Runtime: 128 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG (for some action/peril)
Who should see it? Families and fans of Disney's live-action remakes.
Based on the classic 1992 Disney animation, Aladdin is directed by Guy Ritchie and features a screenplay co-penned by Guy Ritchie and John August. Of Disney's recent live-action reimaginings, this is perhaps the one which I've been most skeptical. Guy Ritchie's filmography is hit-or-miss for me, and the marketing did not inspire confidence whatsoever. Nevertheless, the original is one of my favorite Disney animated features, so I hoped to extract some enjoyment in-spite of rock-bottom expectations. Thankfully, it proved slightly better than the train-wreck I imagined.
Though there are occasional alterations, Ritchie's Aladdin largely adheres to the original's narrative and incorporates many of the iconic imagery, moments, and songs from the animation. Unfortunately, these tweaks hardly enhanced anything and often detracted rather than supplement the story. The 2019 version is 37 minutes longer, but the ancillary runtime's rarely justified since the additions either exist purely for the sake of differentiation, including extra action set pieces, or complicating simple story beats. Perhaps the most egregious issues lie in August and Ritchie's script. This live-action incarnation retains the same message as the animated version, but clumsily communicates its lessons to the audience. There are many scenes in which the film's themes are awkwardly over-explained via dialogue. For comparison, dialogue from the 1992 edition was far more subtle, communicating more meaning with far less effort.
Changes aside, August and Ritchie combine early story beats to sloppily rush through the first act, which I suspect may confuse those unfamiliar with the animation. Without knowledge of the original, there's not enough development or explanation surrounding particular plot points for new viewers to understand the gist of these scenes. Otherwise, Ritchie's directorial trademarks are deeply woven into this magic carpet, to a distracting degree. One of Ritchie's stylistic tendencies is an editing technique which simultaneously speeds up/slows down objects or actors in the foreground/background. This bizarre blend of hyperkinetic motion and slo-mo was especially noticeable during the parkour chases and choreographed numbers on top of looking incredibly unnatural. On behalf of this stylistic choice and some painfully wooden acting I'll address later, there's an awkward energy which is pervasive in the remake.
Regarding the musical numbers, "Friend Like Me" was by far the most impressive. However, it still suffered from the inconsistent visual effects present throughout the feature. The other songs each suffer from different issues including obvious auto-tuning, awkward placement (the reprise of the new song "Speechless"), and flimsy execution. Most notably, "Prince Ali" is a very high-energy song, and while there's a colorful presentation of costumes, sets, and effects, the choreography and staging felt very restrained and uninspired. And flat cinematography certainly didn't help matters.
So what is Aladdin's most pressing problem? Well, it's actually Aladdin... Mena Massoud is merely miscast as he fails to exude the character's charm or much personality at all. His performance is very wooden, and it sounded as though he was heavily auto-tuned, so the lead of this musical can't even sing... I think I know why he may have been selected though. His inherent awkwardness came in handy when Aladdin's unsuccessfully charming Jasmine and it appeared as though he was physically inclined to perform much of the parkour stunt-work himself. Meanwhile, there's the lingering question of whether Will Smith could step into Robin Williams' shoes as Genie. The role requires a larger-than-life personality, and thankfully, Smith proved up to the task. It's unrealistic to expect him to match Robin Williams' iconic portrayal of the classic character, but he makes the role his own and lends a lot of personality to the film.
However, the runaway star was Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Scott wonderfully realizes Jasmine's fierce independence and empathetic qualities, serving as an ideal live-action iteration of the character. Scott's singing ability is also on a whole other level than her co-stars, to the point where it sounded like she was slightly auto-tuned in "A Whole New World" so Massoud's lacking talent wouldn't be as noticeable. It speaks volumes that the crew went to those lengths.
Unfortunately, the rich villainous role of Jafar becomes a one-note antagonist in the hands of Marwan Kenzari. Like Massoud, Marwan Kenzari is miscast and offers a dull portrayal of a robust character, and the film really suffers for it... Elsewhere, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, Numan Acar, and Alan Tudyk are suitable inclusions as Sultan, Jasmine's handmaiden Dalia, suitor Prince Anders, palace guard Hakim, and the squawking parrot Iago.
The 1992 animated incarnation transported audiences to a whole new world full of magic and wonder, but Guy Ritchie's Aladdin discards the heart, soul, and subtlety from that treasured magic carpet ride. In their place, audiences will discover an overabundance of sketchy CGI, gaudy scenery, and heavy-handed storytelling. If you've desperately hoped for a wondrous retelling of this animated classic, you'll ascertain Disney's magic lamp couldn't grant that wish.
