Not the Train Wreck Everyone Thought it Would Be

Rating: 7/10 (2 June 2019)

I was beyond skeptical when they announced Guy Ritchie to be the director to helm the live-action version of the beloved 'Aladdin', and I became even more worried after seeing King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Not that that movie is a trainwreck, but I failed to see how Ritchie could inject his style into a kids movie. The answer being that he doesn't, he stays true to what made the original Aladdin a phenomena and adjusts certain plot elements that needed to be adjusted. For instance, Jafar doesn't need to be old man pining over a young Princess Jasmine. And you can't really copy what Robin Williams did as Genie, so you take Will Smith and breathe his charisma and charm into a new Genie, which feels even more modern than what Williams did. Not better, but still very good. The movie had an uphill climb to make from the moment it was announced, but I think it did about as well as it could have. Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott are stars in the making (while admittedly it took me a few scenes to warm up to these characters), who did wonders with the roles of Aladdin & Jasmine respectively. It's worth it for 'A Whole New World' alone.
7.5/10