Mana Massoud is Aladdin and Will Smith is Genie in Disney’s live-action ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie. Credit: Disney
Ali Baba had them 40 thieves, Scherazade had a thousand tales. What the House of Mouse has is a back-catalogue of animated classics to turn into live-action remakes. For their latest, it’s time to give the lamp another rub as the remake machine turns its eyes to the diamond in the rough..
One of the most beloved animated offerings of Disney’s Renaissance era, the original 1992 Aladdin is fondly remembered for both its songs and Robin Williams game-changing voice performance as the magical Genie. Remaking both the film and that character seemed like a fool’s errand, and the early trailers very much pointed in that direction, with Will Smith’s blue-appearance particularly coming under the magnifying glass of meme-induced ridicule.
Aladdin was always a particular favourite in my household growing up, so it was with trepidation that I entered this remake, particularly in the wake of the social media bashing of pretty much any pre-release material. Thankfully, this return to the kingdom of Agrabah is not the train-wreck that many people seem to have preemptively flagged it as.
Young Aladdin (Mena Massoud), a thieving yet kind-hearted street urchin, unwittingly crosses paths with the beautiful Princess of kingdom, Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and falls head over heels in love. When Aladdin ends up in possession of a magic lamp that contains an all-powerful Genie (Will Smith) who will grant him three wishes, he’s met with the chance to change his destiny. However, he isn’t the only one after the lamp and the infinite possibilities of the Genie’s magic.
While Guy Ritchie may not seem like the right fit for a Disney musical based around Middle Eastern culture and folklore, his style largely proves to be compatible with the handsome production design on display. The music sequences often feel a little perfunctory and rushed, with ‘A Whole New World’ particularly falling flat on a visual level. But elsewhere, Ritchie keeps the action moving with a decent grasp of visual gags and the moments of relationship comedy that come to colour this new take.
Related: Will Smith and Guy Ritchie talk Aladdin
This re-working of Aladdin is often at its best when it isn’t beholden to the original. The character beats and moments in between all the songs you know well and love. Much of this comes from placing Aladdin and Jasmine more at the forefront of its story. Both are introduced. Their arcs come to dominate proceedings more than they did in the original (particularly Jasmine’s). Aladdin is looking for a way in to her world, while Jasmine herself is looking for more control over it. She sees what’s lacking in her kingdom and is quick to clock the scheming of the Royal Vizier, Jafar (a suitably sinister Marwan Kenzari).
Both are afforded the room to make this more of a story about their ambitions and their love, whereas the original cartoon arguably becomes dominated by Robin Williams’ iconic Genie performance. You may be disappointed by an apparent lack of Genie-antics (don’t worry, there’s still plenty), but thankfully, this new Aladdin and Jasmine have just enough charm to keep this thing afloat.
Mena Massoud as Aladdin may feel a little awkward initially, but that sense of nervous energy ultimately ends up working to his benefit, with a natural easy-going charisma shining through, particularly during the moments between him and Smith’s Genie.
Naomi Scott is the one who makes a bigger impression, clearly impassioned by this more forward-thinking take on Princess Jasmine. Stifled by tradition but ready to take charge, this is a Jasmine with much more agency with a great deal more time given to her narrative arc. The best of the new songs is also dedicated to her struggle , with Scott also delivering the most impressive vocal performance with the ballad ‘Speechless.’ It’s a turn that further marks this rising star as one to watch.
And what of the big blue question mark that is Will Smith as the Genie? It makes perfect sense that someone like Smith would be the one playing the Genie. He is one of the last true movie stars and one of few performers that come to mind when you consider stars who wouldn’t be intimidated by the looming shadow of Williams.
Smith does enough to make this a very different Genie, with the odd nod to Williams fourth-wall breaking antics. His renditions of ‘Friend Like Me’ and ‘Prince Ali’ do seem stuck somewhere in a weird tussle between a Fresh Prince-style rap and Disney pop track, but Smith himself brings a good amount of energy to the screen, and is thankfully funny throughout. What is most commendable about his performance is how much he seems willing to hold back and help his younger co-stars brighten up the screen, acting almost like this is a magical version of Hitch. He’s a big presence in the movie, make no doubt, but not a distracting one, which ends up working to the film’s benefit.
This new Aladdin drops the ball from time to time when it comes to the musical sequences, and that is something of an issue in a big-screen Disney movie. But between those moments, there is something that feels fresher and funnier than you may have been expecting. While it is yet another live-action remake that fails to reach a level of greatness akin to Disney’s golden era(s), this is by no means the train wreck that many were anticipating.
Aladdin is much like its protagonist; flawed, a little clumsy, but ultimately quite winning, a diamond in the rough. This is a Disney remake that provides that warm sense of nostalgia, all the while admirably applying something fresh with a take that proves to be a sweet and charmingly earnest and suitably magical carpet ride.
Aladdin is now on general release.
