Aladdin is true to the original story, visually engaging, and packed with humor. The cast, led by Will Smith, deliver strong performances full of emotion and humor. Fans will be pleased that the songs they know and love are included in the movie. All in all, this is an excellent live-action remake and one of Disney’s strongest to date!
Aladdin is the latest Disney live-action remake (well, no, actually that would be The Lion King, but that’s not out for purchase yet . . . so . . . let’s just pretend it’s Aladdin). Directed by Guy Ritchie, Aladdin runs 2 hours and 8 minutes and stars Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, and Alan Tudyk. Here’s a look at the official description of the film:
“Experience the thrilling live-action adaptation of the characters and tale you know and love from Disney’s animated classic. The cinematic celebration of Disney’s Aladdin is “an entertaining magic carpet ride for fans old and new” (Sean Keane, CNET).”
Aladdin is true to the original story, visually engaging, and packed with humor. This is easily one of Disney’s best live-action remakes!
Aladdin opens with a family on a ship at sea. When the children complain that their ship isn’t as big and luxurious as the one next to it, their father begins to tell the tale of Aladdin. As he sings “Arabian Nights,” viewers are carried to Agrabah.
Street rat Aladdin (Massoud) and his sidekick Abu steal to have enough to survive. Despite being a thief, Aladdin has a good heart. Viewers see him give his stolen loot to a small boy and his mother. He stops to rescue a beautiful girl who has taken a piece of fruit without paying for it and given it to a child, but he has no idea who the girl really is.
As they flee from the city’s guards, Aladdin sings “One Jump Ahead.” It’s in this scene that viewers start to get an idea of how much action and color director Guy Ritchie has packed into the movie. For a story set in the desert, Aladdin is never lacking in bright, eye-catching colors.
Viewers know that the girl Aladdin helped is really Princess Jasmine (Scott), the daughter of the Sultan (Negahban). Based on her clothing and jewelry, Aladdin assumes she is the princess’s handmaid. After her adventure in the market, Jasmine returns to the palace to prepare for the arrival of a potential suitor. Despite her father’s wishes for her to marry a prince, Jasmine instead wishes to be Sultan after her father.
While Jasmine was always a strong and independent character in the 1992 animated film, this movie gives Jasmine more of her own storyline. She is clearly smart and well-read and has ideas to protect the citizens of Agrabah. Viewers see her repeatedly dismissed or ignored by her father and her father’s chief advisor Jafar (Kenzari), but she is not deterred.
If one thing was missing from the 1992 film it was a solo song for Jasmine. This movie fixes that by giving her the song “Speechless,” in which she reminds the audience and herself that, “I won’t be silenced. You can’t keep me quiet . . . All I know is I won’t go speechless.” Written by Disney legend Alan Menken, the song is beautiful and fits in well with the rest of the movie’s soundtrack. Scott’s voice and performance carry the strength, empowerment, and at times vulnerability needed for both the lyrics and Jasmine’s quest to have her voice heard.
A new addition to the story is the character Dalia (Pedrad), Jasmine’s handmaid. It feels appropriate that the princess would have a handmaid, and Dalia serves the role of a confidant and friend to Jasmine. Her awkwardness and innocence add humor to the film and provide a way for viewers to learn more about Jasmine through their conversations.
Two characters who have been slightly changed for the movie are Jafar and his parrot Iago. Iago is one of the movie’s highlights. Voiced by the always-entertaining Alan Tudyk, Iago is given hilarious one-liners. He chuckles when people oppose Jafar as he knows what fate awaits them. Iago in flight is often used as a transition from one location to the next, and it’s his watchful eye that clues Jafar into Aladdin’s potential to find the lamp.
Jafar, on the other hand, is not quite up to the same caliber as his animated counterpart. Originally voiced by the talented Jonathan Freeman, Jafar is a formidable and intimidating villain in the animated film. This new version of Jafar is portrayed as a calculating chess player more so than an outright threat. He is given a talent for pickpocketing – one that rivals Aladdin’s skills. Combined with his skill in manipulation, his sleight of hand techniques give him an ability to destroy Aladdin’s confidence, especially when it comes to impressing the princess. But hey, if Aladdin can do one little favor for Jafar, maybe his situation as an unworthy street rat could be changed? Jafar’s quiet string-pulling and manipulation are entertaining, but they often get overshadowed by bigger, brighter characters like the Genie, making Jafar feel less threatening and villainous than he ought to be.
And speaking of the Genie, audiences were divided when Will Smith was cast to take over Robin Williams’ role. But Smith delivers his own unique and unforgettable performance. He seems very aware that a mere impression of Williams would not work. Instead, he makes the role his own. (For more on Smith’s version of the Genie – see the special feature “A Friend Like Genie.”) Whereas Williams could only deliver a vocal performance, Smith has the ability to play with the character’s expressions, movements, and reactions. Smith doesn’t employ the impressions used by Williams and instead relies more on fast-paced dialogue. It’s a take that works well without attempting to replace or ignore Williams unforgettable portrayal of the character.
The movie adds a few new scenes to the narrative, many of which involve the Genie. The best of the new scenes is the “Jam Debacle” – the scene immediately following Prince Ali’s introduction to Agrabah. It turns out Aladdin is terrible at talking to girls, and the Genie has never been more embarrassed or uncomfortable. Smith and Massoud deliver on the humor, and Scott’s offended reactions are priceless. Oh, the Genie has more work to do than he thought!
This is not a shot-for-shot remake of the 1992 film, but the new scenes feel like they belong. Several of these scenes expand on the original storyline. For example, Aladdin and Jasmine have a few more scenes together before their iconic carpet ride. Each new scene is humorous and quotable.
Overall, Aladdin is a really strong live-action remake and one of Disney’s strongest to date. The cast, led by Will Smith, deliver strong performances full of emotion and humor. Fans will be pleased that the songs they know and love are included in the movie, and the new song “Speechless” fits right in. Aladdin is true to the original story, visually engaging, and packed with humor. All in all, this is an excellent live-action remake!
Is There a Scene After the Credits?
Stick around for the start of the credits to see the characters dancing to a remix of “Friend Like Me.”
Trivia Tidbit
Frank Welker reprises his role as the voice of the Cave of Wonders. This makes him the first actor to play the same role in an animated Disney film and its live-action remake.
Special Features
The 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital Code combo comes with two discs. The first, the 4K format, plays only the movie in 4K Ultra HD quality. The Blu-ray disc offers the movie in Blu-ray quality and the following special features:
- Aladdin’s Video Journal: A New Fantastic Point of View (10:39) – Mena Massoud documents his time in the role of Aladdin with a smartphone and takes viewers on a tour of the movie’s sets.
- Deleted Song: Desert Moon (2:20) – Introduced by Alan Menken, “Desert Moon” is a duet between Aladdin and Jasmine despite the characters are in different locations. Though shot, the effects were left unfinished.
- Guy Ritchie: A Cinematic Genie (5:26) – Director Guy Ritchie came from a musical background but took a unique and unexpected approach to directing this film – an approach that included explosions, stunts, and a variety of frame rates.
- A Friend Like Genie (4:31) – With acknowledgment to Robin Williams and his performance as the Genie, Will Smith discusses taking on the role and wondering how to make it his own.
- Deleted Scenes (10:44 total) –
- Falling Petals Into One Jump
- Jafar’s Magic Orrery
- Anders’ Gift
- Wrong Wishes
- Silly Old Fool
- Post Yam Jam Debrief
- Music Videos –
- “Speechless” Performed by Naomi Scott (3:27)
- “A Whole New World” Performed by ZAYN and Zhavia Ward (4:03)
- “A Whole New World” Performed by ZAYN and Becky G. (4:03)
- Bloopers (2:07)
It’s a case of quality over quantity with the special features in this release; there are fewer than the number found in most Disney releases, but the features that are presented are well done. “Aladdin’s Video Journal” is a unique way to take viewers behind the scenes and through the various sets. Massoud turns the camera around to show the audience what he sees when filming a scene. “A Friend Like Genie” gives viewers insight from Will Smith on how he approached the role of the Genie. The special effects for the deleted scenes are incomplete, leading to some humor for viewers. While the music video for “Speechless” shows Naomi Scott recording her powerful song with a live orchestra, the other two music videos don’t necessarily feel as relevant. They’re just covers of a classic Disney song. Overall, it’s a nice set of features that takes viewers behind the scenes in ways they may not have seen before.
Takeaway
Aladdin is true to the original story, visually engaging, and packed with humor. The cast, led by Will Smith, deliver strong performances full of emotion and humor. Fans will be pleased that the songs they know and love are included in the movie, and the new song “Speechless” fits right in. The special features find new ways to take viewers behind the scenes of the making of the movie. All in all, this is an excellent live-action remake and one of Disney’s strongest to date!
