Aladdin on Disney Plus: Comparing the live action and cartoon characters

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Mena Massoud as the street rat with a heart of gold, Aladdin, and Will Smith as the larger-than-life Genie in Disney’s ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie. Photo: Disney /

Robin Williams vs Will Smith

If you’re going to discuss Disney’s Aladdin, you have to bring up Genie. Genie may be the reason that this movie was so popular. His antics were funny, and his songs were memorable and entertaining. Robin Williams was the original voice of Genie. It seemed almost blasphemous to cast anyone else to play him. However, if anyone can come close to recapturing that magic, it’s Will Smith.

Will Smith had the same lovable aura that Robin Williams had. In the live action version, Genie’s songs were done differently. Will Smith’s had a little more funk to them. He performed them with more of a hip-hop-kind of swagger.

Robin Williams’ version was a lot more fun. He made it more childlike and innocent. Watching the two again, the Robin Williams version was happier. Honestly, it could be nostalgia. Robin Williams holds a special place in the hearts of everyone, especially people who saw Disney’s Aladdin in the 1990s.

Advantage: Robin Williams

It wasn’t just the songs. Robin Williams was better overall. It’s almost as if the part was tailor-made for him.

The part where he tells Aladdin to be honest to Princess Jasmine still hits our emotions hard. The way he interacted with the flying carpet and the impersonations were flawless. As good as Will Smith was (and he was good), Robin Williams was the better of the two.