Aladdin (2019)

photo courtesy of nbcnews.com

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

     Aladdin is the live-action remake of Disney’s 1992 animated classic of the same name, making it one of four such remakes in 2019 (along with Dumbo, The Lion King, and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil). The movie stars Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott as Aladdin and Jasmine, and Will Smith takes over the beloved role of Genie. As in the original film, this iteration sees unlikely hero Aladdin discovering the Genie’s magic lamp and using his three wishes to win the heart of the princess Jasmine and thwart the sinister designs of the Grand Vizier Jafar (Marwan Kenzari).

     When the Beauty and the Beast remake released back in 2017 (to the tune of $1.2 billion), I gave it a generally unfavorable review: I found it sloppy and ultimately cash-grabby. But the movie’s main appeal was as a vehicle for childhood nostalgia (which explains why I, who didn’t obsess over the original as a kid, was not particularly moved).

photo courtesy of heroichollywood.com

     Two years later, Aladdin has more or less the same problems. It too is a clumsy rehash of a much-superior animated classic. The question, then, becomes this: why did I love it so much? Because I did love it, and I loved it more than I’m proud to admit. The explanation can probably be boiled down to Disney’s tried-and-true nostalgia machine. I may not have been a childhood fan of Beauty and the Beast, but I was all aboard the Aladdin train. (I even loved the direct-to-DVD sequel, Aladdin 2: The Return of Jafar. Adapt it, Disney, you cowards!)

     So on the most basic of its promises—to give fans of the original a blast from the past—Aladdin delivers. If nothing else, you’ll get a kick out of seeing some of Disney’s most memorable songs reimagined and performed with gusto. And it certainly works as solid, splashy entertainment for the under-10 crowd, particularly when it lets the charm and tender-heartedness of the original film shine through.

photo courtesy of digitalspy.com

     The cast performances are strong. Smith makes a hilarious and warm Genie, especially when he leaves Williams’ performance behind and makes the role his own. Massoud is also good, but of the two human protagonists it’s Scott who steals the show, with acting and singing that lend the movie some much needed credibility. Nasim Pedrad also makes a welcome addition as Jasmine’s handmaid.

     For anybody other than kids and fans, I think Aladdin will have a harder time making its case. There are a whole lot of smaller weaknesses that work together to bring the quality of the movie down: 1) the singing, which defies realism, 2) the sets of Agrabah, which feel conspicuously cheap, 3) the whole “eastern fantasy” thing, which Aladdin inherits from the original, 4) a welcome but contrived new subplot for Jasmine, which isn’t sufficient to distract from the fact that she wasn’t a realized character the first time around, and 5) that creepy, creepy CGI genie.

photo courtesy of nerdist.com

     The bigger issues, though, have their origins behind the camera. Guy Ritchie, who directs mostly action movies of wildly varying quality, strikes me as an odd choice for director here. A steadier hand would have steered the ship better. And Kenzari is miscast as Jafar. Try though he might, he just doesn’t look or feel the part of that character, who was one of the most interesting parts of the original. Without a charismatic, over-the-top villain to heighten the stakes, the movie’s third act falls rather abruptly flat.

     Your personal enjoyment of Aladdin will probably come down to how you prioritize the elements in play. Is the nostalgia-driven high of the second act songs high enough to cancel out third act boredom? Are the performances of Smith, Scott, and Massoud good enough to cancel out a disappointing Jafar? Is the experience as a whole entertaining enough to make you forget that Disney hasn’t made an original movie since Moana? For this reviewer, it’s yes all around.

Aladdin is rated PG for some action/peril.

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