How does one make a magical Disney film that stands the test of time? Having a classic Arabian story flipped on its head with a wisecracking Genie and some gargantuan thrills certainly helps. It’s hard to believe that the original and wonderful Aladdin was released thirty years ago this November, and just as satisfying to know that the film is still held in high regard by many fans, Disney or otherwise.
The film is about an impoverished young man named Aladdin who steals food with his monkey sidekick, Abu. Aladdin is known as the town "street urchin." He gets caught stealing by the guards of Agrabah and is imprisoned, before coming across the kingdom’s Grand Vizier Jafar in the guise of an old man, who frees Aladdin in order for him to procure a magic lamp from the Cave of Wonders. After being betrayed by Jafar, Aladdin, Abu, and his magic carpet are stuck inside of the cave with the lamp Abu was able to swipe from Jafar, which is when the real fun begins.
This film is yet another example of Disney’s creative imagination hard at work. Aladdin is based on the story "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp" from the classic collection of Middle Eastern folk tales, One Thousand and One Nights. Admittedly, the source material bears very little resemblance to the 1992 film version. However, changing the source material to something new through the process of literary adaptation isn't always a bad thing. In some cases, as in Aladdin, it may lead to a better film altogether.
After 27 years, Disney decided to remake the Arabian classic in 2019. Before it was even released, however, it was already being criticized for a variety of reasons, chief among them being Will Smith’s look as the Genie, with many describing him as an incarnation of the Blue Man Group. The remake opened to mixed reviews from critics in comparison to the original’s critical acclaim. So the question remains: why does the original Disney film remain superior to its live-action remake despite being made three decades ago?
Jafar is Better-Portrayed
In the 1992 animated Aladdin, Jafar is the Grand Vizier to the Sultan of Agrabah. His main objective is to retrieve the lamp from the Cave of Wonders by finding “the diamond in the rough,” who turns out to be Aladdin. Jafar is a devious, conniving and spiteful older man. The live-action Jafar, portrayed by Marwan Kenzari, seems too young to be playing the role and might even be confused as Aladdin’s potential brother. This 2019 Jafar may attempt the same devious plans as his animated counterpart, but he completely lacks the charisma and villainy of the original (voiced by Jonathan Freeman, who spent nearly two years perfecting his voice-over work).
Understandably, the filmmakers behind the live-action remake seemed to want to go for a more realistic look, wisely casting several excellent Middle Eastern actors. Their attempt to make Jafar into a more authentic representation make sense (and Kenzari is a very good actor in his own right, winning awards for Wolf and being featured in the upcoming Black Adam), but it backfired and came across as miscast and disingenuous.
Robin Williams' Presence
Will Smith had some incredibly big blue shoes to fill when taking the spotlight as the Genie in place of the late, great Robin Williams. While Smith does his best at portraying the whimsical blue Genie, he still remains stuck in Williams’ shadow.
Williams’ zany vocal performance, with wild tonal variations and a multiplicity of unique characteristics, was an energetic feat in itself. What’s so brilliant about the Genie character is that it was just Robin WIlliams being Robin Williams. Williams was acting so much like himself that a lot of what was said in the recording booth was actually improvised by the master himself, as seen in the delightful outtakes from the film.
Smith’s performance wasn’t terrible, but it almost seems like an extension of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and is limited in range, whereas Williams channels a litany of différent personalities which becomes his humorous schtick throughout the film, giving the audience a certain level of comfort in watching Williams work.
More Genuine and Creative Artistry
One thing that remains as beautiful to behold now as it did in 1992 is the unmatched artistry and detail of the animated Aladdin. The sketch artists paint a perfect portrait of the fictional world of Agrabah and capture the majesty of the Cave of Wonders. Those scenes were utterly imaginative and true to the spirit of the original text, and the rich and vivid in its drawing almost looked like something out of a dream.
The live-action iteration seems to have had its vivid colors washed away for something more realistic, and only to the film’s detriment. Given that the remake is a live-action film, there is only so much that you could achieve in reality where animation would not have much of an issue. The terrifying transformations of Jafar, the visual puns of the Genie, and the exciting colors of the action sequences simply can't be matched by any live-action iteration.
Animation has the ability to add elaborate scenes mixed with cartoonish glee and infuse them into a background that may not be historically accurate but is still fun to watch. The filmmakers behind the 2019 remake dropped some elaborate sequences like the lava chasing after Aladdin on his new-found carpet, and the Cave of Wonders in the remake looks dull with muted colors in comparison to the 1992 animated sequence. One even wonders why Guy Ritchie was chosen to direct the film; his manic, profane sensibilities are completely incongruous to the utter charm of the original, which remains the greater version now and probably forever.