Aladdin is known for being one of Disney’s most beloved animated classics, but how does their new live action adaptation stack up against the original?
Aladdin seemed to be off to a rough start in its early marketing. After highly disregarded magazine covers, to CGI issues galore, I think most people including myself, had low expectations for this new adaptation. Is it better than the original? Definitely not. However, there are some magic still left in that old lamp.
First off, thank you to the casting! Surprisingly one of the best aspects of this film is in its casting! Before its release, Will Smith’s Genie was probably one of the most controversial aspects of this film, but honestly he ended up becoming one of the greatest highlights. Of course nobody could replace Robin Williams’ performance in the original, but Smith really does make the Genie his own. There are several nods to Williams’ performance in Smiths’ portrayal, but I’d compare this version of the Genie as a combination of Williams, Broadway, and Smith himself.
Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott also leap off the page as Aladdin and Jasmine. Mena oozes the boyish charm & charisma of Aladdin, while Naomi manages to enhance Jasmine as both a stunning yet strong female character. Arguably one of the best scene in the movie is Aladdin’s attempt to court Jasmine. Everyone’s comedic timing here is impeccable, and sure to be the highlight with audiences. Among other great additions to this adaptation was Jasmine’s new character arc. She is definitely not a “prize to be won” here, and sends a great message of female empowerment. Naomi Scott’s performance, and vocals are worth the ticket price alone. Other standouts also include Nasim Pedrad, who plays Dalia, Jasmine’s handmaiden. Dalia is a hilarious and welcomed new addition to this story, and actually ended becoming one of my personal favorites. Unfortunately, not everyone quite hits the mark, as I felt Marwan Kenzari’s Jafar was a bit bland. He came into his own towards the end, but just wasn’t given enough to work with. Omitting some the most memorable parts about the character, Jafar really got the short end of the stick in this retelling. No Prince Ali reprise, no giant snake, no “eternal reward.”
Then of course there’s the music! You can’t have a live action version of Aladdin without the iconic music and songs from Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice. Alan Meknen returns to do the score, and as you can imagine, it’s as enchanting as ever. One of my favorite pieces is “Returning the Bracelet,” in which Menken adds subtle melodies of “Proud of Your Boy,” a cut song from the original that ended up in the Broadway adaptation. But let’s talk about the musical numbers themselves. I’ve decided the best way to talk about them is just to rank them so here we go:
- “Friend Like Me” – Friend Like Me is the standout musical number in this film, as it should be. Smith does a great job, paying tribute to Williams, but also making the song his own. The visuals and zaniness is all there, and it works!
- “Arabian Nights” – Personally I REALLY enjoyed this version of Arabian Nights, just for the wonderful exposition it sets alone. The seemingly continuous shot around Agrabah and quick introduction of each of the characters was nice touch.
- “Prince Ali” – While initially Price Ali has a slow start, it picks up the pace rather nicely, and by the end has you wanting to join in on the celebration. I wish Ritchie had added more extravagant shots with this number, but I truly don’t think he’s any good at directing musical numbers. The saving grace here is again Smith’s performance.
- “Speechless” – While I really love the addition of this new song, and Naomi’s powerful performance, there was still something off about it in the pacing film. The song has a very present day quality to it, and doesn’t quite seem fit with the original soundtrack. The “freeze time” dream like state felt visually cliche to me as well.
- “A Whole New World”: A Whole New World is fine. Nothing extraordinarily special about it, but also they didn’t mess it up (thankfully). Vocally it’s beautiful, Naomi nails her vocals, but visually it left me wanting a bit more.
- “One Jump Ahead” & Reprises: One Jump Ahead is the weakest of the bunch, both visually and vocally. If at any point you see yourself trying to adjust your eyes to the screen cause a weird frame rate, it’s not just you. This is where you should be asking yourself why Disney ever choose Guy Ritchie to direct this film. The reprises don’t do themselves any justice either, as they try to go with what I call the “speak singing” route. A mixture of not really singing, but speaking in the rhythm of the song. You either sing it, or you don’t.
However, my biggest gripe with this film is the directing. I’ve been saying this from day one, Guy Ritchie was the wrong choice for this film. It’s also now very clear that he’s never directed a musical number in his life, and his stylized approach of slow mo, fast forward, & long takes felt jarring and out of place. Even though I left the theater feeling quite satisfied with this new adaptation; thanks in part to the cast. I can’t help but to shake the lingering thought of “what if?” What if someone like Baz Luhrmann had directed Aladdin? Would I still just be satisfied then, or could it have more?
