We Miss Robin Williams

Rating: 7/10 (11 July 2019)

Aladdin debuted in 1992 to great fanfare mainly because it was revealed that Robin Williams would portray the Genie. The role was tailor-made for him. The comedic genius that was Robin Williams not only embodied the Genie, but his performance was so worldly that the Golden Globes created an award for him.
We fast forward to 2019, and a new live-action version of Aladdin is released. This movie wasn't exactly receiving the positive anticipation of the 1992 version. The trailer of a very blue Will Smith as the Genie certainly didn't help matters.
Aladdin the 2019 live-action version isn't horrible. A couple of things to keep in mind to give this live-action version a fair shot doesn't compare it to the 1992 version. Second, keep in mind that Robin Williams was a comedic genius and that Will Smith could never duplicate that performance. If you accept one and two, then you're in for a fun time.
Things I loved about this new version is that they cast actors of middle eastern/Indian descent. Mena Massoud is charming as Aladdin. Naomi Scott is a powerhouse to contend with as Princess Jasmine. Her voice is out of this world. Her and Mena have a natural chemistry. Marwan Kenzari as Jarfar was one of the new changes to this version of Aladdin. He is younger, more attractive, and not as mean. One can't fault Kenzari for that, but I was expecting more darkness. Navid Negahban portrays The Sultan. This time around, he's more serious, and I wish they would have kept some of the humor. Naims Pedrad as Dalia provides the comic relief that missing at times. She is the perfect wing woman to Princess Jasmine. The role of Hakim also has been upgraded and is nicely played by Nusman Acar.
I purposely saved Will Smith as the Genie for last. The smartest thing Will did upon accepting this role is to carve out a new identity for him. He created a Genie that infuses his strength. Will Smith is charismatic and funny in real life. Those are the traits mainly featured in this Genie. I also liked that he stayed in his musical zone. It's not that he's a lousy singer, but it's merely not his strength. He also infused his hip-hop background into the musical portions; this makes his singing more enjoyable. I still feel that the blue coloring makes the Genie look second rate. The effects aren't flattering.
I wish they incorporated more of the Bollywood style throughout the movie not just in the musical numbers. Speaking of the music, Speechless is a new song that was added and is beautifully sung by Naomi Scott. Alan Menken collaborated with Benji Pasek and Justin Paul for this new song. Menken also updated the score to reflect the scenery displayed in this movie. Even some of the lyrics in the songs were updated to reflect today's environment.
Is the live action version of Aladdin a home run? No, but it's also not horrible. This movie will introduce a whole new generation to Aladdin while helping an older generation reminisce. The songs are still catchy, and you will find yourself singing along. Aladdin is not excellent, but it's a solid effort by all involved, including Guy Ritchie.
Diversity: This movie receives a 7 for diversity. All the major characters were portrayed by people of color. I wish more of the extras were of middle eastern/Indian decent.
Scale: This movie gets a 7 for sheer fun