Which means this ego-centric reprise is a perfect setup for the climax! And all of it will come back to bite him in the end. It’s a garish and classless victory lap by a guy who thinks he’s the smartest, funniest, most underappreciated dude in the room! All that vanity and ego is on glorious display in this short and sassy number. I mean, look at the final lines of this song: He did it by breaking down his wishes, his lies, his hopes, and all with a song number that dragged that meddling street rat for daring to mess with him! And here, in his greatest moment of victory, he didn’t just banish Aladdin to a far off land to be freeze to death. He cackled mercilessly when he snatched that lamp and left Aladdin dangling at the Cave of Wonders. He was totally delighted with himself when he used his extravagant snake-shaped staff to hypnotize the portly little Sultan. The exciting thing about Jafar was not that he was relentlessly power-hungry. By making Jafar a wannabe warlord, Ritchie and August not only played into problematic tropes, but also annihilated the fun of this Disney villain. Still, I missed his song while watching the new Aladdin. So some changes to this character make sense for 2019. Now, ‘92’s Jafar was problematic in his own right, with the queer-coding of its villain and the Middle Eastern character being voiced by a white actor, Jonathan Freeman. Even if you think he’s a scoundrel, it’s hard not to smile at the sheer verve of this performance. Then, Jafar embarrasses Aladdin in front of Jasmine by revealing the truth about his identity, and-the vicious cherry on top-he does it all to a mocking reprise of the song that victoriously marched Aladdin into the palace. Specifically, he uses his new sorcerer skills to strip Aladdin of his wished-for finery and his royal status as Prince Ali. It’s his moment! And he uses it to get very petty. He has all the power he’s ever wished for. And it’s all about mocking Aladdin.īy this point in the story, Jafar has the genie. In 1992’s Aladdin, Jafar drops his scowls and sneers for one spirited song number. Marwan Kenzari is given little to play besides seething over being “second.” But this problem of dull could have been solved by keeping Jafar’s reprise of “Prince Ali.” And on top of that, Richie and co-screenwriter John August’s attempt to make Jafar seem freshly menacing wasn’t only problematic, it was also boring. In her excellent in-depth review of the film, Roxana detailed how this depiction feeds into racist stereotypes of the power-hungry Middle Easterner. In this movie, Jafar’s motivation is purely more power. He also tries to convince the Sultan to wage war with a neighboring nation, which seems a naked ploy to extend the lands of Agrabah through ruthless conquest. He tells Aladdin he was once a street rat too, and later proves he hasn’t lost his touch as a pickpocket. In Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin, Jafar is given a new backstory and greater definition to his ambitions. Still, its energy and attitude was desperately missed from Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin. His song may not be as memorable as his peers. Jafar with his flair for the dramatic from his big, pointed shoulder pads, his wise-cracking parrot, and his bold, expressive eyebrows that worked in conjunction with his frown so plunging it pierced sewer lines. Scar with his dark spin on the Boys Scout oath “Be Prepared” and a backup dance team of hundreds of cackling jackals. Ursula with her tempting tune about “poor unfortunate souls,” complete with shade-throwing asides to her eel minions. Watch a clip from the sketch above, then grade this weekend’s episode below.I have a soft spot for the villains of the Disney Renaissance who were unapologetically extra. “Your dumb ass got married there – and that’s the gayest thing you can do!” Though the governor says it wasn’t his idea, Jafar still raises an eyebrow. Jafar also calls out DeSantis for his own (it’s true – Google it!) Disney World wedding – under villainous stage lighting, naturally. “My waist is snatched, my eyeliner on point, my final form is a yoked genie with gorgeous nails and a high micro-pony.” Also – lest you fall afoul of the evil vizier’s temper – Ursula, Scar, and Mulan are all LGBTQIA+ too, confirms Yang’s Jafar. “Of course i’m gay, you petulant fool!” he rails. In fact, Jafar is a little irate that Update host Michael Che didn’t realize that he’s gay. Or, as a character based on the aesthetic of 1001 Arabian Nights would say, “That carpet has flown.” He gives him props for being evil, but says that taking the gay out of Disney is a lost cause. The look is giving baby mayor,” says the exceedingly catty sorceror.
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