Aladdin - Review
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Nasim Pedrad
Even before the film's release, Aladdin had attracted a lot of negative attention, including but not limited to; the choice of director, Smith's appearance as the Genie and the seemingly lacklustre musical numbers. Is all of the early furore justified or has the film fallen victim to unfair scrutiny?
After charming street urchin Aladdin (Massoud) is sent into the Cave of Wonders to retrieve a coveted oil lamp, he unleashes a powerful and wise-cracking Genie (Smith). Becoming the Genie's master and being granted three wishes, Aladdin sets out to win the heart of Princess Jasmine (Scott), the beautiful and independent daughter of the sultan of Agrabah.
Beloved by all, the 1992 Aladdin shines brightly in people's minds for many reasons, but the element that we arguably all remember most fondly is Robin Williams' iconic performance as the Genie. Having crafted one of Disney's greatest ever characters, Will Smith faced an immensely daunting challenge of paying respect and homage to the comic legend whilst establishing the character as his own. Thankfully, Smith's casting was one of the film's smartest decisions and his abundance of energy and personal brand of comedic flair fit the role like a glove, although his performance is occasionally hampered by some suspect CGI.
Massoud and Scott's palpable and effortless chemistry compensate for some of the film's more technical misgivings such as the assaulting CGI and very obvious production design. The two both relative newcomers show no signs of suffering under the pressure of headlining a blockbuster and electrify with their presence. Massoud is every bit as lovable as the mischievous animated iteration of the character but brings a nuance to the role that we haven't previously seen, imbuing Aladdin with a deeper sense of insecurity and lack of confidence. Scott also gets the opportunity to add layers to her character with Princess Jasmine yearning to one day become Sultan of Agrabah and restore her country to its former glory.
Ritchie's direction is less stylistically distinctive than on display in his previous films such as Snatch and The Man from U.N.C.L.E but he does add some visual and narrative flourishes that ensure the film stands out on his resume. Ritchie, along with co-writer John August, incorporates new characters and involves them in fresh storylines, most notably Jasmine's loyal handmaiden and confidant Dalia (played by Saturday Night Live alumni Nasim Pedrad) who becomes a love interest for the Genie. These deviations and additions to the source inspiration ultimately don't prove to be necessary but their inclusion is welcome, providing heightened moments of humour. However, Ritchie hasn't quite mastered the art of musical direction which transpires to be inconsequential as what we see on screen is so vibrant and the familiar tunes penned by Alan Menken are so joyous that it elevates the sequences beyond their initial impression.
Colourful, crowd-pleasing and down right infectious, Aladdin overcomes all of its obstacles and anticipated pitfalls to become Disney's greatest live-action adaptation to date.
EB
Cast: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Nasim Pedrad
Even before the film's release, Aladdin had attracted a lot of negative attention, including but not limited to; the choice of director, Smith's appearance as the Genie and the seemingly lacklustre musical numbers. Is all of the early furore justified or has the film fallen victim to unfair scrutiny?After charming street urchin Aladdin (Massoud) is sent into the Cave of Wonders to retrieve a coveted oil lamp, he unleashes a powerful and wise-cracking Genie (Smith). Becoming the Genie's master and being granted three wishes, Aladdin sets out to win the heart of Princess Jasmine (Scott), the beautiful and independent daughter of the sultan of Agrabah.
Beloved by all, the 1992 Aladdin shines brightly in people's minds for many reasons, but the element that we arguably all remember most fondly is Robin Williams' iconic performance as the Genie. Having crafted one of Disney's greatest ever characters, Will Smith faced an immensely daunting challenge of paying respect and homage to the comic legend whilst establishing the character as his own. Thankfully, Smith's casting was one of the film's smartest decisions and his abundance of energy and personal brand of comedic flair fit the role like a glove, although his performance is occasionally hampered by some suspect CGI.
Massoud and Scott's palpable and effortless chemistry compensate for some of the film's more technical misgivings such as the assaulting CGI and very obvious production design. The two both relative newcomers show no signs of suffering under the pressure of headlining a blockbuster and electrify with their presence. Massoud is every bit as lovable as the mischievous animated iteration of the character but brings a nuance to the role that we haven't previously seen, imbuing Aladdin with a deeper sense of insecurity and lack of confidence. Scott also gets the opportunity to add layers to her character with Princess Jasmine yearning to one day become Sultan of Agrabah and restore her country to its former glory.
Ritchie's direction is less stylistically distinctive than on display in his previous films such as Snatch and The Man from U.N.C.L.E but he does add some visual and narrative flourishes that ensure the film stands out on his resume. Ritchie, along with co-writer John August, incorporates new characters and involves them in fresh storylines, most notably Jasmine's loyal handmaiden and confidant Dalia (played by Saturday Night Live alumni Nasim Pedrad) who becomes a love interest for the Genie. These deviations and additions to the source inspiration ultimately don't prove to be necessary but their inclusion is welcome, providing heightened moments of humour. However, Ritchie hasn't quite mastered the art of musical direction which transpires to be inconsequential as what we see on screen is so vibrant and the familiar tunes penned by Alan Menken are so joyous that it elevates the sequences beyond their initial impression.
Colourful, crowd-pleasing and down right infectious, Aladdin overcomes all of its obstacles and anticipated pitfalls to become Disney's greatest live-action adaptation to date.
EB
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