Disappointing, pointless and sloppy.

Rating: 2/10 (5 September 2019)

The 2019 Adaptation of the Disney classic, "Aladdin", was nothing more than a sloppy, cash grab.
Many moments throughout the film were uncomfortable to watch, purely because of how painfully cringeworthy they were. There were majorly important parts that seemed to be brushed over for the sake of adding new pointless plot points. The story was too quick in parts when there needs to be more information, and too slow in the filler parts. The plot makes very little sense unless you know all of the information from the original.
The modernisation of the soundtrack was something that could have been incredible. But instead we got crappy overproduced beats that didn't fit with the theme or mood of the story. For example, the fan favourite song "Friend like me" sung by the Genie, is a jazzy show tune, with a boppy swing. The song is powerful and over the top, which is what made it so perfect in the original. It's a song that is supposed to showcase the Genie's talents and personality. However, in this version of Aladdin, friend like me has a rap beat, which simply didn't fit with the song. Will Smith is an amazing actor and talented rapper, but this song requires a powerful singer to do it justice. Unfortunately, Smith didn't sing those powerful parts in this song or any of the songs well. This is a shame because I really love Will Smith and I was very supportive of the casting of his role.
One of the only songs I really enjoyed in this version, was Arabian Nights. It stayed true to the original and still managed to bring something new to the story. However, it set up a level that the rest of the film just couldn't match. Another song that was good was "Speechless", sung by Princess Jasmine. Finally Jasmine had her own solo number that showcased the strength and perseverance of her character. But it just didn't seem to work with the story. Jasmines character development, much like the other characters development, was rushed. This song just seemed shoved in there. Having said that, I really enjoy the song and I think it is a perfect reflection of her personality. But it didn't work within the context of this version of the story.
Now for the most disappointing segment of my little rant... JAFAR. A once mysterious and intimidating villain, with wit and cunning... becomes a whinging obnoxious toddler who didn't get what he wanted. I have nothing against Marwan Kenzari. He is a talented man with a bright future in film ahead of him, already being in many big titles. However, I don't think he was quite the right choice for Jafar. His acting was great, but the character he played is not Jafar.
Overall, this movie was an absolute disappointment. Being a fan of the original, it was painful to watch and heartbreaking to listen to the soundtrack. I could go on for an eternity about why I hated this movie but I don't want to keep typing and I refuse to even address how pointless and terrible the character of Dalia was.
-Andrew