Review Rating:
Undoubtedly one of the stronger Disney live-action remakes that has been released to date, ‘Aladdin’ is a welcome addition to their catalogue.
We’ve all seen the original 1992 version of ‘Aladdin’, the one featuring the incredible voice talents of the late Robin Williams as Genie. Leave it to Disney to get us all to head back to the cinema years later to see the same tale unfold all over again – this time in a live-action setting.
And to be honest, they’ve only gone and done it again… almost. The 2019 version of ‘Aladdin’, Disney’s second out of three live-action releases this year alone, hasn’t quite grasped as much magic as the original had when we saw it for the first time 27 years ago (HOW LONG AGO?!). The music, the dancing, and the jokes are there aplenty for sure. It’s unfortunate that the saving grace of the movie comes down to Genie, and without a doubt Will Smith steals the show this time around. Once he gets introduced after a thrilling Cave of Wonders, you’ll find yourself yearning for him to appear in every upcoming scene.
There’s plenty of singing, dancing, and drama for even the least musical-liking member of your family to enjoy here.
Of course, too much of Genie would have been overkill, and it’s a relief that the rest of the cast can carry their scenes in memorable fashion too. Massoud’s Aladdin is exactly how you would imagine a real-life version of the character appearing on screen (he even sounds eerily similar to Scott Weinger’s animated version too); Scott as Princess Jasmine is used well, even including an extra song for her character this time around too; the new inclusion of Nasim Pedrad as Jasmine’s handmaiden Dalia is a welcome extra shot of comedy; while Kenzari’s baddie Jafar comes across as slightly underwhelming and not nearly as bad as we remember him being in the 90’s.
If you and your children loved the original 90’s cartoon, then this is a must-see for you all. There’s plenty of singing, dancing, and drama for even the least musical-liking member of your family to enjoy here – and Smith’s newest song ‘Friend Like Me’ is a sure-fire hit.
Undoubtedly one of the stronger Disney live-action remakes that has been released to date, ‘Aladdin’ is a welcome addition to their ever-increasing catalogue and one which can be enjoyed by all the family for years to come. However, going home and putting on the original movie is totally acceptable too.