A Disney Channel-worthy production on the big screen...

Rating: 1/10 (7 January 2020)

What the ever-loving HECK? Did Disney really think this was worthy to be released in theaters {And did IMDb users really rate this a 7.0?)?
Honestly, if Will Smith wasn't in it, I don't think it would be. Smith is really the only one who is able to carry himself in this movie. Naomi Scott, while strikingly pretty, doesn't really do much (besides something really stupid, which I will talk about later in this review), despite the film's attempt to empower her. Jasmine's maid Dalia, played by Nasim Pedrad does her best, but her lines just aren't funny.
Was Guy Ritchie really needed to direct this? I'm not saying he's a great filmmaker, but he's done some good movies. This is certainly not one of them and I don't see why he would do this one, where none of his trademarks are apparent and thus his talents are wasted.
Meanwhile the musical numbers are boring and the CGI is uneven. I guess the CGI budget was tied up in the subsequently released 'The Lion King'. Let's just say the tiger, Rajah, does not get the same attention to detail that that movie does, especially the three male lions. Then again, Rajah is little more than window dressing, which holds even more true for the 1992 original film; but the remake could have made him a little more useful and could have made him more impressive.
The rules for the Genie using his powers are a little iffy (or a "grey area" in his words") in this movie (and, to the same general extent, in the original). At one point, he needs Aladdin to make a wish to save him from drowning. Yet earlier, he manipulated Aladdin like a puppet to make him look like a good dancer. I don't recall that as being part of his first wish. Also, the magic carpet has been torn at one point, and the Genie mends it without a second thought. Why doesn't he need permission to do this?
But the film's low point comes at the film's climax (SPOILER FOLLOWS) when Jafar has possession of the lamp and wished to be Sultan (waste of a wish right there; just saying) and has the palace at spearpoint. But then Jasmine steals the lamp from him and jumps off the balcony, where Aladdin on his magic carpet has just conveniently arrived to catch her. But that isn't the stupid part. No, the STUPID part is that Jasmine DOESN'T USE the LAMP (!). Instead we get a pointless, protracted chase scene where Jasmine actually loses the lamp a couple of times, finally losing it to Iago. What was the point of this scene except to extend the film's run time and to show Iago as a giant parrot? Why didn't Jasmine think to use the lamp even once all this time? This is honestly the dumbest moment I have ever witnessed in a film. Even if the rest of the film was even just average, this moment would sink it.
This remake doesn't improve on the original. I do applaud the casting of people of Middle Eastern descent (or Southeast Asia descent in the case of Scott) but none of those cast really have much present leading me to think the casting director just picked names out of a hat.
I also don't mind the female empowerment angle and the idea of Jasmine becoming the sultan, but it just comes off as political statement here, since her father is still alive, if I'm not mistaken. Does he abdicate the sultanship to her? Not really sure what went on there, but the moment does smack of "wokeness".