"Clumsy, but in a charming way."

Rating: 6/10 (26 May 2019)

The name Aladdin has conjured up wondrous imagery for generations. Stories filled with exotic far off lands, magic carpets, all-powerful genies, wishes of riches untold. The genie is sure to keep us in check though, serving the reminder that there's no such thing as wishing for more wishes. Three should suffice. And yet, despite some wonderful intentions, we are often left wishing for a bit more.
I'll spare the lengthy plot synopsis, and focus instead on our three main characters: Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, and the genie.
Aladdin has all the boy next door charms from his days as an animated street rat, but he has a more finely tuned understanding of navigating the streets of Agrabah. Like where to take his stolen goods in exchange for food, deducing palace residents like a hardened detective by their finely woven silks, and designing his hideout with engineering knack that's probably above his pay grade. After he unwittingly meets the princess in the marketplace, and figures her for a royal attendant based on her richly garb, he literally jumps at the chance to scale the palace walls to chat with her more. He explains his shamelessness, "when you have nothing, you have to act like you own everything." If he's willing to go through all that trouble to see her, why is he suddenly self-aware when he finds out she's the princess? He's already risked his neck at that point by breaking and entering her royal chambers, handmaiden or not. Is the girl worth the trouble? Sure, she's gorgeous. They would make an incredibly handsome couple. But is there more?
Jasmine is already fully fleshed when we meet her, a woman of dignity and spirit, compassionate and tender towards her people, and undeniably true to herself. She is granted a near total independent identity, defiantly able to stand on her own, perhaps a rarity for Disney princesses. Except it comes at the expense of the romance that should be at the heart of the movie. What did this journey teach her? I'm not sure. The men in her life are either stubbornly traditional (her father, who completely lacks a discernible personality like the charming naÃ¯vetÃ© of his animated counterpart), dim (the flavorless Prince Anders, who probably has 2 or 3 scenes waiting to pop up as bonus features), paint-by-the-numbers evil (the stale Jafar) or Aladdin. Sure, he's adventurous, but not in a way that would actually challenge the princess to expand her horizons. We meet her brazenly stealing food for children in the marketplace. And besides, she likes her horizons. With access to a magic carpet ride, where would you go? If Jasmine had her way, she'd end up in her own backyard, looking over her people like a loving mother. Aladdin could just as easily be caught in the friend zone by the end of the film. Her place is with her people, not necessarily with Aladdin/Prince Ali. A noble quality, but it's hammered home (including with a new song called "Speechless") until you begin to question why the movie was called "Aladdin". The only vulnerability she has as a character comes from being surrounded by men who lie to her or mean her harm. Not equals she can learn from.
The motivations of the genie are still as hazy as that blue smoke that trails behind him. In this iteration, his hope is not only to become free, but to be human. I suppose it's because the scenes in which Will Smith's charm shines through the most are in scenes where he's...human. He doesn't attempt the Goliath magnetism of Robin Williams' genie, but finds a nice groove as the sarcastic confidante. But for reasons unknown, he begins a romantic dalliance with Jasmine's handmaiden. Perhaps these two weren't happy enough being the wingman and wingwoman for Jasmine and Aladdin. In the end, it feels unnecessary and not properly explored, if not a little cute.
As you watch it, you have to be intentional about not comparing it to the wonderful 1992 version, because it would be a disservice to both. Yes, it features some incredible set design and makes use of its big budget in almost every area. But they don't have the same endgame in mind. This version attempts a balancing act between Prince and Princess, and never intends to keep the focus solely on Aladdin. They may meet on the streets of Agrabah, but you're left ill-convinced that their ambitions ever meet at a crossroads. Familiarly, the law says Jasmine must marry a prince. But we're never convinced she'd hand over the keys to her kingdom to anyone, including Aladdin. In this case, marrying him would only serve as the means to an end. It may actually benefit her to keep his deceit going as the thought of him becoming Sultan someday never breaches the surface, and she could at least marry someone she can tolerate while she wears the all-powerful pants. And for a movie that focuses a good deal on the power hungry nature of Jafar, and even Aladdin to an extent, it curiously never questions Jasmine's determination. I suppose one can only wish.