So with Disney hip-deep in their live-action remake phase, it was inevitable that Aladdin would see new life in this format, finally brought to us in 2019, via Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie. Alas, I find myself in a similar mindset that I was in with Beauty and the Beast two years ago, in that while the pieces can be enjoyable, this new take ultimately struggles to justify its existence under its predecessor's shadow.
In the kingdom of Agrabah, young street urchin and thief Aladdin (Mena Massoud) meets a young woman in the marketplace, unaware that she is really the Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), having grown tired of her sheltered kingdom life, and being forced into marriage by her father the Sultan (Navid Negahban). After being led to the mystical Cave of Wonders by the sinister royal Vizier Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), Aladdin ventures into the cave's depths, discovering a lamp holding the all-powerful Genie (Will Smith), who holds the power to grant three wishes. Using one of his wishes to become Prince Ali of Ababwa, Aladdin makes every effort to earn the love of the Princess, all while Jafar plots behind the scenes in a bid to further his rise to power.
Let's go ahead and get the big blue elephant in the room out of the way, that being Will Smith's Genie. I, like anyone, adore Robin Williams' original take on the character, and the world will forever be lesser following his tragic passing. But while he is irreplaceable, I'm glad his absence wasn't felt here, as Smith is by far and away the film's greatest quality. With his recent career trajectory and foray intro drama, we often forget what his true strength as a performer is: comedy.
Under the right circumstances, Smith can be riotously funny, and the Genie is a perfect outlet for that brand of humor. He has such a rapid fire wit that he brings to the character, as well as a natural charisma that makes it hard to take your eyes off of him, especially given all the subtle nuances and visual details of his performance. But it's not all laughs, as he does have a good heart and sentimentality to him, that forges a genuinely sweet bond with Mena Massoud's Aladdin, and makes the two feel like true friends. It certainly helps that Smith is clearly having the time of his life in the role, attacking the material with a tickling improvisational touch and incredible gusto, that makes him feel absolutely infectious. It's clear what a showman he is, a dedicated performer ready to give the people what they want, and in some places is actually carrying this movie on his shoulders. He's a massive boon that prevents it from sinking like a rusty freighter.
Because otherwise, that's precisely what it does. At 128 minutes, this live-action Aladdin somehow manages to say less than the shorter animated rendition. Largely telling the same exact story, much of the film simply seems redundant, running us through and sometimes shuffling those familiar beats without any true invention behind them, ticking nostalgia buttons one by one, and at most only mildly beef them up. In fact, due to some minor changes, some moments don't even make sense. Like Aladdin's "Do you trust me" that serves as Jasmine's tip-off to his true identity. Animated accurate, yes, but the introduction to that is absent, so it no longer fits the film.
In fact, whatever major changes made don't even make it better. Largely said additions include beefing up character backstories, including that of Jafar (more on that later), elongating sections, or tacking on fluff - like a political angle concerning Agrabah's militaristic standing and alliance with outside kingdoms introduced early on, but then it's barely ever commented on afterwards. We also have new characters entering the fray, like Nasim Pedrad as Jasmine's haindmaiden Dalia, who gets a few laughs despite her superfluous narrative service, and Billy Magnusson as potential suitor Prince Anders, with a thick accent that sounds like a mix between German and Scandinavian, who even with only two scenes annoyed me.
For what it's worth, the two romantic leads are alluring audience surrogates. Mena Massoud is a solid Aladdin, approaching the performances with a good heart and easily affable presence, throwing himself into each scene with a welcome enthusiasm, especially with the physical acting and comedic interplay with the Genie. If a bit bland at points, he's still quite fun to watch. Same can be said for Naomi Scott as Jasmine, who at times can actually outshine Aladdin in the spotlight, with the film making strides to give her more agency in the narrative, even if accidentally contradicting some of them later. But she too has such a big beating heart powering through, and such a strong, poised demeanor she carries herself with. And even if the love story is undercut by some awkward shuffling, they do still show real chemistry, and interact nicely with each other.
But one character whose transformation wasn't graceful is Jafar, played here by Marwan Kenzari. In the original film, Jafar has an incredibly sinister demeanor, a cunning and dangerous manipulator obsessed with power, who's meant to be the antithesis to Aladdin's big-hearted optimism. That has translated over, kinda, but with an added background of thievery and political ambition always leading him to ascending, and a ferocious dislike of being second-best. I don't want to blame Kenzari for this, as he's clearly trying hard. He's just not a good fit for this character, as both he and the writing sap away Jafar's intimidation factor, making him feel more whiny than sinister, especially with his signature hypnotic snake scepter always being cut off and never put to good use. He feels so limp in comparison to that original incarnation.
A lot also rests on Guy Ritchie's direction, but it honestly feels like a for-hire gig at points. His personal stamp is laced in several times through the film, particularly his use of speed-ramping through the muscular action pieces, as well as the use of flashback time jumps. And while some of these touches are inspired (like a hilarious gag with Genie breaking the fourth wall), others like a King Arthur-esque climax with a supersized Iago (chirped by Alan Tudyk) are less so, and it mostly feels devoid of that personality, especially when it comes to the film's visual flair. Despite boasting a hefty budget, it's paradoxical how clearly expensive this movie looks, with all its flashy grand sets and lavish color schemes (as well as some incredible parkour and dancing choreography), and yet most of it feels so empty. The Cave of Wonders itself even speaks to this, in that it goes for such spectacle (even rehiring the legendary Frank Welker), but nothing it can do can so much as touch the original film's grandeur.
Lastly, that leaves the music of the film, making use of the original songs and score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice, alongside new contributions by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. With the film's updated cultural representation, the songs have taken a Bollywood-esque touch in staging and orchestration. To their credit, most of the updates are very effective (if a bit mechanical), in Smith's numbers especially, but Massoud and Scott are no slouches. However, Scott's new number, the Pasek/Paul original "Speechless," leaves me pretty mixed. On the one hand, it is a lovely song lifted by Scott's strong vocals. On the other hand, because of its musical stylings, it really does stand out, but in a way that feels like it belongs in a different movie. I know animated Aladdin had an eclectic soundtrack, but this would be more at home in Tangled.
And so that's the whole rundown of Aladdin, an underwhelming addition to Disney's chain of live remakes. Say what you will about Dumbo, but at least that movie attempted to differentiate itself, while Aladdin tries to have it both ways, but is so beholden to those original beats, there's very little to justify its existence. But it's popular, and it ticks the nostalgia buttons, so it'll definitely hit its audiences. The same case could be made for The Lion King, which looks to be another exact replication of its predecessor for easy box office. If it were a Pete's Dragon type of reinvention, that would be one thing, but this just feels cynical to me, and I really don't want Disney to continue down this road for very long, especially if at any point their plans blow up in their face.
But back on the main topic, if you've enjoyed most of these live remakes, and you adore Aladdin, you'll probably garner some enjoyment out of this (even with my issues, I did still enjoy quite a bit of this movie). But if you remain a skeptic, then it will do nothing to assuage your fears. Phenomenal marketing power, itty bitty return on investment...
**1/2 / *****
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