It’s kind of telling that the mention of an Aladdin sequel says nothing about the return of Jafar doesn’t it? That could be due to the fact that the writers are still trying to come up with a creative way to bring back the old tale in a more vibrant and fitting manner, or it could be that they’re just not telling since the collective groan that Jeremy Dick of MovieWeb mentioned when people heard that Aladdin was getting the live action treatment could possibly be even louder since like many stories the original ended on such a good note that it was hard to think about another movie, and then another when the tale was left with a very pleasing conclusion, especially when it came to the live action version. The genie’s been freed, the evil vizier has been turned into a genie and sent far away, female empowerment was given its due as Jasmine became the sultan, and the underdog was given his day yet again as Aladdin became the hero that helped save Agrabah. How could the ending have been any more perfect? There are ways certainly, but for a story such as this the idea of the Genie making his way into the world, with a woman he loves no less and has children with as the beginning of the story tells, the ending we saw was actually quite touching. But this is Disney we’re dealing with so any chance to make another cash grab and push a heap of merchandise and marketing onto the public was bound to happen.
Sure it’s cynical, but not in a manner that promotes anything other than the need to tell a pleasing story and then let it rest for a while. The straight to video movies that came out after the animated Aladdin weren’t really all that great or recognized despite the fact that Robin Williams was absent for the Return of Jafar and came back for the third movie that featured Aladdin’s father of all people. Both were cash grabs in their own right and both were amusing enough to watch but still not the blockbusters that Aladdin was, as they kind of reinforced the idea about sequels that many people have gone on and on about. That should have been recognized in a manner that might have made those in authority think that such a thing had been tried before and didn’t pan out. Instead they likely saw that it had been tried before and were ready to go at it from another angle. That can-do spirit is great and all, but letting a story rest for a while before digging in yet again is a big reason why some people get tired of certain movies and want to move on instead of working themselves up for the experience yet again. This is a big reason why Disney has felt the need to hold off on any Star Wars movies for the time being since the over-saturation of the idea has left a lot of people worn out and ready to simply give it a rest when it comes to the overall story. While Aladdin isn’t nearly the epic that Star Wars is it’s still a great enough movie that it should be given its rest for the moment and left alone for a while to age just a bit instead of being touted out yet again as Disney tries to make a few more million on something that might feel rushed and not at all equal to the first movie.
It is entirely possible to wear out a story and it tends to happen when the story is pushed too far and isn’t allowed to mature or even rest before it’s being used again and again. While it’s apparent that the writers are researching other stories that might be allowable to use with Aladdin it’s also enough to think that if the entire cast does return as it’s been rumored one has to think of why they wouldn’t try to remake the Return of Jafar and hit it out of the park this time with a live performance that would make people stand up and pay attention to it this time. Instead, making a straight to DVD release (since there’s no idea if this movie will hit theaters yet) would be yet another reason to wonder just why Disney can’t bring themselves to understand that people do in fact get tired of the movies they pump out and will go elsewhere for entertainment unless they’re willing to come up with new and exciting ideas that might have something to do with the fans’ favorite characters but is not bound to be a story that is centered around them. It’s an odd idea really, but it’s one that might bear some looking into, if Disney ever grows tired of doing the same old thing.
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