In some ways, Aladdin is like a buddy comedy between Aladdin and the Genie. He follows through with his promise and wishes the Genie free. Do you think that happens every day? But Aladdin knows he can't turn his back on the Genie after all the big guy has done for him. Hey, he says, what Aladdin's got is true love. The Genie is willing to stay a prisoner in the lamp for Aladdin. I-what? ALADDIN: Genie, you're free!Īww, doesn't that just our warm little hearts. GENIE: One bona fide prince pedigree coming up. ALADDIN: Jasmine, I do love you, but I've got to stop pretending to be something I'm not. Al, you're not gonna find another girl like her in a million years. ALADDIN: But Genie, what about your freedom? GENIE: Hey, it's only an eternity of servitude. Just say the word and you're a prince again. They each offer to sacrifice for the other: In the end, Aladdin and the Genie prove that they're true friends. Will he use his wishes to help his friend the Genie? Or will he hog them all for himself in the end? His status as a Disney hero depends on the answer. Not only does this all set up a nice subplot for the big blue guy, but it also raises the stakes a bit for Aladdin. You thought living in your parents' basement was bad-try being stuck inside a teeny, tiny lamp for centuries. Turns out being trapped inside a lamp and being forced to grant other people's wishes for all eternity is kind of bummer. Not have to go, "Poof! What do you need? Poof! What do you need? Poof! What do you need?" To be my own master, such a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in all the world! Phenomenal cosmic powers! Itty-bitty living space ALADDIN: Genie, that's terrible. ALADDIN: You're a prisoner? GENIE: It's all part-and-parcel of the whole genie gig. They go something like this:ĪLADDIN: What would you wish for? GENIE: Me? No one's ever asked me that before. But the Genie gets some hopes and dreams of his own. It would be easy for the Genie just to hang out like a big old Santa Claus granting wishes and staying out of the way. He may have to obey them, but he doesn't have to like them. He's able to size his masters up with a quick glance. Unlike the Sultan, the Genie is actually a pretty great judge of character. Tonight, the role of Al will be played by a tall, dark and sinister ugly man. GENIE: You know Al, I'm getting really-I don't think you're him. Since Aladdin was able to enter the Cave of Wonders to get the lamp, he must be A-Okay, right? A good egg in a world of rotten tomatoes.Ĭontrast that with how the Genie reacts to seeing Jafar for the first time: He's rooting for Al to win, and he's willing to throw in a little magic to help him along the way.īut why? Well, maybe the Genie knows from the moment he meets Aladdin that he's a good guy. In a way, the Genie's kind of like a stand-in for the audience. He's the one who keeps pushing Aladdin to tell Jasmine the truth and to be himself. He sticks by the kid and advises him throughout the film. The Genie is also loyal to Aladdin right off the bat. Hey, you try being cooped up in a lamp for ten millennia and see if you don't act a little wacky when you get out. When the Genie tells us that he's been cooped up inside that lamp for 10,000 years, we get the feeling that this is his idea of cutting loose. We're talking huge Broadway-style production numbers, folks. He cracks jokes, morphs from one form to the next to get laughs, and breaks into song when the mood suits him. You've met characters like that before.īut there's more to the Genie than meets the eye.įrom the first moment we meet him, it's obvious this guy is a showman. He's a big, blue shapeshifter who has the power to dole out wishes to whoever rubs his lamp. In many ways, the Genie is a lot like other famous wish-granters that have come before him. So what's up with this guy and his wish-granting powers? Genie of the Lamp This big blue puff of smoke of bursts onto the scene and wins our hearts right away. You ain't never had a friend like the Genie.
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