Ok film, good for Saturday popcorn on the sofa (with or without kids).

Rating: 6/10 (10 November 2019)

All right, I was expecting this to be bad because of all of the negative reviews. It was actually fairly good, but took getting a little used to.
First of all, live-action remakes of animated classics are generally a bad idea. The animated films were so good because they were animated - the live action movies always end up with so much visual clutter. This was no exception. Expect a loud, cluttered film that will leave you a little tired by the end.
However, some of the action was great. The scene where Aladdin and Jasmine are being chased through the streets is wonderful, with some very satisfying tumbling and wall climbing and a brilliant escape at the end.
I didn't like the actors so much... but here's the strange thing. I started out hating Will Smith as the genie. Wrong voice, wrong look. But I warmed to him throughout the film and by the end I liked his genie very very much. He actually does a good job and I ended up feeling very sympathetic for the character. It just took me a long time to get over that he wasn't Robin Williams.
The songs were fun, with a few twists that felt fresh, such as the false start to "You Never Had a Friend Like Me". I love the choreography in "Make Way for Prince Ali", and they snuck in a new song by princess Jasmine that was all right.
I also thought the surprise ending for the genie delightful, albeit a bit rushed.
All in all, it was an enjoyable film with beautiful effects and enough new material to keep me interested. Entirely good for a Saturday afternoon on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn. Kids optional.