Aladdin

Aladdin

Starring Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari

Directed by Guy Ritchie

The Story:
Young street rat Aladdin (Mena Massoud) and his pet monkey Abu live in the streets and survive by stealing, and one day he runs into a mysterious woman who calls herself Dalia, but is actually the Princess of Agrabah, Jasmine (Naomi Scott).  The two share an immediate attraction, but are separated due to Jasmine having to marry a prince.

Meanwhile, the Sultan's advisor Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) is looking for a mythical lamp that will grant its owner three wishes, and enlists Aladdin to retrieve it for him.  Aladdin summons the Genie (Will Smith), and wishes to become a prince to impress Jasmine.  As he lives his life as a prince, Aladdin feels he has to live up to a higher standard to get Jasmine, while Jafar plots to steal the lamp and make himself ruler of the world.

The Synopsis:
Back in 1992, Disney's "Aladdin" become one of the company's most prized (and acclaimed) animated masterpieces, especially due to the iconic voice performance of Robin Williams as the Genie.  As Disney has started to turn their beloved animated films to live action, there was a lot of doubt cast over the live-action "Aladdin."  They would have to find actors of Arabian descent, and most importantly find a Genie that would do it justice and also not be compared to Robin Williams' incomparable performance.

The second trailer for the film revealed Will Smith as the Genie, and I for one was not impressed (and neither was a lot of other people).  He didn't look right in the part.  Will Smith has a unique problem in film, and that is the fact that he really plays to his strengths in such a way that it always comes across as "Will Smith playing a Will Smith character."   With the Genie, it once again comes across that way, but thankfully Smith is a talented actor who did manage to make Genie his own, even though it's impossible to not compare him to Robin Williams - unfair as that may be.

Thus is also the problem with a remake - live-action or not.  No matter how hard you try, you won't be able to help but compare it to the original, and when you look at this film through that lens, you'll probably not like it.  I haven't seen the original in years, and there's a lot of it I don't remember, so I went in with a (mostly) clean slate to the original, and in that respect I found myself enjoying it more than criticizing it - although I do have criticisms.

The film did a decent job at casting Aladdin and Jasmine, especially since both actors are relatively new to cinema.  Mena Massoud gives Aladdin his youthful enjoyment and spitfire attitude, a young man who has been forced to think on his feet and learn the arts of deception without becoming a deceptive person in the process.  He has an effortless charm about him that you can't help but root for, a spunky young man who has a lot of promise - yet singing isn't one of his talents.  He sings well enough, but it's nothing worth singing about (pun intended) - especially when he's paired with another actress.

That actress is Naomi Scott, best known for her role in the "Power Rangers" film that came out a few years ago.  As Jasmine, Scott showcases beautiful elegance (especially with her costumes, which were profound and stunning) with a spitfire of her own, as she's not content with just being silent.  Yet, her acting ability has a bit to be desired, as she gives a mostly wooden performance throughout, but also gets better near the end.  Yet her strength comes from her singing, as she belts it out like a seasoned pro, and you clearly see her heart and soul in every note (most notably is Jasmine's song "Speechless" - written by "La La Land" and "The Greatest Showman" duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, which should earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Song).  Yet the issue comes when Scott and Massoud share a song together - one of my personal all-time Disney favorites "A Whole New World."  Massoud seems to be whispering his parts as Scott belts hers out, and here you clearly see Massoud's ineffective vocals.

For a juggernaut like Disney, you expect everything to be beyond reproach, especially the CGI.  Yet with "Aladdin," there were several moments of CGI where I was comparing it to the abysmal CGI used way back in "The Mummy Returns" (if you've seen it, you know what I mean).  Whenever the Genie turns to a giant-like being, you can clearly tell it's CGI, and not in a good way.

Still, despite these criticisms, I couldn't help but be charmed with what I was seeing on screen.  Massoud's acting was fun and entertaining, while Scott's vocals were undeniable.  Will Smith made Genie his own creation despite it clearly being Will Smith.  The costumes and sets were lavish and extraordinary.  The dialogue was quick-witted and heartfelt, especially the connection between Aladdin and the Genie that makes your eyes misty.  The dance numbers are wonderfully choreographed and given a modern flair, especially the dance at the palace's party.  There's several moments I found myself smiling, forgetting the problems of the world as I got lost inside this whole new world - and that's exactly what a movie should do.

The Summary:
Not without its faults, "Aladdin" still delivers an exciting and fun adventure that manages to both pay homage to the original yet make it its own, as long as you don't spend too much time pining for the original.

The Score: A