Disney's Aladdin

After watching Aladdin for what seems like only the second time, I can tell why this movie was such a big hit when it came out. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and every part of the plot line. The movie has Disney written all over it, and it keeps many of the features you would expect from such, including an ending where the protagonist has a happily ever after. However, I think this movie was a great shifting point from earlier Disney films. Aladdin very much got to the same place that every Disney movie is meant to get to, however, I think the great feature about this movie is the WAY they got to the happily ever after.

Aladdin incorporated many elements which we had never seen before in any previous Disney movies and which we can tell were incorporated into future films thereafter. From the very beginning we have the merchant and his ability to break the fourth wall and talk to the audience which kicks off the tale which really set the tone for how the rest of the movie as going to play out. Combined with the great humor from Robin Williams, the story of Aladdin took an unexpected much more playful approach to the tale. Charismatic and charming, Aladdin tackled many life lessons in the movie as a whole.

Starting with a rags to riches story, perhaps the most straightforward plot line was Aladdin's ability to get to where he wanted to be by being himself. Looking back at it now it is amazing to think about how such a simple plot was extended throughout a whole movie and made so engaging for the audience. The presence of the genie and limited wishes gave the story a more playful tone while still maintaining a high stakes situation. I feel like as I was watching the movie I always knew where it was going to end. Yes, Aladdin was going to end up with the girl and of course Jafar would be defeated, however I was thoroughly impressed at the twists and turns the story took. The charisma of the Genie combined with the relentless attitude from Aladdin made a perfect partnership in order to defeat the antagonist. We see this sort of partnership pop up in later Disney films such as Hercules, and Moana. That playfulness and charisma really drives the story forward and allows the storywriters to write just about anything and it would all make sense because both of these elements are at work.

Additionally, Jasmine's character was worked on extensively in what I believe to be a great stepping stone for females in Disney Movies. From the start Jasmine made it clear that she was not simply a damsel in distress and was perfectly capable of helping herself. That strong personality made the love she found with Aladdin feel a bit more genuine and allowed the audience to cheer for it a bit easier than in past Disney movies where the question really stood if what we were watching was a bit of a stretch for love.

Overall, I deeply enjoyed this movie and it is fun to look back at the different stepping stones that Disney took as a company in order to figure out what works and what doesn't in terms of making a blockbuster film. Aladdin was definitely an example of what a successful story looks like.