A genuine surprise and a great start to movie season!

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2019)

My expectations for this were relatively low. I was just wary they could pull this off in live action and the trailers didn't help those expectations. I, like many others, were very worried about Will Smith's genie who didn't look quite right. Any and ALL of my concerns melted away within minutes of the start of this film. Aladdin is a glorious, splashy spectacle and Will Smith was one of the best parts of the movie. He absolutely nails the role of genie and makes it his own but still pays a certain homage to the animated version. It was the first movie in a really really long time that made me remember Will Smith is a superstar. This was the perfect role for him. Additionally, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott were magnificent both on their own and together. Their chemistry was perfect. In fact, the chemistry between all of the cast was so great which really helped the film. I've read a lot of positive reviews about the film and all of them seem to imply that Jafar was a weak point in the film but I actually though Marwan Kenzari was very good as Jafar. He was underused perhaps a little but he still played a very good villainous role and was the perfect adversary. Navid Negahban and Nasim Pedrad were also good in smaller roles. The music is amazing, all the original classics are in place and don't disappoint and some new music as well that is very good. I think they added a certain depth to Jasmine that really works well for today's audiences. Aladdin is the movie to beat this summer in my books. I loved it. It was very nearly a perfect experience and if I were to see it again, I think it might become a 10 for me. 9/10