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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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!
Is Jafar really that hot, lol?
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!
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.
I 100% agree – I think it would have been much worse if it was someone just trying to imitate Robin Williams.
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
Yes, he does a great job! I hope you get the chance to see it!
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!
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!