Aladdin Review: A Somewhat Updated World

 

Aladdin is the story of a peasant (Mena Massoud) in a fictional Arabian kingdom who dreams of a better life than living on the streets, fighting for scraps of food. Through a chance encounter, he meets Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and they share a connection and a few things in common. Aladdin is later tricked by the nefarious Jafar (Marwan Kenzari)—a sorcerer who dreams of seizing power himself—to retrieve a magical oil lamp. The so-called “diamond in the rough” succeeds at his mission, but Jafar’s betrayal allows Aladdin to discover the lamp’s true power: the genie (Will Smith) who lives inside, willing to grant three wishes to whomever he serves, and in that Aladdin sees an opportunity.

What works in Aladdin is the blend between familiar and modernized. Writer and director Guy Ritchie appeared to understand the supreme challenge that lay at his feet—adapt the 1992 animated classic while overcoming some of its more problematic elements such as the portrayal of women. Continuing with this example, Ritchie gives Scott far more do as Jasmine, including a new song and character arc. Ritchie also has discreetly, but wisely, closes some obvious plot holes (like why anyone can’t recognize Aladdin when he simply trades his street clothes for opulent robes).

RELATED: Aladdin: Will Smith Talks The Emotion That Came With The Role Of The Genie

A major question going into Aladdin was whether or not Smith could get out from Robin Williams’ blue smoky shadow that he left after his iconic take on The Genie. The answer is a little mixed. There’s no denying that Smith is a tour de force of charisma, and he does bring that in spades to Aladdin. His humor differs greatly from Williams’, so he correctly passes on impressions and accents, in favor of big smiles, knowing glances, and line delivery. Smith also puts his own subtle spin on the music, weaving in an element of hip hop to both “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali.” Are his renditions better, or even on par, with their 1992 counterparts? Not really, but that bar is absurdly high and the efforts here are enough to make the musical numbers plenty of fun in the moment.

While Aladdin gets plenty of points for effort, it lacks a little bit in style. It appears that the majority of the special effects budget went to Smith’s genie while forgetting that the entire rest of the film needed to be made. The costumes are rather stunning, but anything CGI looks out-of-place and dated, distracting every now and again from the spectacle. There’s also the question of purpose—did the animated feature truly need a refresh? Probably not, but exercise appears to have had the goal telling the tale using a racially diverse cast and making some of the aforementioned upgrades.

Aladdin will likely be enjoyed by the whole family: littler ones will squeal with delight at the Genie’s antics, while parents will happily tap their toes with the Disney music of their youth. While it doesn’t come close to the animated classic, that was probably a wish that was never going to be fulfilled.

Recommended if you enjoyed: Beauty and the Beast (2017), Cinderella (2015)

FINAL GRADE: B+

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