Some good, some bad

Rating: 6/10 (12 July 2019)

How can a movie possibly be so good to some and so bad to others. Makes one stop to question motive for the review. Anyway.....
To be fair, I'm not a huge Aladdin fan to begin with, so going to this movie wasn't high on my list of things to do today. Nevertheless I went. Entertaining? Yes it was. Choreography was particularly impressive, and not just the dance scenes. The opening scenes of Aladdin at work as a thief was actually fun to watch.
Casting was superb, though Mena Massoud had the look and dance moves of Aladdin, but missed on most everything else. I didn't feel like he (the actor) had a firm grasp of who he wanted his character to be. A thief, especially a good thief, is usually confident in himself to a fault. A good thief would believe he could pull off the rouse of being a prince. I get the story line - an otherwise sure-of-himself kind of guy is caught off guard by love, but in the scenes where Prince Ali meets Princess Jasmine - there was no hint of any confidence ever existed in Aladdin., which made it sound well, bad. Could be the impact of micromanaged directing, hard to say. Either way, it was excruciating to watch him in some scenes.
Naomi Scott turned in a very good performance as Jasmine. Most will talk about her solo "Speechless", and deservedly so. Unlike Mena, she seemed to have a clearer understanding of her character and played it well.
Will Smith was fun as the Genie, and I thought he did very well for what he was asked to do. I'm not sure he was the best selection for this role, and in fact, I think he's the "American hook" - the A-list star who will draw people to the theater no matter how good/bad the movie is. Surprisingly he sings - and raps - but even the rap is sung a little bit. His singing is not the best, but kudos for stepping outside of his comfort zone and trying something new. This fact alone may turn off people.
The rest of the cast was put together as if Disney has been paying attention. All of the main characters and a good number of the supporting cast looked like people who would have been from that part of the world (exception of course is Smith). Kudos to Disney.
Costumes and scenery were quite colorful and pleasing enough to watch. You'll know what I mean when you see Prince Ali's grand entrance.
As for the story - meh at best. I didn't really feel the tension between the Sultan and his number 1. You know it's there but just not enough attention paid to that dynamic. The blossoming love affair was a bit hard to watch, mostly due to Mena Massoud's portrayal of Aladdin. Awkward is one thing. Awful is another.
Would I go see it again on my own? No. Would I take my grandkids - absolutely. Which leads me to this advice. If you LOVED the animated movie and you want the live-action to follow the same script - then save your money. This movie is not for you. This movie is for a new generation or those who can accept a different interpretation that the one you're used to. So, take your kids, or anyone who's never seen Aladdin before, and just let them enjoy it (i.e. keep you opinions on the movie to yourself).