ALADDIN Review | Best Of Both Worlds

It’s good to be skeptical of stuff.

Especially stuff that dares toy with your brains nostalgic interpretation of past events.

I mean, memories are so much better than the very real, present things in front of you right? (no, don’t say that’s right lol).

So of course that means a lot of people are skeptical of Disney’s Aladdin. No, not the 1992 animated feature, which is amazing, nor the Broadway musical that brings to life in new ways the story of our heroes.

It’s the 2019 live-action remake, directed by Guy F**kin’ Ritchie (yes, of Snatch, Sherlock Holmes and Lock, Stock fame), delivering the story of our heroes that might just bring us the best of both worlds.

When street rat Aladdin frees a genie from a lamp, he finds his wishes granted. However, he soon finds that the evil has other plans for the lamp…and for Agrabah. But can Aladdin save the kingdom and prove his love to Princess Jasmine, after she sees that he isn’t quite what he appears to be?

Yeah, I was hella skeptical of Aladdin myself. I mean, anything that dares to tread on your childhood will always do so.

“Will it live up to the expectations my mind has created?”.

Those are lofty expectations to say the least, and even with the successes of The Jungle Book, Beauty & The Beast and Cinderella in their pocket, we still look at Disney and say “But can you meet us on this one?”.

Oh boy, I’m very glad to say they did.

As I said, Aladdin is a part of my childhood. That movie is a straight-up classic that is nothing but happy memories for the majority of us. And I think Ritchie and co. know this. So much so, they looked at the success of the Broadway musical and figured out how to mesh the better parts of that show into the original animated feature, while adjusting this now-fused result for the ‘now’.

The film starts with the classic storyteller setting up the tale of Aladdin (Mena Massoud) and Agrabah. Interestingly enough, it barely messes around and we’re into our second-first musical number (if you know, you know) and it’s all on from there. Tightening up the plot, the film quickly escalates through the beats we’re accustomed to, in splendid live-action flavour.

Splendid live-action flavour is wholly accurate, as everything you want is there. You want a real-life magic carpet?! You got it! Abu?! Easy! The genie making more sense in the overall narrative due to the changes to their arc and the addition of new characters?! Okay, I didn’t know I wanted this, but I do! All of this horribly adorned in ADORABLE cause good lord everyone is, and you’re just hoping the whole time that they kiss.

Massoud and Naomi Scott lead the film INCREDIBLY well as Aladdin and Jasmine respectively. Massoud oozes charm as the riff-raff, street rat that is Aladdin, who comes with a new action-packed skillset that really puts the “AH!” in Agrabah. Scott leads with a confidence and determination that is fitting of the Princess bound by old laws she wishes to break, and when they’re together, it’s hard not to become a puddle of joyful mess.

“BUT WHAT ABOUT GENIE?”

A great question, and one challenged when the first trailers started being released. “He’s not blue enough” or “he doesn’t look like the cartoon” or “he’s not big enough”, and many more were thrown out there, but look…

LOOK.

Will Smith absolutely kills it okay. He’s not trying to be Robin William’s animated classic or James Monroe Iglehearts Broadway spin, he’s a whole new Genie with a wider array of spells, jokes and songs on-hand. And as is the standard, when the Genie shows up, the movie really slaps it into the next gear HARD! Think…Tokyo Drift by The Teriyaki Boys HARD.

AND THE MUSIC.

Composer Alan Menken returns to ensure the original score is updated for this new take, which also pulls in the team of Pasek & Paul who you may know from the likes of La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen and The Greatest Showman. Not only do they update the original hits, but they somehow manage to fit in a new track that absolutely slaps AND works with the story! The cast, including Smith, absolutely nail their musical numbers, so much so that tears may have formed under the old eye-bags during a certain romantic refrain, so make sure you’re hydrated friends.

Aladdin completely nails what it is, and what it will be. Bringing together a new team to retell this classic story in a fantastical new way that somehow works, means that our characters aren’t the only ones who will see their wishes come true.