(No spoilers, don’t worry)
“Another Disney live-action movie?”
As Disney is coming up with more live-action movies, a lot of people are expressing their skepticism about the remakes of their favorite Disney animated classics. Many think that those classic stories are meant to be animated and having them turn into live-action films would take away their magic. Aside from that, many refuse to give in to the new Disney live-actions because it’s just Disney’s other grand scheme of gaining more money.
While all of these things may be true, this new generation of Disney should not be disregarded and should be celebrated and embraced as they give our generation another view on storytelling, culture and life.
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I do not deny the fact that Disney remakes are often rather controversial. However, I think we should all keep an open mind and give them a chance. It is very important to note that the live-action will never be the same as the original animation and that the live-action should be appreciated as its own entity.
Following the huge success of the Beauty and the Beast remake in 2017, the Disney audience certainly has high expectations for this new epic adaptation of the well-loved classic. To be completely honest, when I watched the Aladdin trailer a while back, I was kind of disappointed as it appeared somewhat underwhelming. However, after watching the remake, I can assure you that the trailer only represented 0.0001% of the EPICNESS of the actual film. So, don’t let the trailer fool you and deter you from watching the film!Via Tumblr
Here are some reasons why you should leave your doubtfulness behind and enjoy Disney’s latest live action film in theaters:
1. Epicness of the musical numbers
The animation is known for its extravagant musical numbers and the live-action takes it to a whole new level that does not disappoint. With it being live-action, they are able to do so much more with their costuming and choreography, transforming your entire theater experience. My personal favorite was the Prince Ali number. They did such a phenomenal job I can’t help but cheer for the glorious Prince Ali and dance internally.
The Friend Like Me sequence will never be the same as the animation without Robin Williams’ magic, however, it still managed to blow us away with the grand Genie introduction by having a perfectly orchestrated musical number.
The Arabian Night opening at the beginning, despite the absence of fancy choreography, gave me literal CHILLS. It was such a monumental introduction to the film, with hints of mystery, villainy, adventure and heroism, getting us excited for the 2-hour journey we are about to embark on.
Via Giphy
2. The beloved characters and acting
All the characters in the animation are very distinct and well-loved (except for Jafar). The actors in the remake took the characters and made them into their own. In their portrayals of the characters, you get to see glimpses of the original animated characters, like Aladdin’s mischievousness, Jasmine’s independence, Genie’s boisterousness and Jafar’s wickedness. The actors amplified these character traits and on top of that, humanized these animated characters and added their own twist to them, spicing up the story.
Many Disney fans were doubtful when Will Smith got cast to play the Genie in the remake, as no one can replace the legendary Robin Williams and top the amazing character he brought to us. However, Smith, despite the pressure of having to fill Robin’s shoes, made the character into his own, creating a slightly different portrayal of the iconic Genie, gaining a lot of respect and admiration.
Sultan, in the animation, was portrayed as a short and helpless man who is often a pushover, easily swayed by Jafar. However, in the live-action, Sultan was not just a useless nobody, he showed authority and was able to push the story arc in great ways.
Via Giphy
3. The empowering Princess Jasmine
Many of us grew up with Princess Jasmine as our role model. We’ve always known her as the independent, headstrong feminist who knows what she wants. Naomi Scott did an incredible job bringing her to life and making the animated princess more realistic and down-to-earth. She and the writers added so many layers to her character. Throughout the story arc in the movie, Jasmine was able to not only show her independence, but also her courage and qualities of a true leader, inspiring millions of young women in the world.
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4. New characters
In the live-action, they added new characters, such as Dalia, Princess Jasmine’s handmaiden. In the remakes Disney has produced so far, not many of them have created new characters (memorable ones). They did a bold move for the Aladdin remake and they did a wonderful job at executing her. Her quirky and supportive character added great dynamic in character relationships, showing more depth to Jasmine’s character. In the meantime, Dalia also had an underlying storyline, which added its own spin on the ending (You will find out when you watch the film, wink wink). Via Giphy
5. Soundtrack
One of the many things the animated classic is known for is its memorable soundtrack. While the original songs remained in the live-action remake, they adopted them in a way that is more on the “poppy” side, adding their own spin to the traditional classics without losing their original Disney magic.
In addition, the Disney legend, composer Alan Menken (who composed soundtracks for Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and many more Disney classics) wrote a new song for Princess Jasmine in the remake, titled “Speechless”. Even though it is not of the typical Disney music style, it is a great addition to the live-action remake as it did a tremendous job in adding to Jasmine’s character development, which I’m sure was able to empower their countless audience, especially young women. Alan Menken also composed a collection of new pieces to fit the epicness of the live-action, allowing us to fully immerse into the action.
Via Giphy
Now that you found out so many great things about the new Aladdin live-action, what are you still waiting for? Go hit the theaters and enjoy that magical movie experience, collegiettes! I don’t know about you, but I will definitely see it in theaters for the second time!