An Honest (No Spoiler!) Review On The Aladdin Live-Action Remake

I’m a sucker for classic Disney movies, but when I heard about Aladdin being made into a live action I was skeptical. Really? Another live action? Why would anyone bother when the animation is the classic? Is Hollywood just running out of ideas? Don’t get me wrong, even though I love Disney movies, I tend to criticize live action remakes because the magic captured from the animation won’t necessarily be similar. It also feels like Hollywood just wants more money and takes a Disney movie because they know there will be some attention for it. Despite my initial negative thoughts, Aladdin is one of my favourite Disney movies and there was a part of me that wanted it to be successful, so I watched it with a friend during the holidays. This is a non-spoiler version so don’t fret if you haven’t seen the movie yet! So without further ado, here is my honest review. 

The Acting

In all honesty, I had no idea who Mena Massoud was before watching Aladdin, but I can say without a doubt that he personified Aladdin perfectly. He was charming, kind and awkward (to the people who’ve watched the movie, you know what scene I’m talking about) in all the right places. I’ll admit that I did find his singing voice a little weak in some areas, but he isn’t a classically trained singer so I’ll let him off the hook. Naomi Scott was a perfect Jasmine- Her singing, the way she carried herself and the bits of naiveté then switching back to her princess manners… Jasmine and Jafar’s back stories are a lot more fleshed out in the live action, which surprised me, but simultaneously gave them more life. An addition was added into the movie: Jasmine’s handmaid, Dalia, who adds in humour but acts as a friend towards Jasmine.

Naomi Scott’s voice is phenomenal

Some of you may remember Naomi Scott as Mohini “Mo” Banjaree from Disney Channel’s Lemonade Mouth from 2011 or from the 2017 Power Rangers adaptation. It was revealed that Jasmine was given her own solo in the movie, and after watching it, it is my favourite song from the movie. The song is powerful, full of emotion and I get chills every time I listen to it. You can watch it on YouTube but…I would recommend watching the movie first to get the full impact. 

Will Smith did the genie justice and you can’t change my mind

When Will Smith was cast as the genie there was immediate backlash. People kept comparing him to Robin Williams who voiced the Genie in the animated movie in 1992. Robin Williams put on a memorable performance in the movie, and the general public wasn’t sure about Will Smith being cast as the iconic character. I felt that Will Smith put on a stellar performance and added in his own twist and quirks to make the genie more him. People also had a problem that he was blue, but he’s not blue constantly throughout the film. If anything I feel like people would’ve been angry if he wasn’t blue, so it seemed like whatever he did as the genie, people would dislike. But thankfully, he added his own flair and proved to be a fantastic genie.

My final verdict 

  Aladdin is a movie I don’t regret watching. I laughed and smiled as I remembered lyrics to the classic songs as well as got caught up in the drama of the plot. It’s funny, has it’s emotional moments and fleshed out characters that I never thought needed extra attention until now. It didn’t make me want to watch it a second time on the big screen but it did make me download the soundtrack. I would say that this was one of Disney’s best live action remakes so far. The outfits, scenery and the CGI were all nailed down to the T. It had the same comedic atmosphere of a normal Disney movie and there’s really a sense of love that went into making the movie. 

For die-hard Disney fans, I suggest watching the movie. It’s fun, colourful and there are scenes that’ll just blow you away. I know that it’s not the Aladdin you grew up with but it definitely left me feeling a little magical once the credits rolled.