Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
Aladdin (2019)
(Walt Disney Pictures)
By Lucas Allen
1992’s “Aladdin” remains one of Disney’s most beloved animated films and one of the titles that helped save its animation studio. It’s also best remembered for the late great Robin Williams’ beloved performance as the Genie. With the recent clout of adapting their animated classics into live-action blockbusters, Disney naturally brings back the colorful adventure for a new generation of fans. The new version is brought to life by visionary filmmaker Guy Ritchie, who’s best known nowadays for his Sherlock Holmes films.
In the town of Agrabah, a young thief named Aladdin (Mena Massoud) survives each day with the help of his pet monkey, Abu. He meets a beautiful princess named Jasmine (Naomi Scott), who’s snuck out of her kingdom to mingle with the townsfolk. She dreams of a better life beyond her kingdom, and her sultan father (Navid Negahban) has insisted she marry Prince Anders (Billy Magnussen) of Skanland. Just then, Aladdin gets caught and ends up in the clutches of the evil Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) for a sinister plan.
At the Cave of Wonders, Aladdin finds a magical lamp that unleashes the blue Genie (Will Smith) with a three-wish contract. For his first wish, Aladdin wishes to become a prince to impress Jasmine because of his love for her. As Prince Ali of Abudah, he manages to connect with the princess especially through a magic carpet ride. But Jafar and his parrot Iago (Alan Tudyk) becomes aware of the act and threatens to steal the lamp and the Genie for his own means.
It’s easy to criticize a Disney movie like this for basically retelling a classic animated movie in live-action form especially for something as beloved as Aladdin. But for all that trouble, the movie still manages to succeed in extending this story while offering new takes on classic moments we all remember. It shares some of the original’s magic just enough that both longtime fans and newcomers can find something to enjoy. At its two-hour length, this movie doesn’t outstay its welcome and it’s very worth watching.
In the tradition of these Disney movies, the visual appeal is astounding, with a variety of colors splashing on the screen. The production value and cinematography are well-made to the point that it looked like every cent of the budget shows the commitment the filmmakers put a lot into. Some of the CGI can be wonky, but it’s not too distracting enough that you’ll be busy being entertained by the spectacle. The original songs are also well performed by the actors especially “Friend Like Me,” “Prince Ali,” and “A Whole New World” feel just as magical as when they were first written.
Smith brings his own voice and comedic timing to the Genie role successfully without simply replaying what Williams did before. He’s also naturally entertaining by reminding us why we loved the Fresh Prince to begin with. Massoud makes a very believable version of the title character, while Scott makes a lasting impression as a strong female lead. Kenzari is a fine Jafar, but doesn’t have enough of the character’s evil personality in the original to make him very threatening.
Like the other live-action Disney remakes, “Aladdin” handles its tricky journey to the screen and comes out as entertaining and magical in its own way. But it won’t be the last of these this year, so we’ll see how the upcoming “The Lion King” will stack up.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG (for some action/peril)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)
