• Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Services and Products
    • Educational Guide
    • Travel Agent

Disney in your Day

A blog all about Disney

  • Disney World planning
    • Theme parks
    • Resorts
  • Disney Subscription Boxes
  • Gift Guides
    • Disney Stocking Stuffers Guide
    • Disney Etsy Holiday Gift Guide
  • Disney at Home
    • Recipes
    • Crafts and DIY
You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Aladdin live action review

Aladdin live action review

May 28, 2019 by Becky 9 Comments

Aladdin live action - Disney in your Day

Disney has been going strong with the live action remakes of classic animated films, and they’ve been hit or miss – both with the public and myself.  While I loved Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, I hated Maleficent and Dumbo.  Aladdin had faced a fair bit of criticism before release, both due to Will Smith as the genie and some cultural concerns. So what did I think of the movie?

I really enjoyed it! While the animated film is certainly superior, I liked this version a lot and was really happy with it. It stays pretty true to the original while making a few changes, the majority of which I was pleased with.

Aladdin live action - Disney in your Day

First and foremost, I think people need to stop hating on Will Smith. I found him to be a great genie! His sense of humor and personality is very different from Robin Williams which I thought was a good thing – we don’t need a copycat. They kept a couple of the iconic lines but added a lot of new material as well.  It was still extremely funny – the scene where Aladdin first meets Jasmine as “Prince Ali” had me laughing a ton.

Smith is a good singer and I liked his version of Arabian Nights and even Prince Ali. I do wish they had changed Friend Like Me more though. It’s not the right style of song for him and they kept it identical to the original. I think they could have changed the song more and used Smith’s strengths to their advantage – but I’m sure Disney was scared about changing such an iconic song. There is actually a version of Friend Like Me that plays over the credits by Smith and DJ Khaled which is a rap/hip-hop version. I do understand why they didn’t use it in the film because I think Disney purists would not have enjoyed it. But that version is definitely VERY Will Smith.

I loved almost all of the other performances in the movie too – both singing and acting.  Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine is just wonderful. She is given the one new song of the film, called “Speechless,” written by Alan Menken.  It’s a gorgeous song and her voice absolutely soars. She portrays a powerful Jasmine with ambition and determination.

Aladdin live action - Disney in your Day

Mena Moussad plays a good Aladdin, with boyish charm and a great voice himself. Nasim Pedrad plays a new character, Dalia, handmaiden to Princess Jasmine. I really liked the addition of her character – she was funny and strangely charming. The only one I wasn’t super thrilled with was Marwan Kenzari as Jafar. He was not creepy enough – maybe too handsome, or too young for the character. He didn’t stand out as a villain.

Aladdin live action - Disney in your Day

The subtle changes in the plot were mostly good additions. I liked Jasmine’s more ambitious character – in 1992 it was daring of her to want to marry for love rather than position, but in 2019 she wants to be sultan herself and run the kingdom.  Giving her a friend in Dalia is also a nice addition and gives her someone to play off of. Jafar has a brief backstory that explains a bit more where his villainy comes from. The only thing I could have done without was probably (slight spoiler) the “Iago being turned into a gigantic monster parrot chasing them around Agrabah” scene. I guess it added a little more excitement?

Aladdin live action - Disney in your Day

I also thought the movie was visually stunning. The costumes are absolutely gorgeous, with vibrant colors. There are a number of dance scenes added in which I loved. The cast has some incredible dancers and the combination of the music, dance, and costumes made those some of my absolute favorite parts.

I know that the critics aren’t giving this movie good reviews, but I say give it a chance. I liked it much more than I expected to and would certainly watch it again. But you know, haters gonna hate.

Have you seen the Aladdin live action? What did you think of it?

Filed Under: Disney Movies and TV, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: Aladdin, live action, Movie, Review

Comments

  1. Laura says

    May 28, 2019 at 2:34 pm

    I have heard such amazing things about Aladdin! I am so happy all the old Disney movies are being remade, theyre my fave! I loved your review and will definitely go see the movie! Thank you so much for sharing what you thought!

    Reply
  2. The Animation Commendation says

    May 28, 2019 at 3:15 pm

    Is Jafar really that hot, lol?

    Reply
  3. Lina says

    May 28, 2019 at 4:04 pm

    Honestly, Will Smith is an amazing actor and he is such a great person!
    I can’t wait to watch this movie since it is one y favorite when I was a kid!

    Reply
  4. Beth_Daily_Dog_Tag says

    May 29, 2019 at 12:20 am

    I will probably watch when it comes to TV, but I think it looks pretty good overall. There is only one Robin Williams, and Will Smith is awesome, so I’m glad he wasn’t trying to copy Robin Williams’ genie.

    Reply
    • Becky @ Disney in your Day says

      May 29, 2019 at 7:09 pm

      I 100% agree – I think it would have been much worse if it was someone just trying to imitate Robin Williams.

      Reply
  5. Kileen says

    May 29, 2019 at 1:06 am

    Definitely want to go see it! Love Will Smith, he’s a great actor so I’m looking forward to seeing him play this role as well. Thanks for the review!

    Kileen
    cute & little

    Reply
    • Becky @ Disney in your Day says

      May 29, 2019 at 7:09 pm

      Yes, he does a great job! I hope you get the chance to see it!

      Reply
  6. Stephanie says

    May 29, 2019 at 2:03 am

    I cannot WAIT to go see this movie. I wanted to see it opening weekend, but I was so dang busy I didn’t get the chance. Aladdin was always one of my top Disney animated picks growing up (and still is, second to Mulan and right before Emperor’s New Groove haha) so I was 1) thrilled with almost all the casting and 2) excited to see this right away! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    Reply
    • Becky @ Disney in your Day says

      May 29, 2019 at 7:10 pm

      Aladdin is one of my favorites too – they are going to do a live action Mulan next year so I’m excited to see that as well!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

Hi, I'm Becky!

I'm a huge Disney fan in my early 30's and always trying to find a way to put a little bit of Disney into everyday life. I live in Pennsylvania but travel to the theme parks several times a year - I'm an annual passholder at Disney World! In addition to Disney I love traveling, running, and theater.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
[popup_manager id="51"]

Archives

© 2023 · Disney In Your Day · Theme Design by Rakshi Creations