A-Lame-In nostalgic cashgrab

Rating: 4/10 (22 May 2019)

The original Aladdin is still one of my all-time favourite Disney movies. Everything about it is so much fun to watch. The animation, the music, the comedy, the story, the atmosphere. After seeing the Live-Action Disney remake, I have to say it was mostly lame in comparison. The atmosphere in this one felt like a TV movie for large chunks of it and despite the colours, everything still looked bland and cheap. Aladdin and Jasmine have no chemistry together in this and their acting is pretty bad, and Jafar is now very bland and just a stock villain badguy with very little personality or wit to him. The only character that is passable surprisingly is the Genie, where Will Smith faired better than I initially expected. The closest I got to laughing or finding myself entertained in the movie was whenever he was on screen. I can definitely confidently say Will Smith was the best thing going for the Aladdin remake.
For the most part, Aladdin is basically the same as the original. There are a few little changes here and there and some plot filler stuff that doesn't really go anywhere. If you've seen Beauty and the Beast it's similar to that. The classic songs are not performed nearly as well, and the new ones are pretty forgettable. The CGI can range from fine to laughable, and it's not really done in any memorable way. The score is decent but that's because it relies mostly on the original. The movie is not really shot in any special way, it just feels conventional and nothing about it screams like it's a Guy Ritchie film at all. Just another passable/mediocre Live Action Disney remake movie at best. Why did it need to be 2 hours long I have no idea, but the movie was weak and Will Smith is really the only thing going for it, despite Robin Williams still being far superior in the original. Overall, another "Bleh" Live-Action Disney remake we didn't need at all. Stick with the original Aladdin that has superior effects, acting, jokes, atmosphere, characters, and depth over this nostalgic cashgrab.
4/10