Top 10 Differences Between Aladdin (2019) & Aladdin (1992)

Of all the predictions we had for the live-action “Aladdin” remake, a love story involving the Genie was… not one of them. Think about it: the Robin Williams Genie, while hilarious and imbued with phenomenal cosmic power, doesn’t really come off as a romantic lead, does he? Well, believe it or not, after a millennium in the magic lamp, Will Smith’s Genie is single and ready to mingle! We won’t give away too much, since it’s a cute storyline with lots of awkward flirting. But we will say this: the movie begins with the Genie recounting the tale of Aladdin and the magic lamp to his two children, in place of the Peddler seen in the animated original.

Disney characters rarely have mothers, and back in 1992, all Disney fans knew about Jasmine’s mother was that she wasn’t particularly discerning when it came to choosing a husband. Fortunately, this is another change: while Jasmine’s mother is still not in the picture in 2019, we do learn a few things about her. To start, she’s from the South Asian kingdom of Shehrabad, and Jasmine’s heritage as half-South Asian and half-Arab shows up in her wardrobe throughout the film. In fact, this also plays a part in Jafar’s schemes, as he hopes to invade Shehrabad. But, perhaps most importantly, we learn that the Queen was killed, and that’s the reason the Sultan is so protective of his only daughter.

One of the driving forces of “Aladdin”’s plot is that Jasmine needs to find a husband – although in the 2019 update, the reasoning has more to do with the politics of uniting different countries than the 1992 version. Replacing Prince Achmed from the original is Prince Anders of Skånland, played by Billy Magnussen. Casting a Caucasian actor in a story about the Middle East was met with controversy during production, and ultimately Anders is little more than comic relief when he is seen. Another new player who gives Jasmine more to do this time - something we’ll get into more - is Nasim Pedrad’s character, Dalia. As Jasmine’s handmaiden and really only friend - aside from Rajah, of course - Dalia is an A+ wingwoman.

The climax of the animated “Aladdin” involved a lot of impressive, dark magic performed by Jafar (and even the Genie). While the update follows a similar plot, it really amps up the action. For example, when Aladdin is sent to the ends of the Earth, he doesn’t just dodge a rolling tower; he needs to parkour his way out of a crevasse with Abu. But, perhaps the most intense change is the chase scene involving a giant Iago above the streets of Agrabah. This is actually a sort of tribute to the Roc, a mythical giant bird from Middle Eastern legend. All in all, it’s a thrilling culmination for the story, which is more appropriate for a live-action film.

We know Jafar as a tall, skinny, twisty-bearded sorcerer with a parrot for a best friend. His trying to marry Jasmine was creepy, because, as the Sultan eloquently put it: “You’re so old!” Well, the casting director of the 2019 remake went a different way. The new Jafar is different from his animated counterpart in many ways: firstly, he’s not just interested in ruling Agrabah; he’s dead-set on invading Shehrabad, Jasmine’s mother’s homeland. 2019 Jafar is also significantly younger, changing the dynamic between him and Jasmine - in fact, Twitter refers to Marwan Kenzari as “Hot Jafar.” Finally, we get a bit of Jafar’s backstory, which helps us to see that - had Aladdin made different choices - he easily could’ve ended up the same way.

Back in the ‘90s, the animated “Aladdin” took home two Academy Awards for its music - one for Best Score and one for Best Original Song. So, was it a little risky to mess with that formula for the 2019 update? Yes. But don’t worry, Disney purists: the original composer, Alan Menken, is back to revitalize the soundtrack! For Guy Ritchie’s 2019 update, Menken has written a new symphonic score that fits more within a live-action film than the 1992 version, but which takes its cues from the tone and motifs of the original. Be prepared to hear that score punctuate the important moments of the film beautifully.

The score isn’t the only musical aspect seeing some updates: the songs we know and love have been modernized or altered, and there are even some welcome additions we’re sure die-hard fans will love. Will Smith brings his hip-hip background to songs like “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali,” and “A Whole New World” is as soaring a duet as ever. But, the song that will likely blow viewers away most is a new one: Alan Menken teamed up with “La La Land” songwriters Pasek and Paul to write “Speechless;” a rousing solo sung by Princess Jasmine. Since this movie is about Jasmine finding her voice and speaking her mind, this song is sure to have fans cheering in their seats.

We all know there are rules when it comes to Genie wishes: you get three, you can’t have anyone killed, you can’t have someone fall in love with you, and you can’t resurrect anyone. Okay, fair enough. But you also have to be careful how you word your wishes… and that’s advice the 1992 Aladdin didn’t really heed. Like, let’s be honest, that “I wish for you to make me a prince” thing could’ve gone a very different way. Fortunately, Will Smith’s Genie gives Aladdin a lesson in semantics so he doesn’t end up with wisher’s remorse. What’s more, in the live-action remake, the wisher must rub the lamp whenever he makes a wish - which makes the Genie’s underwater rescue of our hero that much more complicated.

Although it was the highest-grossing movie of the year, Disney’s 1992 trip to Agrabah was not without its detractors - mostly because of the film’s primarily white cast and how Arab cultures were represented. As part of their effort to prevent similar backlash with the remake, the filmmakers behind the 2019 version hired cultural advisors and launched a major casting call to find triple threat actors of appropriate ethnicity. Though it reportedly took four months, and required filming to be pushed back, that audition process ultimately ended with Egyptian-Canadian actor Mena Massoud as Aladdin, British-Indian actress Naomi Scott as Jasmine, Dutch-Tunisian Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, Iranian-American Navid Negahban and Nasim Pedrad as the Sultan and Dahlia respectively, and Turkish-German Numan Acar as Hakim.

In the 1992 version, as in the original folk tale, Aladdin marries the Princess and succeeds her father as Sultan. To update the story, the 2019 version paints Jasmine as a much more ambitious princess, who wishes to follow in her father’s footsteps as ruler of Agrabah. So why can’t she? Ah yes, the old “there’s never been a female sultan” problem. Fortunately, by the end of the film, Jasmine has used her compassion and intelligence to help save the city from Jafar, proving to her father that she has all the tools necessary to be a skilled sultan, so she gets the job. Considering the real-life parallels, this is a refreshing and unexpected change to the story that updates it for a whole new world of fans.