DHKR - Aladdin (2019)

Rating: 4/10 (27 May 2019)

This is a hard review for me to write. Half of me really wants to love it like for Beauty and the Beast (which, looking back, may have been over-praised but still had it's moments), while the other wants to tear it down piece by piece like for Cinderella's Remake in 2015.

Pros
+ The setting really brings you back to Agrobah. Even if some spots look spotty design-wise, you do feel like you are transported back in time. It's undeniable that without it, the rather simplistic story would've dragged. (Which, admittedly, holds true for the original)
+ The songs from the original are still as good as they were all those years ago. some spots and additions make a few dragged down, but for the most part they still retain their energy and bounciness.
+ Jafar, while a far cry from the original, was surprisingly remade. This is not the deliciously evil snake from the original, yes, but somehow you can feel it. This Jafar is thief turned vizier, essentially corrupt by ambition. it's practically venomous.
Cons

The movie has an issue with what to leave in and what to leave out. Being a crushing 2 hours and 8 minutes, as opposed to the original's hour-and-a-half. It may not seem like a lot, but it's how the time is used, not adding to the story, but rather just adding filler in the form of extra characters and songs. 'Why was one scene lost so another lesser new could be added?' It makes one think what could've been to bring the movie above.
The genie, sadly, disappoints. Not to say he wasn't funny or energetic, because in many points who actually promises a lot. Even if he wasn't Robin Williams, which is a hard role to fill, there was promise....for the first half. After that, its heavily toned down save for a few scant flicks of magic, just to remind you 'oh yes, this is the genie, remember?' It almost makes sad sense as a comparison to the movie itself.
The new songs, specifically Speechless, leaves a lot to be desired. It's more of a mini-point relating to 'what must go, what must be added', and these songs clearly feel just patched in just to lengthen scenes that don't need to be. It'd be like remaking Toy Story, and giving Sid a villain song about how he's going to burn the toys for four minutes, when he could use four seconds to give you what you need. It's pace-breaking.
Why wasn't that ending crazier? One thing Aladdin is known for, along with the Genie, obviously, was how Sorcerer Jafar really goes all out with his magic. the palace really corrupts, the princess is trapped in that hourglass, there's fire breathing and the guy turns into a massive snake(which was actually one of my brother's favorite parts in the original), all culminating with him becoming an all-powerful genie. All of this is sadly gone in the remake. The worst of Jafar's magic does is force-choke the Sultan, and maybe turn Iago into a large Roc. When you have the money that Disney has, you have money to burn, so don't bring up "it wouldn't work because the budget." The whole "Friend Like Me" scene from early on was a spectacle, so why not make this a grand finale? It would've went off with a bang, rather then a fizzle.

Final Thoughts: This movie is no Diamond in the Rough...its more like a Geode. It's got rough portions within and without, but you see sparkling crystals that promise magic. But, as Aladdin says, "Would you see that if you looked closer?" Sadly, while it was dazzling all around...it had little of worth all things considered.