Skip to main content

disney - Aladdin: Why Did Wishes Get Revoked?


In the 1992 Disney adaptation of Aladdin, by my count, at least two wishes get revoked without explanation.




  1. Aladdin becoming a prince gets revoked. Somehow. The answer here suggests that Jafar zapped him back to being a peasant, but I'm not sure that makes sense. It looked like Jafar was just revealing Aladdin to be a peasant--not transforming him back. Keep in mind, at this point, Jafar is still less powerful than the genie, and it took the genie several minutes to do the forward transformation.

  2. Jafar's wish of being Sultan gets revoked. And, in this case, there isn't any explanation I can think of. After Jafar wishes to become Sultan, he wishes to become the most powerful sorcerer. He never gives up being Sultan. Yet, somehow at the end of the movie, the real Sultan has his clothes back (how did that happen, anyway?), and he's Sultan again!


The question is: what justifies these?



Answer



The script is very clear on the first point. Jafar doesn't just remove his Aladdin's fancy clothes, he fully reverts him to being a peasant: He literally zaps [Prince] ALI back to [commoner] ALADDIN:



Yes, meet a blast from your past
Whose lies were too good to last
Say hello to your precious Prince Ali!



(JAFAR zaps ALI back to ALADDIN.) - Aladdin Disney Script



In the second case, Jafar doesn't just wish to become the most powerful sorcerer in the world (which he already is, courtesy of wish #2) but to literally become a genie. Now, I appreciate that there's no logical reason why you couldn't be both a sultan and a genie but the phrasing of the wish suggests he no longer wishes to be merely the sultan, he now wants to be a genie instead



JAFAR: Slave, I make my third wish! I wish to be an all powerful genie!


GENIE: (Reluctantly) All right, your wish is my command. Way to go, Al.



If we assume that Jafar stops being the Sultan, then the rightful Sultan would then resume his title and position (and because people need to see this visual change, get his clothes back too).


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...
Post a Comment
Read more

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...
Post a Comment
Read more

tolkiens legendarium - Did Gandalf wear his Ring of Power throughout the trilogy?

After Gandalf discovered that Sauron was back and sent Frodo on his quest to Rivendell, did he continue to wear Narya (one of the Three Rings)? It seems like a huge risk to continue to wear it after the Nazgûl (Ringwraiths) started to try and reclaim the One Ring; if they managed to get the ring to Sauron, couldn't he be corrupted by his power? Whatever powers Narya bestows upon him couldn't possibly be worth the huge risk, could it? Answer When Sauron forged the one ring and put it on his finger, the other ring bearers were immediately aware of him and his intentions and removed their own rings. There is no reason why they couldn't merely do so again. As soon as Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger they were aware of him; and they knew him, and preceived that he would be master of them, and of all they wrought. Then in anger and fear they took off their rings. "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," Silmarillion
Post a Comment
Read more