Here’s how Aladdin felt:
Disney had a checklist of what the movie needed to include and just rushed
through it without caring how it would look. Another way to put it is that the
director and screenwriters didn’t deliver on this one.
One thing that
stood out to me was the production’s issue with space management. The Prince
Ali scene, where he arrives to introduce himself, seemed to take place in the
most limited space they could find. Then, at the end, when Jafar wishes to
become a sorcerer, everything happens in an equally confined environment.
Compared to the animated version, these scenes felt small and underwhelming.
The movie is a
live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1992 animated film of the same name. Both
are based on the Middle Eastern folktale from One Thousand and One Nights.
Aladdin is a street rat—a term used in both adaptations—a young man who lives
on the streets, stealing to survive.
One day, he runs
into a woman who gets into trouble after helping some hungry children by giving
them food she couldn’t pay for. Aladdin steps in to rescue her, using his
street-smart skills like stealing and creating distractions.
His love for the woman grows, especially after she tells him she works in the palace. This drives him to break into the palace to see her again, not realizing she’s actually Princess Jasmine. While leaving, he’s kidnapped by Jafar, who forces him to retrieve a magic lamp from a cave. Things don’t go as Jafar planned, and Aladdin ends up with the lamp. When he rubs it, a genie appears, granting him three wishes.
After learning
from Jafar that the woman he likes is Princess Jasmine, Aladdin wishes to
become a prince, since only a prince can marry a princess according to the law.
This wish sets
the story in motion, as Jafar sees through Aladdin’s facade and begins scheming
to take over the kingdom and gain ultimate power.
You’ll enjoy the
chemistry between Aladdin and Jasmine (played by Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott,
respectively). Will Smith as the Genie gives a 6/10 performance—it could have
been better with stronger direction. The actor playing Jafar, however, was just
awful.
I couldn’t care
less about the new songs added to the movie. I found myself wondering why they
were included at all. The film also didn’t make the most of the visual elements
that made the animated version so magical. It felt like the movie had a limited
CGI budget and couldn’t fully bring the story to life.
Disney isn’t
stopping with live-action adaptations of their animated classics—The Lion King is
coming out soon. They managed to make The Jungle Book (2016)
and Beauty and the Beast (2017) feel almost scene-for-scene perfect,
with the music and visuals intact. That’s the level of care they should have
taken with Aladdin.
I had more fun
watching the animated version than this live-action adaptation.
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