Aladdin

Aladdin is the first film in the Renaissance that I just don’t believe deserves its status within the studio’s output. If you focus solely on how enjoyable the Genie is, how nefarious Jafar is, or how adorable Abu and the magic carpet are, you’re on steady ground. Once you start expanding beyond these characters, things get problematic quickly.

Racial coding has been a problem with Disney since the Golden Era, and Aladdin leans into it heavily. While Aladdin and Jasmine are more Euro-centric in looks, Jafar and the various villainous characters are caricatures of Middle-Eastern facial characteristics. It doesn’t help matters that Aladdin and Jasmine are significantly lighter in skin tone than the villainous characters. Or the hyper-sexualization of various female characters. It just makes for awkward viewing as an adult.   

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about some of the other problems with Aladdin. The story reminds me of many of the Silver Era prince and princess films, the boring-but-noble leads weigh it down, and it’s only lively when the villains and adorable sidekicks are allowed to take center stage. Jasmine, in particular, is all lip-service to more forward-thinking ideals. Her tough talk is all bluster, as she’s frequently tossed aside when decisions need to be made, or in the action-packed finale.

While the story is slight, frequently lopsided in favor of Robin Williams’ manic vocal mugging, this is both the blessing and undoing of the film. While the genie is missing for the first thirty-minutes or so, the film manages to dive deep into fantastical imagery. The lead-up to his reveal is in an awe inspiring new location, and Williams gives the movie an energy no other film had before or since in the canon.

But this would also prove to be a problem going forward, both with the film and in the studio. Williams overtakes Aladdin, and when his character’s mad-libs aren’t center stage, everything appears slightly dull. His presence would lead the studio towards filling in various comedians as the main hero’s sidekick, providing anachronistic musing and bits of humor. It works here, as genie is an immortal character, who has been shown to travel in time, but it would prove problematic in later films.

I like Aladdin, but in terms of Renaissance films viewed so far, it definitely is the bronze medal winner. Some of this is a feeling of over familiarity with the scenarios, characters, and situations. 1940’s The Thief of Bagdad was an obvious influence, if I am being generous in my word choice. Disney borrowed many situations and characters from the film, Jafar and the Sultan being prime examples. In comparison to that imaginative and enchanting epic, Aladdin is a pale imitation. A typical fairy tale story dressed up in exotic costuming. Not the worst film in the Renaissance, but it’s definitely middle of the road, only beloved because of Robin Williams’ memorable and endearing Genie.