Written by: Kevin Berge
Genie's pretty great... when he isn't blue. (Image Courtesy of: rogerebert.com)
Quick Take: Aladdin (2019) does not prove its need to exist, but it is charming and enjoyable with Will Smith and Naomi Scott adding just enough to make it worth seeing. It tries its best to be progressive and forward-thinking, but it mostly just rests on being fun enough.
***This review will not contain any spoilers beyond the basic set-up of the story not even expecting the reader to have seen the animated original. You can read ahead without risk.***
Disney's insistence on live action remakes has grown fairly tiresome. While charming at first, only The Jungle Book has stood the test of time these past few years. I expected very little from Aladdin for this very reason, and I was ultimately pleasantly surprised.
The original Disney animated film is fairly run of the hill. It is fine with a few good tracks, but it mostly just rides Robin Williams' charm. This live action remake does the same with Will Smith though it does try harder to be more than just a comedian vehicle.
This story takes some interesting steps that mostly work in bringing Aladdin (Mena Massoud) from charming street rat to the palace to impressive Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) with the help of The Genie (Will Smith). In particular, it gives some more weight to Jasmine as a character and her role in the story.
I won't give it too much credit as it often feels fairly limited in scope with a new song added to the film that encapsulates the major problem of the movie through writing that is far too one dimensional. Naomi Scott (Power Rangers) brings her all to the role though and makes the most of the chances she gets.
Aladdin also feels a bit more nuanced though it's mostly surface-level depth. Mena Massoud (Open Heart) comes off fairly bland particularly trying to work off the charismatic work of Will Smith (Men in Black), who is putting some of his best work in years both comedically and dramatically.
Everyone is trying really hard, and it is endearing. They want to bring so much weight to this story without the writers doing a great job backing it up. Marwan Kazan's (What Happened to Monday) Jafar is particularly emphasized by this problem as he is far more than a generic power-hungry villain, but it doesn't stop him from being bland.
Disney's insistence on live action remakes has grown fairly tiresome. While charming at first, only The Jungle Book has stood the test of time these past few years. I expected very little from Aladdin for this very reason, and I was ultimately pleasantly surprised.
The original Disney animated film is fairly run of the hill. It is fine with a few good tracks, but it mostly just rides Robin Williams' charm. This live action remake does the same with Will Smith though it does try harder to be more than just a comedian vehicle.
This story takes some interesting steps that mostly work in bringing Aladdin (Mena Massoud) from charming street rat to the palace to impressive Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) with the help of The Genie (Will Smith). In particular, it gives some more weight to Jasmine as a character and her role in the story.
I won't give it too much credit as it often feels fairly limited in scope with a new song added to the film that encapsulates the major problem of the movie through writing that is far too one dimensional. Naomi Scott (Power Rangers) brings her all to the role though and makes the most of the chances she gets.
Aladdin also feels a bit more nuanced though it's mostly surface-level depth. Mena Massoud (Open Heart) comes off fairly bland particularly trying to work off the charismatic work of Will Smith (Men in Black), who is putting some of his best work in years both comedically and dramatically.
Everyone is trying really hard, and it is endearing. They want to bring so much weight to this story without the writers doing a great job backing it up. Marwan Kazan's (What Happened to Monday) Jafar is particularly emphasized by this problem as he is far more than a generic power-hungry villain, but it doesn't stop him from being bland.
In this adaptation, Jasmine wears 10x as much clothes. (Image Courtesy of: inverse.com)
The music is also not improved in the remake. Disney probably did not go far enough with allowing Smith to add his own spin to the Genie's signature songs, and Naomi Scott and Mena Massoud sound a bit too studio corrected to feel genuine in their ballads.
Despite all this, I would absolutely watch Aladdin again. After getting over the initial frustrations with the CGI, this movie actually does a lot right visually. It is gorgeously colorful with some impressive costume and set designs that sparkle on the screen.
In many ways, this movie feels like it is trying to mimic Bollywood with its vibrancy and heavily choreographed dance numbers though an Americanized Bollywood production directed by Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes) was never going to quite work.
Much of Ritchie's signature style is fairly muted here, but his love for slow motion action and comedic sensibilities work well within the framework. It is far from his best work, but he does not flounder with a film that felt like it should not work for him.
While I can see the familiar and warranted criticisms that come with all of these Disney remakes, I think this one mostly makes its claim to exist. Perhaps it still lends too much to the animated counterpart, but this movie is entertainment for all ages that shines through with pure will.
It even tries really hard to make up for the original's faults. It tries so hard, and I commend it for that. With just a bit more time put behind the writing, this could have really surprised a lot of people.
Despite all this, I would absolutely watch Aladdin again. After getting over the initial frustrations with the CGI, this movie actually does a lot right visually. It is gorgeously colorful with some impressive costume and set designs that sparkle on the screen.
In many ways, this movie feels like it is trying to mimic Bollywood with its vibrancy and heavily choreographed dance numbers though an Americanized Bollywood production directed by Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes) was never going to quite work.
Much of Ritchie's signature style is fairly muted here, but his love for slow motion action and comedic sensibilities work well within the framework. It is far from his best work, but he does not flounder with a film that felt like it should not work for him.
While I can see the familiar and warranted criticisms that come with all of these Disney remakes, I think this one mostly makes its claim to exist. Perhaps it still lends too much to the animated counterpart, but this movie is entertainment for all ages that shines through with pure will.
It even tries really hard to make up for the original's faults. It tries so hard, and I commend it for that. With just a bit more time put behind the writing, this could have really surprised a lot of people.
