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Disney’s remake of their animated classic doesn’t exactly take viewers to a whole new world.
By Tom Jorgensen
At this point, we’ve seen enough live-action reimaginings of Disney’s animated canon to know they don’t always concern themselves with breaking the mold. Their classics are classics for a reason – so if it ain’t broke, right? It should come as no surprise then that their adaptation of 1992’s Aladdin, for the most part, is very content to color inside the lines. Most of the proceedings will feel very familiar to fans of the original, so if you’re looking for a totally different take on it, you’re going to have to temper expectations. What we do get is a visually impressive, energetic adventure that could have spent a little more time on what new it does bring to the table.
Disney had a huge challenge out of the gate in conceiving this movie – how the heck do you recast the Genie, a role so iconically played by the late Robin Williams? Will Smith’s turn as the Genie, for all of its blue-tinged pre-release controversy, is largely a success. Crucially, Smith avoids the one thing that would have derailed the performance: trying to recreate the inimitable Robin Williams’ iteration of the character. Williams’ Genie was an amplification of the actor’s signature chaotic personality and Will Smith wisely steers far clear of trying to match that. This Genie relies on Smith’s charm, bravado, and the clear amount of fun he’s having playing the role. The story does give Smith’s Genie a little more depth than just being blue and hilarious, affording him a surprisingly fun and grounded subplot.
But does Smith get by on charm alone? It’s going to depend a lot on your opinion of Will Smith. While Robin Williams breezed through dozens of different voices and personas to bring the Genie to life, never letting us know what to expect, this version of the character very much feels like blue Will Smith (blue Hitch may be closer), so your mileage with the character is going to vary a lot based on how willing you are to accept that. While Smith does fine work, how reliant this Genie is on Smith’s personality does make you wonder if an actor pushing farther out of their comfort zone would have gotten us closer to the boundless creativity that made Robin Williams’ performance so memorable.
Perhaps inevitably, Smith’s charisma does end up overshadowing newcomer Mena Massoud as the title character. This isn’t helped by a script that always seems to be more interested in the characters surrounding Aladdin rather than Aladdin himself. Massoud’s Aladdin is rather sheepish and when you’re up against Blue Fresh Prince, you need to bring a little more to the table to stand out. Massoud is definitely strongest in his comedic scenes as Prince Ali, stumbling his way through trying to woo Princess Jasmine and finding new and painfully awkward ways of messing it up.
Aladdin’s shown early on, through a little act of Robin Hoodism (that’s a thing, right?), to be a good-hearted guy looking out for those that have it worse than him. But when it comes time for his wish-fuelled selfishness to start driving his decision-making, it feels like it’s just happening because that’s how the story’s supposed to go and not because this version has done the legwork to make us believe Aladdin could so easily become a jerk based on what we know about him. It’s emblematic of what has to be this movie’s big drawback: by and large, it’s always happy to be a pretty close facsimile of the animated version. Maybe such a truncated turn from good guy to self-absorbed works outside of live-action, but here, it just reminds you that there are only so many changes the filmmakers are willing to make, and none that really lend any true shocks.. That’s disappointing here because, especially with the Genie in play, the possibilities for new, fantastic points of view are endless. The fact that most of the story’s turns remain untouched can’t help feeling like a missed opportunity to exploit this world’s potential.
The one area that does feel like a clear improvement over the 1992 version is the characterization of Naomi Scott’s Jasmine, to the point where at times the movie feels like it’s more invested in her story than Aladdin’s. The princess feels more three-dimensional (pun not intended… nor apologized for) and she is given far more interesting ambitions this time around. Scott gives the character a dignity and drive that makes it easier to root for her than poor old Al. Both Jasmine and Genie’s newly fleshed-out arcs are welcome additions, but they do draw attention to how predictable and dated Aladdin’s story feels by comparison.
The supporting cast is hit-or-miss. While Nasim Pedrad and Billy Magnusson’s new characters end up being reliable for laughs, Marwan Kenzari’s take on Jafar is a letdown. Aside from a quick exchange about hating second place, it’s never very clear why Jafar is scheming for the Sultan’s throne, other than the fact that he’s just generally evil. The animated Jafar had real wickedness and darkness to him, but Kenzari trades that in for a creepy, ill-defined lust for power that never really excites. But he’s the one standing in Aladdin and Jasmine’s way and, dang it, we want them to be together!
Fans will be glad to know that Aladdin’s catalog of great songs are well represented here. Though “One Jump Ahead” proves to be a bit of a misfire early on, featuring a heavy emphasis on chase and action that doesn’t quite work, the rest of the numbers are a good time. “Friend Like Me” is the movie at its visual peak, and probably the closest the movie gets to recreating the magic of the animated film. One of the most pleasant surprises on the soundtrack is the new number written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen), “Speechless”. Scott’s an able singer, and “Speechless” is a great showcase for that talent. The song won’t win any awards for subtlety, but in the context of Jasmine’s story, it really works.
On the visual front, Aladdin rarely disappoints. Agrabah feels vibrant and alive, most of all during “Prince Ali”’s grand entrance, and the surrounding desert is beautifully shot. The Cave of Wonders sequence in particular shows off Guy Richie’s skill at crafting an action set-piece, and everything from the mystical danger of that scene down to Aladdin’s parkouring all over Agrabah really moves with great pace under his eye.
One of the most pleasant surprises on the soundtrack is the new number written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen), “Speechless”. Scott’s an able singer, and “Speechless” is a great showcase for that talent. The song won’t win any awards for subtlety, but in the context of Jasmine’s story, it really works.
The Verdict
Aladdin is about as safe an adaptation as we’ve seen Disney put out, which is a bit disappointing considering that most of what it adds to the story works pretty well. More interesting arcs for Jasmine and the Genie are welcome, but more often than not, Aladdin just wants to play the hits. The familiar story beats feel undercooked in live-action, something not helped by actors in the lead hero and villain roles that tend to get outshined by their peers. While 2019’s Aladdin may not be a whole new world, thanks to some great supporting performances and a dazzling Agrabah, it is one worth revisiting.
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