While Aladdin might be a Disney classic, the movie’s magical lamp actually makes no sense upon a re-watch. Aladdin is a classic story where the protagonist seemingly learns the timeless lesson of being careful about what you wish for. The 1992 animated Disney movie sees Aladdin transform from a young thief into a rich prince when he frees the Genie from a magic lamp, and the Genie grants him three wishes as a result. Aladdin then learns he should have stayed true to himself when he woos Jasmine, only for him to fear she won’t love his real self thanks to this lie.
However, this is where the harsh realities of re-watching Aladdin rear their head. This storyline doesn’t really make sense, thanks to the movie’s all-important magical lamp. The Genie goes to the trouble of explicitly outlining the many terms and conditions that come with his wishes, ensuring that Aladdin is completely aware of his magic and its limitations. However, he then fails to grant Aladdin’s wish, and the movie never properly acknowledges this fact. The entire premise of Aladdin falls apart when the viewer questions what exactly the lamp and the Genie do for Aladdin after leaving the cave.
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The Magic In Aladdin Doesn’t Make Sense (& His Use Of The Lamp Proves It)
The magic in Aladdin doesn’t make a ton of sense, as the wishes he asks of the Genie are supposed to become reality. When Aladdin tells Robin Williams’s Genie that he wishes to become a prince, the Genie then claims that he can grant this wish. However, Aladdin and the Genie spend the rest of the movie going to elaborate lengths to maintain the facade of Aladdin being a prince instead of Aladdin just magically becoming one. Inevitably, Aladdin faces the consequences of this grift when he gets in trouble for lying to Jasmine, who thought he was a real prince.
The problem with this plot is that the lamp should have made Aladdin a real prince. The entire plot line of Aladdin hinges on the main character’s fear that his deceit will be uncovered, but theoretically, he shouldn’t have to lie at all. Making Aladdin a prince is within the Genie’s remit and doesn’t violate any of his rules, so there is no reason for the Genie to instead make Aladdin a pretend prince. Aladdin’s villain Jafar eventually exposes the entire ruse, but the movie never explains why there was any lie to expose in the first place.
The Genie’s Failure To Actually Grant Aladdin’s Wishes Creates A Disney Plot Hole
The fact that the lamp doesn’t make Aladdin a real price means that Aladdin’s Genie isn’t as magical as he claims. There is no in-universe justification for the Genie making Aladdin a fake prince instead of a real one, although this would have been easy to write. If Genie warned Aladdin that running an entire kingdom was a lot of work and responsibility, the character could have changed his wish and decided he wanted to pass as a prince to woo Jasmine. However, he doesn’t do that in the movie, meaning that Aladdin’s Genie can’t be as powerful as the Disney character claims.
Aladdin (1992)
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- Release Date
- November 25, 1992
- Director
- Ron Clements , John Musker
- Cast
- Scott Weinger , Robin Williams , Linda Larkin , Jonathan Freeman , Frank Welker , Gilbert Gottfried , Brad Kane , Lea Salonga
- Runtime
- 90 Minutes
- Budget
- $28 Million
- Studio(s)
- Disney
