Flawed but fun and beautiful.

Rating: 7/10 (26 May 2019)

We all have those childhood movies that hold a special place in our hearts. Well for me it was the one-two punch of Aladdin and The Lion King; 7-year-old Troy's eyes being opened to the wonders of cinema through two classic Disney adventures. There's no possible way for me to consider the animated Aladdin with any sort of objectivity - in my eyes it's perfect - which in turn makes it extremely hard to judge this live-action remake as anything but paling in comparison. Putting those impossible comparisons (and inevitable conclusion) aside, Guy Ritchie's take on this rags-to-riches tale is energetic, vibrant and largely a load of fun, albeit with a few missteps. Taking it in a Bollywood-esque direction is a great choice, allowing Ritchie to lean heavily into stunning musical set pieces with grand sets and even grander costumes; the biggest and most beautiful spectacle coming from the magnificent 'Prince Ali' sequence. There's a new song too, Jasmine's solo-effort 'Speechless' a powerful ode to her under-valued strength in a male-dominated world. It encapsulates this film's overall stronger focus on Jasmine (stunningly played by Naomi Scott), who proves to be a more interesting character than the titular street-rat. Mena Massoud is both charming and physically convincing as our protagonist, put through his paces as Ritchie bolsters the action stakes where possible; the parkour-inspired 'One Jump Ahead' a fun introduction to the nimble-thief hero despite the occasionally awkward lyric delivery. The big blue elephant in the room is undoubtedly Will Smith's Genie though. Whilst the performance is fine, the computer-generated visual execution is shockingly bad and at times downright creepy due to the dreadful face replacement technology. Smith still manages to bring a bit of his trademark swagger and when Genie and Aladdin are exchanging witty banter there are plenty of amusing moments, but these are mostly worthy of smiles rather than belly laughs. It's certainly no classic, but this live-action Aladdin is a mostly enjoyable flick for kids and adults alike.