Only someone with the charisma and the grandiosity of Will Smith could pull off the showy, over the top parts of the Genie without feeling like a less impressive karaoke version of Robin Williams and yet still have the acting confidence to play some of his scenes with a much quieter and serious energy.
In context, however, it becomes very clear what a great job Will Smith did here.
He goes big without feeling like a copy and yet pulls back enough to have some real heart.
There are enough similarities that fans will recognize and appreciate the Genie, but there are enough clear differences here to feel original and unique.