ALADDIN (2019) REVIEW
Starring: Will Smith
Directed By: Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes)
Rated: PG
Runtime: 2 hours 8 minutes
Disney is currently besieging us with live action remakes of their fabled animated movies.Just a few months ago, Dumbo hit theaters.And next month The Lion King will be unleased.It seems odd that in a year with Star Wars and Avengers: Endgame that Disney would bother releasing so many of these remakes when the only one we even remotely want is The Lion King.But, we all know WHY this is happening, so we don’t need to retread that issue.
Aladdin is a lot like Dumbo, there are elements that are problematic from the original.Dumbo had the Jim Crow scene, they just omitted that from the remake.Problem solved.Aladdin has more subtle problems.
One, we now live in a world that is different than in 1992.We’d like to paint women in a different light, make them stronger, more independent.I think this new version does that about as well as can be expected.Jasmine is a strong woman with goals, they add a new song in where she sings about such things.And it doesn’t come off as super preachy.It’s a little on the nose, but not necessarily preachy.Fine line to walk, there.
The bigger problem the new Aladdin faces is The Genie.One of Disney’s most beloved characters played with the psycho-kinetic energy of Robin Williams.How do you do the same thing, but not do the same thing at all?Enter Will Smith.Yes, the blue CGI is very weird looking, but that’s a literal interpretation of the animated classic.It doesn’t last for long, Disney should have never put those images out there.It was always destined to be lampooned by the internet trolls.
All things considered, Smith does a really nice job as The Genie.I was kind of surprised.I had very little interest in seeing this movie, it just looked bland to me.But Will Smith was absolutely the best thing going in this movie.He has the charisma that very few people have.Who else could have played The Genie?It’s a short list.I think it’s Will, The Rock, and maybe Kevin Hart.There’s just so few people with the personality to jump off the screen and do that character justice.
That said, The Genie just isn’t in this movie enough to make it worth your time.He doesn’t show up until at least 30 minutes into the film.And those first 30 minutes are ROUGH, let me tell you.He makes his presence felt in the middle, but by the time the credits were rolling, I just really wanted more Will Smith.Which is something I probably haven’t said in 20 years.A lot is being made about the Genie finding love subplot in this movie.The internet thinks it’s weird, I thought it was harmless and a nice deviation from the original story.
The actors playing Aladdin, Jasmine, and Jafar are just three different levels of milquetoast.Pretty boring, pretty generic.Not really doing much.The Genie is the star player on a team of mediocre players, and the coach just didn’t call up enough plays for the star to win the game.
Good songs, they didn’t mess anything up when compared to the original.It’s not an abomination.I didn’t hate the movie, I just didn’t like it.I think the target audience of kids, especially those who have never seen the original, will really like it.I liked it a hair more than Dumbo earlier this year.
On a scale of "See It/Stream It/Skip It" -- Stream It – Smith’s performance is good enough to check out, the songs still play well, but that’s not enough to rush out and see this one
If you liked Aladdin (1992), Dumbo (2019), and Beauty & The Beast (2017)
2 out of 5 stars for Aladdin.Not as bad as I thought it would be going in, but still completely unnecessary.