Aladdin Image

Aladdin

By Alan Ng | May 24, 2019

Meanwhile, Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) is actively trying to take power over the kingdom from the good Sultan (Navid Negahban). He’s risen to the number two spot as the primary counsel to the Sultan, but that’s not enough. He needs a magic lamp hidden in the cave of wonders, and only Aladdin is purest of heart or “the diamond in the rough,” who can enter the cave. Cutting to the chase, Aladdin retrieves the lamp rubs it and out appears the genie (Will Smith) to grant Aladdin three wishes. More than anything, all Aladdin wants is to be with Princess Jasmine for the rest of his life.

“…Jasmine as the strong, authoritative Princess qualified to take over as Sultan…”

Let’s start with the obvious criticism. It’s hard not to watch Aladdin and not think about the original. Quite frankly, what made the original a classic was the music and song and of course, Robin Williams and his mile-a-minute improvisations that somehow still holds up today. Will Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin ruin our memories of the classic or can he pull off a miracle?

The first act of Aladdin is difficult to watch. Will Smith sings the opening number, Arabian Nights, and like Emma Watson’s Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Smith just doesn’t have the Broadway-calibre voice and lacks the vocal strength to belt out the song. It’s a great song but falls flat. There is a new character named Dalia, Jasmine’s handmaiden, performed by SNL’s Nasim Pedrad and it felt like another great comedic actress is appearing in a Disney film, only to see her talent being wasted.

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  1. Pete says:

    Not sure why you think that this is above Beauty and the Beast, but it isn’t.

    I’m not saying this is bad, but Beauty and the Beast remains one of the few live action Disney movies that are true to their cartoon counterpart.

  2. teehee says:

    probably one of the best movies i’ve seen in awhile. whoever says it sucks is wrong lmao.
    if you haven’t seen the movie yet and not sure its worth it- go and see it. it was beautiful

  3. ADOLFO says:

    No me lo puedo creer, usted critica lo de la canción de JAZMÍN como antes d dl 2016 la cosa sería diferente, pero luego dice que le gusto,como si de un lobby tuviera miedo por no poner lo que ellos quieren…… creo que os equivocáis con esa forma de pensar , la Jazmín original no era una damisela en peligro ella misma de valía por sí sola.

  4. Curing says:

    The jungle book is trash, the only good live action one was beauty and the beast , cinderella was meh, aladdin is total trash 8/10 stars? lmfao

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