If I had a Genie and I were to use one wish to have Aladdin made into a live action film, one that fulfilled my expectations, then this movie would be the granting of that wish.
I have to admit, when they announced that they were making a live action version of this film, I was not enthused. After seeing Beauty & the Beast and how poorly it was done (in my opinion), I was extremely worried that the necessary care would not be taken for a new, live-action Alladin.
Who would be cast? How will it work? The most pressing question on my mind was “Who will play the Genie?”. Robin Williams’ legacy casts a very long shadow. I wondered how anyone could live up to that performance. My guess was “no one”.
Then the casting was announced. Mena Massoud would play Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Jasmine and then Will Smith was announced to play the Genie. As soon as I heard his name, I found enthusiasm as I respect and admire him for not only his films and his talent, but also for his contributions to the community of his youth and the positive moral compass he has displayed throughout his career.
As far as the other casting was concerned, Mena Massoud was the actual embodiment of Alladin. It was as if the animated character had come to life on-screen! That smile of his lights up the screen, very much like his animated counterpart. He is also very talented at singing and dancing, skills for which he displays throughout the movie.
I was impressed with virtually all of the casting except for Naomi Scott, whom I did not feel captured the essence of Jasmine. This was my opinion after viewing the trailers for the movie. I didn’t feel that she resembled the animated version of Jasmine as much as was required. Once I saw the film, that opinion was obliterated. She owned that part, she became Jasmine to me and won me over when I did not expect her to. Her voice, her acting and the chemistry she had on screen with her co-stars was nearly flawless. And those eyes! She is fluidly gorgeous and I was enraptured. Her character received an upgrade in this film, she desired to become the Sultan. Which seems to make more sense than Aladdin showing up out of nowhere in her life, marrying her, and then being in charge of everything. It made sense because Jasmine had studied her entire life for the role of Sultan and cares more deeply for her people than anyone else. We were also treated to more of Jasmine’s back-story as we learned that her mother had died and was from another kingdom. I wouldn’t be surprised if the new, added song “Speechless” sang by Naomi were to be nominated for an Academy Award. The world will be seeing a lot more of her in the future!
For the role of Jaffar, Marwan Kenzari was extremely believable. He had a creepy, but charismatic approach to this role and it displayed on screen really well.
Now back to the Genie! Will Smith owned this role. He made it his and added his own spice to the character. I mused that the Genie in this film became the “Fresh Prince of the lamp”! I adored his take on this legendary character. They added a relationship for the Genie and a little bit more depth to him and it’s wonderful that he actually left to travel the world and have children. I had no issue with his singing voice either, I see a lot of reviews criticizing him for it, which I wholeheartedly disagree with. His career, after all, started out as a singer/rap artist so singing has been a talent in his vast arsenal since the beginning. I think the revamped “Arabian Nights” song was perfectly adapted. He maintained the nostalgic elements of the animated version of the character while creating new aspects which were exclusive to him! His performance was outstanding!
That being said, there are a few things missing from this movie that I was a slightly disappointed not to see. For instance, in the animated version, the only song Jafar sang was close to the end of the movie. This was not adapted for the new film. Also, the way Aladdin’s alias was discovered in this version was very lackluster, not nearly as exciting as it was in the animated film. The cave of wonders wasn’t very bright or exciting either. I think it should have been glamoured up a bit, with more of the flare of the animated film. Another example of something omitted, in the 1992 film when Jasmine and Aladdin sang “A Whole New World” and he hands her the flowers, Jasmine soon sees white horses and pets a pony as she passes. I missed this small touch.
I do see the difficulty for CGI in the live action version and that everything from the animated film is not achievable in a believable way, and I’m honestly content with most of the additions and deletions between the two films to adapt to live-action.
I think both versions of this movie stand apart and both stand on their own as wonderfully made, epic films. They both bring me joy, laughs, and tears. So far, this is one of the best remakes to live action that I’ve seen, in my opinion. I would give a special thank you to the cast, crew, and everyone who worked on this film for making it as stunning as it was! I will definitely be seeing this movie again and again! I review this film with a solid 5 stars.
