It’s fair to say that in the months leading up to its release, Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin received its fair share of bad press. There were concerns about the director, the actors, the storyline, the production – the complaints and worries went on and on.
Considering the (most modern) source material here – Disney’s cult classic 1992 Aladdin– it’s not too surprising that news of a live action remake wasn’t met with unbridled joy. The film, with its iconic songs, flashy musical numbers, lovable characters, luscious art and treasured Robin Williams performance, is a piece of many childhoods. When the trailer for 2019’s version first dropped, Will Smith’s Genie seemed to fall far below the expectations of the moviegoing public. So really, with expectations at rock bottom, it’s not a shock to find that this live action remake is a bit of a pleasant surprise. A diamond in the rough, you might say…
The story remains much the same as in the 1992 film. Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a street urchin with a heart of gold, who has a chance encounter with Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and falls head-over-bare-heels in love. The machinations of the Disney universe conspire to put a mystical magic lamp in Aladdin’s hands, out of which springs Genie (Smith), who offers his new master a trio of wishes. Of course, it isn’t as simple for Aladdin as wishing all his problems would be solved, and he soon finds himself in danger from Agrabah’s forces and the evil Jafar (Marwan Kenzari).
The setting of Agrabah in the animated film was one of visual riches, all intoxicating colours and captivating landscapes. That’s replicated here, best showcased as Aladdin swings through the cityscape on another pickpocketing mission. Jafar and Aladdin are both motivated, in one way or another, to get their hands on an antique – and Ritchie himself is very much dealing with pre-loved, pre-owned and secondhand goods here. He makes a good go of it though, imbuing the film with plenty of fun and wonder. The film itself doesn’t ever really hit the ‘wow’ mark, but is buoyed by the catchy tunes, beautiful set design and strong performances by Scott and Massoud, who begins a bit wobbly but wins through in the end.
There’s one new song thrown in – performed excellently by Scott, who does quite a bit of scene-stealing – and care has been taken to right some of the woeful racist stereotypes and tropes that plague the animated film (a street carnival scene seems to reference cultures from right across the world, which Ritchie manages to pull off as representative, rather than overly appropriative) though, apart from that, the major changes to the film are mostly cosmetic. It’s not exactly a Whole New World, but it’s a nice upgrade on an old one – there’s always room for nostalgia and playful happiness in a Disney, early-summer blockbuster, after all. There’s a line at about the halfway point that talks about being “clumsy, but in a charming way”. It’s an incredibly perceptive line about the film itself – it probably should have been the tagline.
The story remains much the same as in the 1992 film. Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a street urchin with a heart of gold, who has a chance encounter with Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and falls head-over-bare-heels in love. The machinations of the Disney universe conspire to put a mystical magic lamp in Aladdin’s hands, out of which springs Genie (Smith), who offers his new master a trio of wishes. Of course, it isn’t as simple for Aladdin as wishing all his problems would be solved, and he soon finds himself in danger from Agrabah’s forces and the evil Jafar (Marwan Kenzari).
There’s a line at about the halfway point that talks about being “clumsy, but in a charming way”. It’s an incredibly perceptive line about the film itself – it probably should have been the tagline
The setting of Agrabah in the animated film was one of visual riches, all intoxicating colours and captivating landscapes. That’s replicated here, best showcased as Aladdin swings through the cityscape on another pickpocketing mission. Jafar and Aladdin are both motivated, in one way or another, to get their hands on an antique – and Ritchie himself is very much dealing with pre-loved, pre-owned and secondhand goods here. He makes a good go of it though, imbuing the film with plenty of fun and wonder. The film itself doesn’t ever really hit the ‘wow’ mark, but is buoyed by the catchy tunes, beautiful set design and strong performances by Scott and Massoud, who begins a bit wobbly but wins through in the end.
There’s one new song thrown in – performed excellently by Scott, who does quite a bit of scene-stealing – and care has been taken to right some of the woeful racist stereotypes and tropes that plague the animated film (a street carnival scene seems to reference cultures from right across the world, which Ritchie manages to pull off as representative, rather than overly appropriative) though, apart from that, the major changes to the film are mostly cosmetic. It’s not exactly a Whole New World, but it’s a nice upgrade on an old one – there’s always room for nostalgia and playful happiness in a Disney, early-summer blockbuster, after all. There’s a line at about the halfway point that talks about being “clumsy, but in a charming way”. It’s an incredibly perceptive line about the film itself – it probably should have been the tagline.
Of course, the film may be called Aladdin but we’re not really there for the rogue-turned-prince. It’s all about the blue guy – and indeed, many would-be fans were quite perturbed by Smith’s Tobias Fünke-style hue in the trailer. Fears can be left in the cinema foyer though, as Genie spends much of the film out of his blue skin, leaving Smith more room to put on some of his signature comedic moves that we haven’t seen much of for the last decade or so. 2019’s Genie is less manic, a little more biting, and less fantastical than Robin Williams’s iconic cartoon persona, but the film doesn’t suffer for it. Instead, Genie is made more human, more relatable and less of a limelight-stealer, which allows Massoud the chance to blossom into the leading man role.
Another upgrade that must be mentioned is to Princess Jasmine, whose iteration here offers more voice, heart, character and agency than the animated version. Scott is excellent, and the character makes for a great on-screen role model for the scores of children who’ll likely be seeing this over the coming weeks.
In thinking about this film, the phrase “less is more” comes to mind. Ritchie and his team didn’t fix what wasn’t broken, and in doing so have managed to capture most of the fun and levity of the original film and transfer it to the live action arena. It’s a bit clumsy, sure, but it’s much more charming. Funny, nostalgic, warming, lively, entertaining, colourful… a Disney live action success? Someone at the House of Mouse has obviously used up one of their three wishes.
It’s a bit clumsy, sure, but it’s much more charming. Funny, nostalgic, warming, lively, entertaining, colourful… a Disney live action success?
Another upgrade that must be mentioned is to Princess Jasmine, whose iteration here offers more voice, heart, character and agency than the animated version. Scott is excellent, and the character makes for a great on-screen role model for the scores of children who’ll likely be seeing this over the coming weeks.
In thinking about this film, the phrase “less is more” comes to mind. Ritchie and his team didn’t fix what wasn’t broken, and in doing so have managed to capture most of the fun and levity of the original film and transfer it to the live action arena. It’s a bit clumsy, sure, but it’s much more charming. Funny, nostalgic, warming, lively, entertaining, colourful… a Disney live action success? Someone at the House of Mouse has obviously used up one of their three wishes.
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