Aladdin, Dalia, and Breaking Of the Genie Fellowship
Okay, I but the bullet and saw the live-action Aladdin film for a friend’s birthday. It was… actually semi-decent? The acting was great, as were the effects. I do admit it’s not the same and still feels like a money grab.
One thing that has changed is the dynamic between Aladdin and the Genie. As someone who grew up on the television show, their friendship was very important to me, and is more so with Robin William’s passing.
A New Friend
In the original Aladdin movie and television series, the power trio is Aladdin, the Genie, and Jasmine. They work together to go on wild adventures and solve problems in Agrabah. Carpet, Iago and Abu get their episodes but they are relegated to sidekick. Genie is a deuteroganist who helps his friends grow.
After touring the world, genie comes back to Agrabah because he missed Aladdin, the first master that treated him like a friend. He decides to stay, help Al out of a tough spot when Jafar returns, and even organizes the big wedding in Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Genie cheerfully sings that hes doing to do everything to make his best friends wedding amazing.
Not Best Friends
Will Smith made his genie a bit cold and burned by previous selfish masters. He says he’s seen men who get undone by their greed and are destroyed by their wishes. On learning that Aladdin is cunning but kind, in that Aladdin does treat him like a person and not a slave, he mellows over the movie. Even when Aladdin hesitates on freeing him, Genie is calmer when telling him off than he is in the original film.
The biggest establishment of that is the take on “Friend Like Me.” Genie starts by making Abu do musical accompaniment with cymbals and a kazoo. On seeing Aladdin is confused and unimpressed, he goes all out on the musical number, making Abu play a wider array of instruments. The trumpets continually impress me.
Even so, Genie sings all about the superficial things Aladdin could have; which are lacking in warmth. He even doesn’t ask for Aladdin’s name until he hits the final verse. Compare to the original, where Genie gave Aladdin a warm welcome and explained the rules. His version of “Friend Like Me” was to make Aladdin believe in magic and that’s he’s not suffering from head injury hallucinations.
In short, the Genie isn’t Aladdin’s second platonic friendship buddy. They don’t spend the rest of their lives together with Jasmine. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since Genie in this version becomes a human when he is freed. He wants to see the world, but without his powers he can’t travel it all in a matter of weeks. It’s also implied he was once human before he became a genie, and wants to regain all the sensations. Genie wants to build a new life where he isn’t dependent on one of his former masters.
Who then does fill that gap? Without the power trio, joined later by a reformed Iago, who becomes the real platonic friendship buddy?
Dalia As The New Friend
Dalia is our audience surrogate. She is a handmaiden and lady-in-waiting who reminds Jasmine that marrying a handsome prince isn’t the end of the world when she would be able to rule once she married. What’s more, Jasmine has the final say in choosing her husband. That’s more than what most people would get. Where Jasmine has a sharp tongue, Dalia has sweet words. She’s not afraid to snark however.
Dalia balances that wisdom with awkward dork moments, such as when she realizes that Prince Ali’s right hand man — the genie in a human glamour — is hitting on her and wants to stroll with her through the gardens. She also gets a moment of cheering on the equally awkward Aladdin when he’s disguised as Prince Ali and makes a fool of himself. Dalia and Genie in short are on the same wavelength.
In addition, Jasmine is able to use Dalia’s name as a cover story when Aladdin rescues her from an angry shopkeeper. He mistakes he as being the handmaiden, and Dalia as the princess. It allows Jasmine for someone to see her a she is, and not just a princess. Aladdin doesn’t care that she lied, though; he just worries that he doesn’t have a chance with her because he’s not royalty.
So Dalia as a character is great. I’m just not sure about Dalia as Genie’s love interest. It’s not because Genie marries her and sails the world, having kids and a nice boat. They deserve all the best happiness, especially when they realize they want the same aspects in life. It’s that Genie already has a love interest in the previous series: a genie named Eden.
Eden Of the Bottle
Genie meets Eden after Abis Mal steals his lamp. She’s helping feed a girl named Dhandi who’s her new master, and Genie accidentally upstages her by showing off pizza slices with gumdrops. Eden reveals that she’s only nice to masters that she likes; when Abis Mal compels her to send away Genie and make himself all-powerful, she incorporates failsafes because he didn’t exact his wording.
Also, Genie and Eden have a relationship that doesn’t interfere with their obligations and other friendships. While Genie wants Eden to move into the lamp with him seconds after they meet, Dhandi accidentally wishes for Eden to stay with her forever. Eden doesn’t mind because Dhandi is an orphan and needs looking after, and she promises that she and Genie can still date. And they still do, throughout the series.
Changing the Fellowship
It doesn’t seem the Aladdin live-action will follow the spinoffs and sequels, where Genie comes back and has adventures with Aladdin. It’s a shame and a relief at the same time. I don’t want Disney to keep milking the cash cow.
Genie and Aladdin’s friendship isn’t the same here. Aladdin doesn’t need the Genie’s pep talks when he prepares for his wedding day. Genie doesn’t need Aladdin in this version as his bestie. That makes a person sad. But what do I know? I’m just a nostalgic Disney fan, wanting to see a Genie plan a man’s wedding.