It was OK, but could have been incredible

Rating: 7/10 (4 December 2019)

I finished this movie with the thought that it was an OK treatment of the original. Other than being a bit too long and missing some of the humor, it was a pretty good effort. Will Smith did really great portraying the genie as more of a genuine person, not just there for laughs. There was some really strong emotional moments from himbas well. The rest of the cast was good, especially Nasim Pedrad. I appreciate that they found actors with Asian/Middle Eastern heritage to play most roles. I like that Jasmine wasn't just a "princess" but would become a Sultan.
Now for the disappointments. Jafar wasn't nearly as villanious as I hoped,l. The wisecracking Iago, scene stealer from the animated film, was completely neutered.
As the credits rolled and I saw the wedding scene and heard the Will Smith rapping version of Friend Like Me, I was suddenly very disappointed by what could have been. Disney/Richie could have elevated this film and made it a glorious Technicolor Bollywood/hip-hop mashup, like a Baz Lurhman film, but it was just flat. I would at least like to have seen someone on a prayer rug in the movie praying toward Mecca, but that was nowhere to be found either.
I just wish so many punches hadn't been pulled to make the "safe" but average film they made.