Aladdin (2019)

Disney, 2019
Starring Mena Massoud, Will Smith, Naomi Scott, and Marwan Kenzari
Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
Directed by Guy Ritchie

This was the second of the three remakes Disney made last year. The original 1992 Aladdin is one of their most popular animated films, and a lot of people questioned whether this one could live up to it, especially without the late Robin Williams as the Genie. Did they succeed, or at least come off better than the Lion King remake did? Let's hit the open ocean, where we begin with a fisherman (Smith) telling stories to his children, and find out...

The Story: Aladdin (Massoud) is a street urchin in Agrabah, a city in an Arabian country. One day, he encounters Jasmine (Scott) in the marketplace and saves her from losing her late mother's bracelet. When it turns out she's the princess of the land, he snitches the bracelet and follows her to the palace. Her father the Sultan (Naveed Negahban) wants her to marry silly Prince Anders (Billy Magnussen), but she'd rather rule the country herself after seeing how her people suffer.

Aladdin returns to the palace to give her the bracelet back, but he's caught by Jafar (Kenzari), the Sultan's second-in-command. Jafar wants him to find a special lamp in the Cave of Wonders, where only a "diamond in the rough" may enter. He and his monkey Abu do make it in, but they end up stranded when Abu tries to take more than the lamp. That lamp turns out to house a genie (Smith) who gets them out and promises Aladdin three wishes. Aladdin uses his second wish to make him a prince in order to marry Jasmine. She, however, is not impressed. As Aladdin tries to figure out how he can get her attention, he learns that he may have even bigger problems. Jafar has pierced his disguise, and if he gets his hands on the lamp, he's going to wish for a lot more than a fancy outfit and a duet with a girl.

The Song and Dance: The big question is - how well does Smith fill Williams' oversized blue Arabian shoes? Rather well, actually. He's a lot less wild than Williams, tossing out fewer references and gags, but he's also more subtle and has great chemistry with Massoud and Nasim Petrad as Jasmine's sarcastic but loyal handmaiden Dalia. Massoud is a perfect Aladdin - he looks the part, sings beautifully, works well with Scott and Smith, and is energetic and a lot of fun to watch whether he's fleeing the guards or adorably awkward at the party. The special effects are downright amazing, especially in the musical numbers and the big action sequences. Special kudos to the colorful and glittery costumes that nicely reflect both the brilliant world of Agrabah's castle and the vibrant street life in the city.

Favorite Number: "Friend Like Me" comes off almost as well here, with the CGI working just as quickly to morph along with the Genie. "Prince Ali" is a great showcase of those amazing costumes as the Genie shows off amid the crowds and the court. There's some nice choreography here and in the big dance party finale over the credits. "One Jump Ahead" is moved to after Aladdin meets Jasmine, but it's otherwise just as much fun to watch both of them evade the guards.

The sole new number is "Speechless," Jasmine's two solos on how she'll never let anyone silence her voice. While it sounds a bit pop-ish, it's also has some topical aspects, as many young women begin to find their own voices away from stereotypes and expectations.

What I Don't Like: The villains are the problem here. Despite the increased emphasis on his backstory, Kenzari lacks the charisma and menace Johnathan Freeman brought to the role in 1992. Alan Tudyk's Iago is less annoying that Gilbert Gottfried, but he's also less funny and has less of a role. Aladdin also spends less time around him - and doesn't get to fight him in the end. Scott brings the appropriate spunk to Jasmine, but she's also a little less feisty than her 1992 counterpart and takes less part in the action.

And there's once again the remake deal. As with pretty much every remake Disney did...we just did not need this. No matter how hard they try, I don't think they'll ever really be able to recreate the simple spark that made these movies so popular in the first place.

The Big Finale: With that caveat, I still think this was the best of the three remakes Disney did last year. More fun than the dull Lion King or dark and overwrought Dumbo, this is still worth a look if you're a fan of Smith, Arabian Nights stories, or the original film.

Home Media: As one of the most recent releases I've covered, this is easily found in all formats; they just added it to Disney Plus if you have a subscription there (that's how I saw it).

DVD
Blu-Ray
4K Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime (Buy Only)