Aladdin Review: Not What I Was Expecting

Photo Courtesy of Popcorn

Okay, so the trailer does NOT do this movie justice!

When I saw the trailer for Guy Richie's live-action remake of Aladdin, I figured this movie would be a total bust. It seemed they really missed the mark on casting and the storyline.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. The movie strays from the storyline of the animated film, but I still enjoyed it very much. If you're looking for a point-by-point remake of the original, then this ain't it for you.

The characters all had fantastic chemistry and played off of each other really well. Mena Massoud played an excellent Aladdin and captured how I imagined the real-life Aladdin would look and act like. Although, I can't say I loved his hairstyle. It brought me back to reality a little because it seemed more "boy-band" than "Middle-Eastern thief". As for Jasmine, I thought Naomi Scott's feminist, empowering take on her character worked very well.

I didn't love Marwan Kenzani's portrayal of Jafar. It just seemed so far from the original, who was cunning, masterful, and had a very distinct, evil voice. However, it wasn't terrible.

I've seen a lot of reviews condemning Will Smith's portrayal of the Genie. I think Smith was doomed from the start, as no one on the planet could ever be the Genie that Robin Williams was. I personally don't think it's right to compare the two, because Will Smith didn't try to mimic Robin Williams, rather he made the Genie his own. And for that, I think he was an excellent Genie.

The music was fabulous, my favorite musical number of course being "Prince Ali". The characters got some original music as well, like Jasmine's solo, "Speechless". The costumes and sets were gorgeous and colorful, and the CGI animals were very impressive.

One big problem I had with the film was that we didn't get to see Jasmine and Aladdin restore Agrabah and help the people, which is what Jasmine wanted to do as Sultan. I felt like I was missing something, because we got our happy ending romance-wise, but didn't get to see Agrabah's revival as a result.

Was it perfect? No, but it was very entertaining and is worth your money to go see. Take it for what it is, a magical story re-envisioned.