A Solid Live-Action Remake

Rating: 8/10 (6 August 2019)

From Maleficent to Alice in Wonderland, even though those are films that have been changed the most from their original versions, it really does feel like Disney has now doubled-down on keeping their remakes familiar, down to replicating shots and songs. Many viewers may take offence to this or find it pointless to even watch a remake that doesn't take any creative liberties, but I feel that an updated version for today's kids isn't all that bad. Aladdin is one of the latest films to receive this treatment and I believe it's also one of the better ones they've done.
Following Aladdin (Mena Massoud), a street thief who finds his way into the palace of Princess Jasmine (Noami Scott), eventually stumbles across a lamp that reveals a genie (Will Smith) who will grant him three wishes. The core premise of the original film is very much present here, but there are also a few welcome additions that don't feel forced or disappointing, at least in my opinion. Viewers seem to be complaining about the villain in Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) for being too soft-spoken and not threatening enough, but I thought this take on him felt very refreshing and more sly than overpowering.
Like most of these remakes, there are many shots that just feel like replicas of the classic animated film and the songs are exactly the same for the most part, but for me, it all came down to how everything seems to jump off the screen and if I was able to buy into it all. The short answer for that is yes, I found myself invested in everything that was going on and Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, and especially Will Smith all deliver great performances. Will Smith doesn't ruin what Robin Williams did in the past, but rather makes it his own and I really appreciated that.
Where this films biggest issue lies; However, is in its runtime. This version of Aladdin is nearly 40 minutes longer than the original film and while many of the scenes do add to the movie as a whole, it does feel its length at times. There are many fun aspects to this movie, so when a lot of time is taken to explore the dramatic side of these characters, it almost slows down to a halt at times. Luckily, the cast and story surrounding them are so likeable that I was able to forgive a few slow scenes, for the most part.
In the end, this 2019 live-action version of Aladdin could have been better and should've probably changed the original premise a little more than it did, in order to feel fresher, but I really enjoyed what was shown to me. This is the same way I have felt about most of these remakes, where if you loved, or even liked the original animated movie, then there's really no reason why you shouldn't at least enjoy watching it at the very least. It has its issues, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the movies watching Aladdin.