• Light/Dark

Why can't Aladdin free the genie? I never understood that plot point.

Cow Mengde

Cow Mengde

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,884
I understand in order to marry Jasmine, Aladdin needed to be a prince. The genie made Aladdin a prince... Though it's a lie... I guess? Even though he's not a prince, the genie made him into a prince. How would freeing the genie cause any issues? He's a prince now. That's the whole point of granting 3 wishes. These wishes come true. Does freeing him automatically make the magic disappear? The movie never established that was a thing. Would everything he wished for disappeared if he used up all his wishes? If his wish was a lie, how would having a 3rd wish solve that?

This bothered me since I watched it as a kid. I just suddenly got reminded of it when people were talking about the live-action remake. I didn't see the remake. This is specifically for the original animated movie.
 

Strandr

Member
Oct 12, 2019
552
If he free'd the Genie then he'd have no way to ensure he'd get his second and third wish. He could have just freed him first and then Genie pisses off to tour the world
 
El_TigroX

El_TigroX

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,243
New York, NY
He was originally planning on using all 3 wishes on himself. He was keeping that one extra wish as a reserve... but then his heart of gold comes through and realizes he should free him.
 
hordak

hordak

Member
Oct 31, 2017
2,584
Anaheim, CA
cause if he freed the genie the movie would be over like half way into it? things happen or don't happen in movies so that other things can happen.
 
weemadarthur

weemadarthur

Community Resettler
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,671
He was waiting around to use his second wish before then freeing the genie. He planned to use the third one on that from the start.
 
Hero_of_the_Day

Hero_of_the_Day

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
17,592
My memory is fuzzy, but I'm confused. He DOES free the Genie, and it DOESN'T undo the other wishes, 'cause if it did Jafar wouldn't be a genie.
 
Lord Vatek

Lord Vatek

Avenger
Jan 18, 2018
21,930
Aladdin got psyched at the idea of being made sultan over a lie and he wanted Genie around for insurance.
 
LinkSlayer64

LinkSlayer64

One Winged Slayer
Member
Jun 6, 2018
2,341
Cow Mengde said:
I understand in order to marry Jasmine, Aladdin needed to be a prince. The genie made Aladdin a prince... Though it's a lie... I guess? Even though he's not a prince, the genie made him into a prince. How would freeing the genie cause any issues? He's a prince now. That's the whole point of granting 3 wishes. These wishes come true. Does freeing him automatically make the magic disappear? The movie never established that was a thing. Would everything he wished for disappeared if he used up all his wishes? If his wish was a lie, how would having a 3rd wish solve that?

This bothered me since I watched it as a kid. I just suddenly got reminded of it when people were talking about the live-action remake. I didn't see the remake. This is specifically for the original animated movie.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
You're missing the point, he is presented as a prince, it doesn't go away, but he doesn't come from a kingdom the genie magicked into existence, he only had the showmanship to present him as a prince. (It's a cartoon don't think too hard about the politics.)
He agreed to free Genie as the last wish, but the issue was that he suddenly realized all of the stuff he'd need to do as a prince: becoming sultan and how he was deceiving everyone, he felt he wasn't fit to do the things they wanted him to.
He couldn't free the genie because he would need the wish to fix things, or wish to have the power or knowledge to become a Sultan.

Edit: now why he didn't pass the lamp, well that's a better question. as people make below.
 
Studge

Studge

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,083
I was always bugged by the fact that he didn't pass the lamp around to the sultan, Jasmine, Abu, carpet?, etc. for a bunch of wishes to get good shit done before freeing him. How about a never ending supply of fresh water for the whole kingdom? Make it so no one ever gets mad enough to do violence to others. Infinite food to solve hunger? They were all very united at the end so I'm sure they would trust each other not to fuck shit up.
 
radioactivez0r

radioactivez0r

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,290
He built a house of cards based on a lie, so if something started to make it tumble, he needed the genie as an insurance policy to fix it. Eventually, of course, he realizes it's what is inside that counts blah blah and can let go of that farce.
 
gozu

gozu

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
10,442
America
Studge said:
I was always bugged by the fact that he didn't pass the lamp around to the sultan, Jasmine, Abu, carpet?, etc. for a bunch of wishes to get good shit done before freeing him. How about a never ending supply of fresh water for the whole kingdom? Make it so no one ever gets mad enough to do violence to others. Infinite food to solve hunger? They were all very united at the end so I'm sure they would trust each other not to fuck shit up.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

What you don't know is that every wish kills an entire solar system by using up all of its star's energy. Physics tell us it's the only thing powerful enough to power Genie magic.
 
Flaurehn

Flaurehn

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,402
Mexico City
The Hobo said:
Why didn't Aladdin just hand the lamp to Jasmine so she could wish the Genie free?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

The point is that the growth had to be from Aladdin, otherwise why not make Jasmine ask 3 wishes and then hand the lamp to his father so then he could wish the genie free? Is basically the same, he'd be neglecting the fulfilling of the promise he made
 
Mesoian

Mesoian

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Oct 28, 2017
27,206
Cow Mengde said:
I understand in order to marry Jasmine, Aladdin needed to be a prince. The genie made Aladdin a prince... Though it's a lie... I guess? Even though he's not a prince, the genie made him into a prince. How would freeing the genie cause any issues? He's a prince now. That's the whole point of granting 3 wishes. These wishes come true. Does freeing him automatically make the magic disappear? The movie never established that was a thing. Would everything he wished for disappeared if he used up all his wishes? If his wish was a lie, how would having a 3rd wish solve that?

This bothered me since I watched it as a kid. I just suddenly got reminded of it when people were talking about the live-action remake. I didn't see the remake. This is specifically for the original animated movie.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

So...he can.

But you should read the original Aladdin fairytale to understand why that's a BAD IDEA.
 
NunezL

NunezL

Member
Jun 17, 2020
2,723
He does free the genie OP. He just wanted to use his first two wishes before that.
 
KillstealWolf

KillstealWolf

One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
16,544
For a run-through on the wishes...

Escaping the Cave: Aladdin uses his cunning to trick the genie into getting him out of the cave, Genie accepts he's been out-witted, but no more freebies.

Turn me into a Prince: This wish goes through mostly, but Jasmine hates Prince Ali's bombastic entrance, so Aladdin still has to win Jasmine over, Aladdin can't expose that the Genie actually makes him into a Prince, and the cast gradually find out the truth as the film progresses (Jasmine catches Aladdin out during the Whole New World sequence, Jafar catches him out when he sees Aladdin has the Lamp)

Save from Drowning: Forced wish Aladdin has to make after the Royal Guard nearly kill him on Jafars orders (Jafars Hypnotism on the guards? I can't exactly remember this part).

At this point, Jafar gets expelled, Aladdin and Jasmine are in love, all is well, but the Sultan drops that Aladdin will become the next Sultan and rule Agrabah and it's people, which is way too much for him to handle. He has no idea how to handle this and feels that he may have to use his final wish just to get himself out of this situation, thus breaking his promise to the Genie. Shortly afterwards, Iago steals the lamp and gives it Jafar, making Jafar the master now and Jafar will keep an iron clutch on the Lamp as best as he can.

Jafar wishes to be Sultan (No one respects him as Sultan though) then wishes to be a Sorceror (So people will respect him), Jafar exposes Aladdin's lie and un-princes Aladdin. and then sends him flying (Carpet gets Aladdin back to Agrabah), after a confrontation Jafar then get's tricked by Aladdin into using his last wish to become a Genie (Jafar's undoing), Aladdin get's ownership of the Lamp back. The law is still in effect, Genie offers Aladdin to make a prince again but Aladdin has a change of heart and needs to be who he really is, no more lies, and wishes for Genie's Freedom. Sultan after seeing this Selfless act abolishes the law saying only princes can marry the princess and the two get happily married ever after the end until Return of Jafar.
 

Deleted member 33533

Banned
Nov 17, 2017
12,864
KillstealWolf said:
At this point, Jafar gets expelled, Aladdin and Jasmine are in love, all is well, but the Sultan drops that Aladdin will become the next Sultan and rule Agrabah and it's people, which is way too much for him to handle. He has no idea how to handle this and feels that he may have to use his final wish just to get himself out of this situation, thus breaking his promise to the Genie. Shortly afterwards, Iago steals the lamp and gives it Jafar, making Jafar the master now and Jafar will keep an iron clutch on the Lamp as best as he can.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Thanks for this, I completely forgot this part of the movie
 
Swiggins

Swiggins

was promised a tag
Member
Apr 10, 2018
11,593
What Aladdin should have wished for was a Lawyer to tailor his wishes and get around loopholes.
 
RiOrius

RiOrius

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,094
Mesoian said:
So...he can.

But you should read the original Aladdin fairytale to understand why that's a BAD IDEA.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
True dat. Ancient, inhuman beings of incredible power unleashed upon the world? Not on my watch. Yeah, he's been buttering me up for a couple days, acting all goofball Robin Williams, but that could easily be part of a stone-cold, calculating act that he's perfected over thousands of years, waiting for a chump like me so he could wreak his revenge on all of humanity.

That said, slavery is also bad. So there is the acceptable compromise of wishing genies to become free human beings with no magical powers, stripped of any arcane knowledge or secrets of the universe. That might be safe...
 
Vulcano's Assistant

Vulcano's Assistant

Member
Oct 29, 2017
13,743
I personally wouldn't fucking feel safe without a final wish just in case after I almost get murdered and had to use the second wish to survive.
 
krae_man

krae_man

Master of Balan Wonderworld
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,738
It's been a while since I've seen the movie, but I don't think Aladdin used his last wish. Didn't he just say "Genie, you're free"?

With the cave escape, Aladdin says "Hey, I still get my 3 wishes. I never actually said I wish. You did that on your own"

OMG THE GENIE COULD HAVE FREED HIMSELF THE WHOLE TIME.
 
Ultimate Bear Cub

Ultimate Bear Cub

Member
Mar 30, 2019
9,233
He explicitly says, "Genie, I wish for your freedom." Then the line you remembered is uttered for emphasis and dramatic effect.
 
Lagamorph

Lagamorph

Wrong About Chicken
Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,355
When Genie was worried about Aladdin not being a Prince anymore, why didn't they just give the lamp to Jasmine so she'd get 3 new wishes, one of which could be to make Aladdin a Prince again, then they've still got 2 wishes left between them to do whatever before wishing for Genie's freedom?
 
UltraMagnus

UltraMagnus

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
15,670
The Hobo said:
Why didn't Aladdin just hand the lamp to Jasmine so she could wish the Genie free?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

DimGraciousGrub-size_restricted.gif
 
Ultimate Bear Cub

Ultimate Bear Cub

Member
Mar 30, 2019
9,233
Well...I mean if you want the sultan's palace to become a starkiller base then yeah sure. Let Jasmine make her wishes then free the genie. If she even could, after getting a taste of a two-wish power shot...

From a genie's advocate position the ownership of the lamp can potentially pass willy-nilly, postponing with each owner's cold feet on the third wish. Suddenly, the revamped Agrabah would invite so much attention from surrounding areas that freeing the genie is outright a bad idea. Thus begins the Lamp Wars...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.