any points I missed or you don't agree with? Please let me know in the comments, I would love to hear your opinion! As always, I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something from it.
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