Disney’s Aladdin Review
I’ll admit, as a hardcore Disney fan who was a little girl during the golden age of Disney films, I was skeptical about a live action Aladdin from the beginning. I have been a fan of Will Smith all my life as well and still… The Genie? Really?
Within the first two minutes, Aladdin had me sold. By the time I was quietly singing along to A Whole New World, I’ll admit I got a little teary eyed at seeing one o fly favorite childhood cinematic moments brought to life. The visuals, the music, and yes even a blue Will Smith, all meld to immerse you in this world of Aladdin that feels grounded in reality despite the fantastical story.
Unlike Beauty and the Beast which paid homage to its predecessor with shot for shot recreations, Aladdin somehow manages to maintain the nostalgia of the original while feeling like an entirely new telling of the story at the same time. From the very first song it’s clear that this version is going to go its own way, but the blending of new musical elements with old is absolutely seamless and only enhances the film. Visually the movie truly feels like Agrabah brought to life. There’s no sign of cartoonish excess. They don’t try overly hard to match costumes to those of the cartoon characters, and the setting feels as real as can be.
For those that will always think of Aladdin as Steve (Scott Weinger) from Full House, I promise you this Aladdin will capture your heart just the same. Mena Massoud exudes all the street rat charm you’ll need to fall for him just as fast as Princess Jasmine. Naomi Scott imbues Jasmine with a strength worthy of the new song, Speechless. Personally, I enjoyed the new “girl power” message.
Most importantly there wasn’t a single moment of the film that I felt disrespected Robin William’s legacy. Will Smith’s Genie is entirely his own, complete with rap breaks in the songs. The film doesn’t reuse William’s classic jokes at any time, offering fresh comedy more in the Fresh Prince’s style. I found myself holding my breath in anticipation of classic Genie moments like the applause sign or the moment he turns into a bee, but the film handles every beat of the Genie’s comedy with a new take that maintains the laughter without infringing on a Robin William’s performance that was largely his own improvisation in the original.
My one complaint would be a relatively minor one. The character of Iago, voiced by Alan Tudyk, feels butchered. The comic relief he brought to the evil side of things in the animated version is completely gone in this one. The parrot hardly speaks, and the CGI felt a bit rough to me. Especially in comparison to the excellent CGI of Rajah, Jasmine’s pet tiger.
My purist Disney princess fangirl heart was very satisfied with this new addition to the Disney live action world.
