Parents need to know that Aladdin is the 1992 Disney animated retelling of the classic Middle Eastern folktale Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (a live-action remake came out in 2019). The bad guy, Jafar, can be pretty scary for younger kids with his sorcery and mind control -- as can scenes in which Aladdin is chased by henchmen with giant swords and mythological monsters. There's also some cultural stereotyping: scheming Arab and Jewish merchants with large noses, for instance. Potty humor includes burping and bad guys getting the seat of their garish underwear torn off by an angry tiger. But Genie provides plenty of comic relief to the more dangerous moments; the late Robin Williams is in full-force free association as Genie's voice, channeling everyone from Rodney Dangerfield to William F. Buckley and providing some laughs for the adults in the room, too. Also expect a bit of mild name-calling and some revealing outfits on Princess Jasmine and curvy dancers. Overall, the theme of being true to yourself should resonate with families and inspire discussion between parents and younger kids about not changing who you are simply to please others.
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Products & Purchases
some
Jasmine is a Disney princess whose brand reaches far and wide. Expect to see princess branding on consumer merchandise, food products, etc., as well as in books, websites, and other media.
Violence & Scariness
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Big henchmen pursue Aladdin with swords, threats to Aladdin's life. Scary mythical monsters, perilous chase scenes, and near escapes. Jasmine is chained to a chair and forced to feed Jafar. One character is eaten by a mythical sand creature.
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Very curvy ladies dance about in scanty outfits -- in fact all women are barely clad in this movie. Aladdin and Jasmine kiss and hold each other close on their first date.
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"Love conquers all" is the big message; also themes of friendship, loyalty, honesty, fulfilling your promises. Characters learn and demonstrate courage, perseverance, humility.
Positive Role Models
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Aladdin is a sweet underdog with a big heart, but he's also pretty obsessed with treasure and puts himself in all kinds of dangerous situations to get it. He pretends to be someone he's not to impress Jasmine. Jasmine is spirited and has strong opinions. Genie is loyal to Aladdin beyond the requirements of their bond. Jasmine's father is caring and attentive, though weak-minded. Jafar is a terrifying leader who subjects people to punishment and peril.
Educational Value
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Retelling of Middle Eastern folktale and one of the best-known stories in the classic work Arabian Nights.
Diverse Representations
Flagged for concern
Stereotypes Middle East as barbaric and features two-dimensional caricatures of Arabs and Jewish people. Jasmine doesn't have enough agency.
Good music and animation. Love Robin Williams as genie. I don’t like the messaging. Aladdin is a thief and he encourages Princess Jasmine to sneak out. Her father is depicted as an overbearing idiot. I still can’t comprehend why Princess Jasmine needed to be depicted all sultry for a scene. I don’t think this is a kids movie.
What's the Story?
In this animated Disney adventure, street urchin ALADDIN (voiced by Scott Weinger) woos Arabian Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) by pretending to be a prince. He gets help from an exuberant blue genie (Robin Williams), who grants him three wishes. But before this story ends happily ever after, Aladdin must tell Princess Jasmine the truth about his identity, and defeat evil royal adviser Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) -- neither task an easy one!
Jasmine is no Belle and Aladdin is no Beast, but add a big blue genie voiced by Robin Williams to the picture, and you've got a very entertaining Disney movie. Williams brings humor and vitality to a movie that might otherwise be just another "princess forced to marry against her will" story. His imagination and antics clearly inspired the animators, too, and every scene with the genie is off-the-charts creative.
Songs like "A Whole New World" and a magic carpet with more personality than all of Disney's animal sidekicks put together help give scenes without the genie a lift. Jasmine is spunky even though her predicament isn't very original, and Aladdin is sweet and eventually learns his own self-worth. DVD extras include a virtual magic carpet ride in which viewers speed through different Arabian settings as if on a roller coaster, a fun interactive 3D tour of Genie's lamp, and music videos by pop singers Clay Aiken and Jessica Simpson.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the contradictions in the characters in Aladdin -- how people can be both good and bad, and learn from their mistakes. Ask kids how they think Aladdin acted selfishly or unselfishly throughout the movie.
What are some other examples of Disney adapting classic folktales? Is it cultural appropriation to use stories from other cultures when only White directors, writers, and voice actors are hired in the making?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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