ALADDIN REVIEW: Who Let The Genie Out Of The Bottle?

Some Small Changes Aside, It’s Still The Story You Know…

Aladdin retells its classic source material’s story with sufficient spectacle and skill. Mena Massoud plays our plucky title character, a nimble street urchin who steals to survive, and whose only friend is his monkey, Abu.

When Aladdin runs afoul of the Sultan of Agrabah’s frowning guards, he’s recognized by the conniving Grand Vizier, Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), as the fabled “diamond in the rough” or skilled thief for whom Jafar has been searching.

The kingdom of Agrabah, you see, is in bad shape. The aging ruler is under Jafar’s evil spell, and daughter/heir Jasmine is forbidden from roaming the realm or making meaningful decisions.

The Sultan simply wants to marry her off (and Ritchie’s script, co-written with John August, does nothing to expand upon this or explore Jasmine’s mind). Frustrated, Jasmine escapes and runs into Aladdin on the street.

Mistaken identity and sparks ensue, but soon Aladdin finds himself forced to steal a magic lamp on Jafar’s behalf, lured by the promise of winning Jasmine’s affection.

The plot and themes are well-known to anyone who’s seen the 1992 Disney animated film on which this live-action musical is based, or the Broadway musical it later birthed.

But the Middle Eastern folk tale from which all of this is adapted?

That feels as distant as director Guy Ritchie’s good judgment or taste. (He at least had enough of the latter to cast non-white people in most roles.)Written by John August (“Big Fish”) and rewritten by Ritchie, with music and songs by Alan Menken (and the late Howard Ashman) plus a couple of original tunes intended to qualify the film for Best Original Song Oscars.

Ritchie, whose work includes stella titles like “Snatch” and the recent, beautiful shot  “Sherlock Holmes” films with Robert Downey Jr., always seemed like an odd choice to take the reins. But with Ritchie’s enthusiasm, he has truly put his focus on newcomers such as Kenzari and Naomi Scott (who plays Princess Jasmine).

And the main showpiece of the film is, of course, our adorable, loveable blue-skinned genie. Performed by Will Smith taking over for the late Robin Williams in a mostly-CGI, occasionally live-action role and Will Smith excels in a role where he’s given express orders to be funny and light. A great performance from his first introduction into the film, and all the way too the last dance number when the credits finally roll.

There’s An Effort To Squeeze Some More Depth Into Both Jasmine And Genie…

There are at least two potentially good and somewhat original takes struggling get out of this remake and assert themselves. One is the story of how the genie bonds with Aladdin (Mena Massoud) and tries to secure his own freedom without breaking any genie/master rules.

Ritchie and co-screenwriter John August have added a fair bit of modernization to Jasmine’s character, imagining her as a leader-in-the-making who is eager to rule her country. And Jasmine (Naomi Scott), who’s not merely a spirited feminist who enjoys disguising herself as a peasant and hanging with the commoners, but seems ready to agitate for representative democracy if nudged in the right direction. Neither of these is permitted to seize the spotlight for very long, though.

THE BAD GUY:

Marwan Kenzari’s performance as the treacherous vizier Jafar departs most strikingly from the original animated film. Long gone is the old, imperious, scheming advisor. Instead, we have a youthful character where Kenzari tries to create something closer to an antihero than a traditional bad guy, and although it’s ultimately more of a riff or a vibe than a strong characterization (the writing lets him down, as it does every character), he’s genuinely scary in the second half. Little kids will be terrified of him.

DOWN POINTS:

Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine, who has a fierce dignity and can’t help it that her big original number—“Speechless,” a song about the silencing of women by the patriarchy, written by two men, “La La Land” and “Dear Evan Hansen” composers Pasek & Paul—feels wedged into the movie like a doorstop.

On the positive side, Aladdin is a weird masterclass in casting. The Disney team have gone to great lengths to discover two leads (Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine) who are physically identical to their hand-animated counterparts. Massoud has the same lantern jaw, bouncing fringe and diminutive frame as cartoon Aladdin, while Scott looks like she could’ve been the design model for the original Jasmine.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This time, the story of Aladdin feels less random as it’s told from Smith’s Genie instead of a street peddler like in the animated movie. A simple backstory is also given to Jafar’s villain to make him more than just a Disney villain. But generally, we have a well-loved family-friendly film for the entire family.

4/5 STARS