"To be free. Such a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in all the world." â Genie
Initial thoughts before viewing: I was Princess Jasmine for Halloween in 1993. I also wanted a pet tiger. Enough said.
If you have never seen Aladdin (which would be hard to believe) or need a refresher, here is a link to the movie's Disney Wiki page where you can read the plot summary.
Highlights:
-Aladdin was the cure for "prince charming disease." Early Disney princes are considered the victims of âprince charming disease:â relatively unremarkable characters and virtually interchangeable to the general public (Koenig, 106). That all changed in a big way with Aladdin. Aladdin is the first prince figure who is featured as the sole main protagonist of an animated feature. He's also the first prince figure who is not born into royalty. Another big first: the prince figure is actually more likeable than the princess. â[Jasmine] is yet another princess in an animated film whose basic dilemma centered on who she was going to marryâ (Koenig, 217). Headstrong and impetuous, Jasmine runs away from the palace in an attempt to run away from her father and her problems. In the opening scenes of the film Jasmine laments her privileged and trapped role as princess, a stark contrast to Aladdinâs role as a street rat struggling to survive. Aladdin is relatable because he is a regular guy who actively works to achieve his dreams. Aladdin is a character often gets overlooked because, well, the supporting cast of this movie is stupidly strong: but never forget that Aladdin broke barriers for Disney princes!
-Aladdin's "unimpeachable moral character." There's a joke about how the Sultan prides himself on being "an excellent judge of character" (all the while Jafar is manipulating him), but he's actually 100% right when he calls out Aladdin's "unimpeachable moral character." This is in fact Aladdin's defining trait - and why his wish to become a prince ends up backfiring. Despite looking like a prince, deep down Aladdin knows he is a fraud, and even being with Jasmine isn't worth his integrity in the end. Aladdin is, after all, the diamond in the rough. đ
-We have to talk about "A Whole New World." Is this Disney's greatest romantic love ballad ever? Probably. This song is such a part of our pop culture that it's hard to imagine what it would be like hearing it for the first time in 1992. With lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Alan Menken, this song went on to win an Oscar ("Best Original Song"), a Grammy ("Song of the Year"), and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in March of 1993, replacing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." No too shabby. Aladdin is almost 30 years old (gah!), and this song still slaps.
-The value of freedom. All the main characters are trapped in one way or another. Aladdin is trapped in his "street rat" label, Jasmine is trapped in the palace and its rules, the Genie is literally trapped in his life of servitude, and even Jafar is trapped in his Royal Vizier role (close to the Sultan but not close enough to actually rule Agrabah as he desires). The movie is all about how these characters struggle to break free of these bonds. While Aladdin ultimately accepts who he is ("I've got to stop pretending to be something I'm not"), other characters like the Genie are able to escape their binds. Jasmine gets a hybrid resolution: she gets *some* freedom when she picks Aladdin as her husband, but is still held back in her role as a princess. (But hey, maybe she got more physical freedom after Jafar got canned...?)
-Aladdin and Genie are the real love story. Is Aladdin actually a buddy movie? There's a strong case for this, especially when you consider that Aladdin ultimately chooses his friendship with the Genie over his romance w/ Jasmine. After all, the emotional climax of the film is when Aladdin fulfills his original promise and wishes for Genie's freedom. As lovely and sincere as the romance between Aladdin and Jasmine is, the real heart of the movie is the relationship between Aladdin and Genie. đ
-Robin Williams. Film critic Roger Ebert famously wrote "Robin Williams and animation were born for one another, and in "Aladdin" they finally meet. " What could I possibly say about the late great Robin Williams that hasn't already been said? I don't often get choked up about celebrity deaths, but when Robin Williams died, I certainly felt like a part of my childhood was gone. His immaculate work on Aladdin will never be matched, and it's a comfort to know that this wonderful man will continue to touch people even after his death through this movie.
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Robin Williams at a press junket in college, and I can confirm that he was just as warm and hilarious as all the stories make him out to be. I was a lowly intern at the time, and Robin Williams was the only "talent" who ever stopped to say hello and shake my hand. A true privilege.
-Aladdin's unique animation style and color pallet. The Genie was designed and animated by Eric Goldberg, who was inspired by cartoonist Al Hirschfeld's signature curvy style. This style, coupled with inspiration taken from the flowing Arabic style and script, influenced the entire movie, from its characters to its backgrounds. Animators incorporated curves and thick/thin flowing lines into the design style of the film. The color pallet of the movie was also limited to 3 main hues to help convey a character's intentions: darks/reds (bad), blues (good), and yellows (neutral). This broader art style better complimented the tone of the movie, which was much more of an exuberant comedy than most Disney animated features before it.
Disliked:
-Aladdin is a white fantasy. I remember feeling a jolt of shock when I first saw a photo of Linda Larkin, the pretty blonde haired, blue eyed voice actress of Jasmine. And Aladdin, of course, was voiced by all-American Scott Weinger, better known as Steve from Full House. In fact, the entire main voice cast of Aladdin is Caucasian. Even the physical inspirations for Aladdin's character design (Tom Cruise) and Jasmine (animator Mark Henn's sister) were white. Yikes.
None of this went unnoticed. The film was swiftly criticized for perpetuating Orientalist stereotypes of the Middle East and Asia. Many have called out the light-skinned, anglicized features (plus Anglo-American accents) of Aladdin and Jasmine which contrast sharply against the pushy, greedy street merchants who have Arabic accents and ugly facial features. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote "Most of the Arab characters have exaggerated facial characteristics - hooked noses, glowering brows, thick lips - but Aladdin and the princess look like white American teenagers."
But that's not the worst of it: The original lyrics included in the opening number ÂArabian Nights described Agrabah as a place âwhere they cut off your ear if they donât like your faceâ and âItâs barbaric, but hey, itâs home.â This line was eventually changed for the 1993 video release to "Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense" following a successful petition by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).
Random Thoughts I Had While Watching:
-Why does everyone love Jasmine so much? While Princess Jasmine certainly has moments of agency, she mostly feels like a bit of a wasted character. She starts out very determined to run away in order to live her own life, but she very quickly returns to the palace and then, well, sort of forgets about wanting to leave again...? The scene where she's crying in her room and the Sultan comes to console her feels completely out of character and make me cringe. Is she an overrated Disney princess? Interestingly, she's the only "official" Disney princess who is NOT the lead of the movie she's in. Heck, she's not even the secondary lead (hello, Genie).
In a rare instance where a live-action remake of an animated feature did something worthwhile, the 2019 version of Aladdin actually expanded/empowered Jasmine's role. In that version, Jasmine's fighting to change the law so that she can rule Agrabah as a Sultana without having to marry.
Closing Thoughts:
-There's a lot of joy here. Aladdin is arguably Disney's best example of a true musical comedy. It doesn't take itself too seriously while still imparting meaningful, heartfelt messages like "be yourself." The Genie leads an incredible supporting cast (so much so that the protagonist himself often gets overlooked in the fandom). The comedy is wickedly clever, albeit a little dated thanks to Genie's many 90s timestamped comedic impersonations.
-Where Aladdin cracks. It's stained by its ethnic insensitivity regarding character design and all-white voice cast and production crew.
Despite its clear and regrettable faults, at the end of the day, Aladdin is one of the most entertaining and charming Disney animated features. The film's gorgeous visual style and sweetly spirited energy make it a memorable, much beloved member of the Disney canon.
My Rating: 8/10
Koenig, David. Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation and Theme Parks. Irvine, CA: Bonaventure Press, 1997.
Aladdin, Platinum Edition DVD: Audio commentary
5 ways the new Aladdin film is less racist that the cartoon version, Saeed Saeed, The National Arts & Culture
The Aladdin controversy Disney can't escape, Sophia Smith Galer
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