While Pretty To Look At, 'Aladdin' Can't Hold A Magic Lamp To The Original
Starring Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen
Rated PG
Action, Comedy, Musical
Run time: 2 hr, 8 min
Directed by Guy Ritchie
In theaters May 24, 2019
This ‘90s Disney movie is one of my favorites, only partially because the princess has an actual tiger as a pet. And obviously it isn’t totally fair to solely base my enjoyment of this movie on how it relates to the original animated film, but it’s really hard not to. And granted, there are a few things this movie actually does better that the first, in my opinion. But obviously it’s impossible to live up to some things from the cartoon, namely the amazing voice performance put on by Robin Williams. This Aladdin can’t seem to figure out whether or not it wants to follow in its predecessor’s footsteps or distance itself so the comparisons will be lessened.
The plot is pretty much what you’d expect: poor boy meets rich girl and it’s love at first sight. Poor boy tries to get on her level and is put in the path of a magic lamp featuring a genie. Genie helps boy, boy and girl spend time together and love blossoms. Oh, and there’s an evil adviser to the sultan who is both power hungry and determined to take down anyone who stands in his way. And there’s singing. Don’t forget the singing. There’s even new singing. (And rapping.)
The elephant in the room (or in an entry parade) is obviously whether or not Will Smith fills the genie’s shoes appropriately. Yes and no. Smith is an incredible actor, but they don’t let him lean into his strengths enough to make the role truly his. “Friend Like Me” is a high point in his performance as he raps and sasses the way through his introduction, but a side plot he’s given falls a bit flat, as does his performance during the “Prince Ali” parade. However, that doesn’t all fall to Smith, as the energy coming from Massoud’s Aladdin doesn’t quite seem to match the energy that we’re used to for that number.
The strength of this movie falls heavily on Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Her voice has a solid Broadway quality about it and she’s able to combine the waif-like quality of being a Disney princess with the strength this new iteration of the heroine has. In 2019, she isn’t a prize to be won or a damsel in distress. She takes matters into her own hands and gets to be a more active participant in her own story. The movie is enjoyable thanks to that, but there’s still quite a few things that doesn’t let this become a whole new world from the animated film.