Despite the mixed reviews, one thing's for sure: the 2019 remake of Aladdin is full of
references to its original, animated counterpart and also features quite a few noticeable creative
departures.
As fans of the original flick may remember, the scrappy, animated Aladdin begins his journey
by stealing a simple loaf of bread.
However, the live-action remake has our hero stealing not food from a street vendor, but
jewelry from an unsuspecting civilian.
It's not clear why this decision was made — especially since the song Aladdin sings
as he parkours through the market begins with the lyric, "One jump ahead of the breadline
…" — but perhaps it's because Aladdin's jewelry snatching ways become a central plot
device of the movie when a stolen bracelet from Princess Jasmine gives him an excuse
to see her again.
"You cannot just break into a palace like you own the place."
"If you don't have anything, you have to act like you own everything."
As universally-beloved as Will Smith is, a Genie played by anyone other than the late
Robin Williams was a tough pill for some Aladdin fans to swallow.
Even Smith was hesitant to take on the role.
According to director Guy Ritchie,
"Excuse me.
If I was gonna talk to myself, I could've just stayed in the lamp."
"Uhh…"
"Use your big boy voice."
If fans are able to get past the initial shock of seeing the Fresh Prince as the Genie, they'll
be pleasantly surprised by the tribute paid to Robin Williams in Smith's rendition of
"Friend Like Me."
While the majority of the original musical number's lyrics remain the same, Smith brought
his own fresh take to the song — replacing Williams' hilarious quirks and accents with
his own flavor.
Smith told Variety:
Princess Jasmine's handmaiden, Dalia — played by Saturday Night Live alum, Nasim Pedrad
— is a brand new character in the 2019 Aladdin remake, providing buckets of comedic relief,
a love interest for Genie, and a much-needed friend for our princess.
As fans of the original likely remember, Princess Jasmine's best friend was Rajah — her super
protective pet tiger.
In fact, Rajah was pretty much Jasmine's only friend.
While Rajah is still very much a part of the live-action remake, the lonely princess has
found a new pal in Pedrad's Dalia — and these two are total BFF goals.
Naomi Scott, who plays Princess Jasmine in the remake, told The Hollywood Reporter,
Adding a second female character to the mix wasn't the only stride the 2019 live-action
Aladdin remake made.
The film featured some seriously feminist themes throughout.
In the 1992 animated flick, the thing Princess Jasmine desired most in the world was the
ability to marry for love, not politics or money.
When we first meet the live-action Princess Jasmine, love is the furthest thing from her
mind.
Instead, this princess wants the ability to BE the Sultan — not marry a Sultan.
And in a welcome surprise-twist at the end of the film, Jasmine finally gets her wish.
Also lacking from the original was a musical number for Princess Jasmine, aside from her
duet with Aladdin.
Thankfully, the remake features an empowering solo song for the princess, entitled "Speechless."
With lyrics like
...this is bound to be a go-to feminist bop.
The opening scene of the remake features Genie talking to two kids onboard a ship in the
middle of the ocean.
However, this version isn't big, blue, or Genie-like at all.
He's just a regular dude from a fictionalized version of Arabia.
So, what gives?
"Let's rewind the tape."
Much like in the original, our hero uses his final wish to set Genie free.
After all, he's lived for thousands of years in a tiny, magical lamp — something which
he detests.
In the animated movie, the Genie excitedly sets off on his first adventure as a free
being in super '90s garb — but he's very much still obviously the Genie.
However, in Guy Ritchie's live-action remake, Genie reverts to his human form when he's
set free — and the opening scene is revealed to be a glimpse inside his new life with Dalia
and their children.
Even more controversial than Will Smith's Genie before Aladdin's release was Marwan
Kenzari's Jafar.
While the Royal Vizier from the original, 1992 animated film was absolutely terrifying
- especially for little kids - the newly-updated, live-action Jafar is, in a word, attractive.
In fact, the villain's good looks left many an Aladdin fan confused about where exactly
their loyalties lie.
In December 2018, BuzzFeed writer David Mack posted a shirtless picture of Kenzari next
to a photo of the actor dressed as Jafar, tweeting:
"I hope [Jafar] wins."
Another Twitter user named Richard Newby expressed his appreciation of Kanzari's Jafar, writing:
"Honestly, Jafar looks like a super nice dude who would throw lavish parties with the dopest
mixtapes."
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