So I went and saw the new Aladdin movie tonight... This is a subject of serious debate with a lot of people, so let me just tell you what I think:
I have been getting pumped for this movie over a long period of time. I have been bouncing back and forth for a long time on whether I was actually excited for it or not-- when the first teaser came out, I was cautiously optimistic since it didn’t show very much. However, when the second teaser came out and showed the Genie for the first time, I was taken aback like everybody else. I tried super hard to remain optimistic, but I had to admit, it wasn’t looking very good. However, by the time the first official trailer came out, I was pumped again-- Genie looked way better, “A Whole New World” was teased, and everything else looked awesome.
Ever since that trailer, I have been psyching myself out for the movie. I was subscribed to the Disney YouTube channel and the closer it got to the release date, the more promos and teasers they released, only pumping me up more.
Finally, cut to today. I went and saw it with my roommates. Was it as good as I hoped it would be?
First, let me clarify that I certainly did not expect it to be BETTER than the original. Because how could it? The original is fantastic! However, I was expecting something fun and entertaining that could maybe stand up next to the original and be unashamed.
Well... in most ways, I would say yes it was that movie. However, it of course, had its problems and pitfalls too. First, let me rave about it and put people’s doubts to rest:
It was a very fleshed out movie. You know how in the Beauty and the Beast remake, how it tried to fill in some plot holes, tried to round out Belle and the Beast, and make their relationship more realistic... but then it didn’t completely work out in some areas and felt a little clunky? Well, as far as I can remember Aladdin only improved upon its story. I know people don’t like to see it, but the original Aladdin has a million plot holes and I think this new one really filled them in.
Tying into that, the romance felt much more realistic and authentic. The two leads had excellent chemistry and there were several extra scenes added to give them time to get to know each other rather than a “love at first sight” experience.
Something else I got straight away, even from the trailers, were the beautiful sceneries and the absolutely stunning costumes (especially Jasmine’s). If you don’t enjoy anything else about this film, you can at least stare at the splendor and beauty. While I’m complimenting looks, I have to praise the actors for not just looking the part (Aladdin seriously looked and sounded almost exactly liked his animated counterpart and Jasmine was fabulously gorgeous), but they played their parts extremely well. And props to Disney for casting Middle Eastern actors in almost every role.
Speaking of actors, I know everybody has been nervous about Will Smith as the Genie, but honestly, he was probably the best part in the film! He was so funny! (I was saying this before I even saw the film, but) he wasn’t trying to replace or redo what Robin Williams did in the role, he was bringing his own spin to it. The reason everybody loved Robin Williams in the role so much was because he brought his own personality into it, like with the voices and impressions and his own personal charisma and energy-- that’s why everyone loved it. So, that’s exactly what Will Smith did, but in his own style; he brought his own personality. He brought it his sassiness, his rapping, his coolness, his personal charisma, and everything he’s known for into the character... And it was awesome!
Lastly on the good parts, the morals were super strong. The morals taught in the original were still there along with some other ones thrown on top. Also, I felt they were more obvious, but in a good way. I was feeling all the feels! Lately, Disney has been on this trend of trying to shove morals down our throats, especially really annoying morals like feminism or something. And while those morals aren’t necessarily bad, it gets annoying when it’s shoved in your face in a not-so-subtle way. However, in this movie there was a very natural message about strong women that didn’t annoy me at all.
Now that I’ve got all the good stuff out of the way, I do have to point out some of the flaws...
The most obvious is that the musical numbers were not as strong. I wouldn’t go as far as to call them “bad,” but most of them definitely weren’t as fun and catchy as the originals. Some of the dance numbers are really cool though since they take inspiration from Bollywood-style dance.
Then, I mentioned plot changes. Since there were so many changes, they cut down on other parts which made the story feel rushed at times, particularly at the beginning.
I mentioned a message about strong women before, obviously this change had to do with Jasmine. While I won’t go into detail with what changes they made to her character, I will say in their attempt to make her more “interesting,” I personally felt like they took away her personality. She might have more screen time in this film than she did in the original, but she is a lot more boring. However, that is just my opinion. They might’ve subdued her on purpose in an attempt to make her appear more regal and less seemingly immature.
However, other than those few things, there isn’t really anything I can think of that I disliked or was annoyed with. I might have to see it again in order to analyze it further (and I am definitely going to see it again). There’s probably more I could talk about, both good and bad, but I’ll end it here. I’ve given enough for everyone to chew on. I’ll end with my rating... probably a 7.5/10, at least for now. Prone to change.
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