Genie (Aladdin)

Genie is a fictional character from the Disney animated features canon movie Aladdin, as well as related series and sequels. For the original movie, his voice was provided by Robin Williams, though it was later taken over by Dan Castellaneta (better known as the voice of Homer Simpson), after a contract dispute between Williams and the Walt Disney Company. Castellaneta continued to voice the Genie throughout Aladdin the Series, as well as the direct-to-video feature The Return of Jafar, before Williams reprised the role for the final installment of the franchise, Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Castellaneta also voiced Genie in the Kingdom Hearts series by Square Enix and Buena Vista Games.

Like popular versions of genie myth, Disney's Genie was originally a slave. Though he possessed what he called "phenomenal cosmic powers", he was bound to a magic oil lamp and could only use his powers when the owner of the lamp (his master) made a wish. Each master had three such wishes. The lamp came into the possession of the character Aladdin during the course of the first movie, and remained in servitude until the end of the movie, when Aladdin used his third and final wish to grant Genie his freedom.

As well as largely driving the plot in the first movie, the Genie serves as a comic relief element in each of his appearances. He is shown to have incredible shape-shifting abilities, which allow for many and varied sight gags, and the Genie's supernatural disposition permits him to break the fourth wall, as well as parody real-life people and popular culture completely outside of the boundaries of the fictional universe in which he is contained. Robin Williams is responsible for most of these because he had a tendency to ad-lib the role and be so funny they had to add these jokes.

Along with the character of Iago the parrot, Genie is one of the most well recognised of characters from Disney's Aladdin franchise.

Extent of Genie's power
Genie's powers were reduced after the first movie (usually explained as a drawback from obtaining his freedom), as he admitted in The Return of Jafar. Evidence of his power reduction can be observed by comparing the first Aladdin movie to the Aladdin TV series.

In the first movie, Genie's powers are described as a type of magic that never fails. He can do anything except the 3 forbidden things: murder, making one fall in love, and raising the dead (A fourth limitation prevented his master from wishing for more wishes). In the TV series, his magic fails very often, and he appears to be somewhat clumsy in using his powers; becoming trapped inside of objects such as common bottles. This sometimes results in his defeat or humiliation by a less powerful villain.

Trivia

 * An earlier draft of the script for the original movie had the Genie becoming human at the end - becoming the shopkeeper/narrator at the beginning of the movie (also voiced by Robin Williams) - though this idea was cancelled when it became clear that potential sequels were more viable with the Genie character intact.
 * The Genie's gold bracelets were used in the first movie as a symbol of his enslavement to the lamp, serving as his shackles which fell off upon his release (similarly, when Jafar is turned into a Genie it is the appearance of his own gold armbands that apparently bind him to his own lamp). Despite this, Genie is shown to be wearing his gold armbands (or similar ones) in every appearance except in the first movie. Howerver, in one episode of the Aladdin series he commented that he only wears them for fashion.
 * Throughout the three feature length Aladdin movies, Genie transforms 12 times into another Disney character (not counting a second time he becomes Jafar). These characters include Pluto, The White Rabbit, and Pumbaa.
 * The casting of Robin Williams as the Genie paved the way for other live-action celebrities to be cast in voice acting roles.
 * The Genie is the mascot of DisneyQuest, an "indoor interactive theme park" located in Downtown Disney at the Walt Disney World Resort.
 * Although freed from his lamp, Genie now considers it his getaway place. If the lamp were destroyed, Genie would still remain with his powers because he's freed, unlike Jafar.

Quotes

 * Aladdin
 * "Rule number one: I can't kill anybody. Bleurk! [Slices own head off] So don't ask. [Sticks head back on] Rule number two: I can't make anybody fall in love with anybody else. [Kisses Aladdin] You little punim there! Rule number three! [Lies flat on back then rises, transforming into hideous 'undead' creature with Peter Lorre voice] I can't bring people back from the dead. It's not a pretty picture. [clutching at Aladdin] I DON'T LIKE DOING IT! [Transforms back to normal] Other than that, you got it."
 * "Tell her the TRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTH!!"
 * "You're getting your wishes so SIT DOWN!!"
 * "Hang on to your turban, kid. We're gonna make you a star!"


 * The Return of Jafar
 * "He's big, He's blue, HE'S BACK!!"
 * "You don't see this guy hang out with any evil parrots!"


 * Aladdin and the King of Thieves
 * "Mom always said, magic is as magic does."
 * "I see, I see, NOTHING for your future in clothes like this."