Anthony's Film Review - Aladdin (2019)

Though nowhere near as awesome as the original animated film, the live-action remake of Aladdin is still fun...

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's come to this. The Walt Disney Company's latest move to generate massive profits, aside from the Marvel and Star Wars movies, is to release live-action remakes of its classic Disney animated films. From a business standpoint, it's surely a moneymaker. From an artistic perspective, there's a risk to take. People may not want to see the same movie twice even if it's in a different format, and those who do decide to try it out may complain that it doesn't live up to the original. However, at this point in time, I could care a lot less about that than I used to. Given how the same stories can inspire many people, there's really nothing wrong with different people producing their own retellings of the same story. There's nothing that says someone officially and forever "owns" the story once it is told (putting aside the nuisances of copyright laws for a moment).

Previously, I saw the Disney live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, years after having seen the 1991 animated film of the same name. I really enjoyed the remake, even if about 90% of it is nothing more than watching the animated film in a live-action format, as if the live-action remake is just reusing the script of the animated film. If you are open-minded about remakes, it's possible to enjoy them. So after this taste of a Disney live-action remake, I went into the theater to see the 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin with the same assumption of watching the same 1992 animated film in a different format. Well, believe it or not, it turns out I was wrong about the live-action remake being a near clone of the animated version.

If Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast follows 90% of the animated film, then Disney's live-action Aladdin follows a little over 50%, maybe like 60%, of its original animated source. Basically, the script of the 2019 remake consists of using the key major events in the animated film to form the overall framework for this remake, then making plenty of variations to the details of the smaller events in between, and throwing in a couple of new scenes not in the original animated film. So if you're worried about being bored with this Aladdin because it follows the animated film's script almost faithfully, don't. This film is truly a remake in the sense of retelling the story in a notably different way. The question now is whether you'll like this retelling. It really depends on your expectations. For me, I thought it was good, even if it is nowhere close to the awesomeness of the 1992 animated original.

I'm not going to lay out the major plot events that appear in both versions of Aladdin, because I'm sure you, likely being familiar with the story, can guess what they are. What I want to focus more on are some of the differences to expect. Many of the differences are just modifications to little moments. For example, in the 1992 animated film, Jafar is disguised as a beggar when he and Aladdin are in the desert, whereas in this movie, Aladdin meets Jafar himself in the desert. Also, the first time we see Jasmine in this movie is in the Agrabah marketplace, without an earlier scene with Jasmine at the palace as in the animated film, and the Genie takes on a human skin tone in certain situations, instead of being blue the entire movie. Other changes are more significant, particularly two new twists to the ending that I appreciated, though I will obviously not spoil them.

Then there are the scenes that are new to the remake. For example, there's a scene where Aladdin, as Prince Ali, meets the Sultan for the first time, and the situation turns comical and very awkward because Aladdin, pretending to be a prince with offerings of lavish gifts, is so nervous when he speaks. In another scene, there is a tense discussion between the Sultan who wants to form allies and Jafar who wants Agrabah to conquer other lands. Other new stuff includes Aladdin impressing Jasmine with dance moves (though with the help of Genie's magic), Iago involved in the climactic action in a way we've never seen before, and a political standoff in the throne room after Jafar usurps power. And to top it off, there is a new character in this movie, Jasmine's handmaiden Dalia, involved in plenty of never-before-seen moments, and there are a few new songs, in addition to the familiar classics of "Arabian Nights," "Friend Like Me," "Prince Ali," and "A Whole New World."

Let's talk about the main cast of this movie. I'll start with Will Smith as Genie, since he was the subject of much discussion in the days leading up to the film's release. First off, we can all agree that Will Smith is nowhere close to Robin Williams when it comes to playing Genie. But this isn't a criticism of Smith. It's just an observation. While Robin Williams was so hyperactive and spontaneous that he'll make you crack up in laughter at times, Will Smith is more playful and fun on a simpler level, such that he'll generate smiles and a couple of small laughs. In addition, Williams sank into Genie so much that you forget it's Robin Williams himself doing the voice, whereas Genie in this movie is often just Will Smith being himself but painted blue. Don't get me wrong. Will Smith does a decent job here, especially as he is still a funny guy in his own way.

One thing I definitely like about this live-action Aladdin remake is cultural authenticity. Although Agrabah is a fictional ancient city, we do associate it with the Middle East in real life, given the origin of the original Aladdin tale and other Arabian Nights stories. So with a live-action Aladdin, you need actors and actresses who are of Middle Eastern, Central Asian, or South Asian descent. The result is a nice ensemble that includes Mena Massoud (of Egyptian descent) as Aladdin, Naomi Scott (of Indian descent) as Jasmine, Marwan Kenzari (of Tunisian descent) as Jafar, Navid Negahban (of Iranian descent) as the Sultan, and Nasim Pedrad (of Iranian descent) as Dalia. All of the cast members do a good job in their roles. Even so, I would say my favorite performance comes from Marwan Kenzari as Jafar. When you first see him, he looks like a tame human compared to the snarling caricature of the animated Jafar. But right away, you will see the live-action Jafar as cold, ruthless, and power-hungry. Kenzari definitely plays a worthy live-action Disney villain.

With all of this, I definitely did not hate the movie. In fact, I ended up liking it even after discovering that plenty has changed from the animated film. I did laugh at the jokes, smile with the music, and felt engrossed by the story, even if none of it was at the stellar level of the animated predecessor. But hey, I had fun, and that's the most important thing. Going forward, Disney will surely do more live-action remakes of its animated films. I won't complain as long as they're made as well as or (preferably) better than this Aladdin movie.

(FUNNY NOTE: Twelve years ago, in my review of the 2007 Disney live action/animation hybrid Enchanted, I said I wouldn't want live-action versions of Aladdin and The Lion King. I am laughing at the fact that I have just reviewed a movie I never imagined would eventually come to fruition, and will do so again in a few months once the 2019 Lion King remake comes out.)

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Aladdin, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my reviews of Aladdin, Aladdin in The Return of Jafar, and Aladdin and the King of Thieves.