Aladdin Review

For many, Disney’s trend of remaking their beloved animated classics into live action/CGI versions feels unnecessary due of how timeless the originals are. Recent adaptations like the narratively bloated Dumbo or the visual putrid and unentertaining Beauty and the Beast have proven that transitioning fictional animated worlds into more realistic versions doesn’t always translate flatteringly. Despite the inconsistent reception to their live-action remakes, Disney continues to reach into their vault of movies to see what can get remade next, this time selecting the iconic 1992 film Aladdin.

Aladdin follows a street urchin of the same name the city Agrabah. When Aladdin comes across a woman in trouble, he helps her escape, only to find out that she is Princess Jasmine, daughter to the Sultan. Aladdin’s contact with the princess brings his existence to the attention of Grand Vizier Jafar, an evil sorcerer who is tired of living in the Sultans shadow and wants the kingdom for himself. In order to fulfill his desires, Jafar needs a scared artifact from the magical Cave of Wonders. But there’s a catch, the Cave of Wonders only allows certain people to enter. Jafar identifies Aladdin as one of these people, ands sends him to the Cave of Wonders in order to retrieve the artifact. When Aladdin finds out Jafar’s motives, he embarks on a dangerous mission to stop him and save the kingdom.

Aladdin finds success where many of the other Disney adaptations have failed, director Guy Ritchie and cinematographer Alan Stewart have created a shimmering and vibrant world that gives off an appropriate heightened realism. But it’s the strong performances by Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott and Will Smith that keeps the film from falling flat. One should especially praise Smith, who never attempts to emulate the legendary performance of Genie by the late Robin Williams, instead giving a more collected yet equally charismatic portrayal that surprisingly works.

However, the colourful settings and lively characters never do enough to validate why this live action retelling was needed. Many of the new additions to the source material consist of scenes with poor exposition, blatant fan service and numbing musical numbers that often fail to standout, adding an additional 40-minutes that feels unnecessary.

Aladdin presents much of the original source material faithfully and with some visual flair, but never reaches the same heights as the animated version. The additions that the adaptation has added will entertain many, but in the end never surpasses the original.

Competent filmmaking and fantastic performances by the lead cast helps the remake of Aladdin become an enjoyable film that unfortunately never matches the original.

Produced By: Walt Disney Studios
Runtime: 125 minutes
Rating: PG