Aladdin ** (2019, Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott) – Movie Review

Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin is painless – apart from a couple of the more strident songs (Speechless) – and entertaining enough. But it is slightly sluggish and undynamic, with some clumsy, slack comedy and an overall lack of movie magic. It is described as a family comedy adventure, but actually what it is of course is the movie of the stage musical based on the beloved 1992 Disney animation Aladdin.

Movies of stage musicals are fiendishly difficult to do. But co-writer/ director Guy Ritchie’s attempts to turn the musical into an ‘adventure’ are mostly doomed, with throwing in more and more CGI the only answer to this idea. And his attempts to turn the musical into a comedy are sabotaged by some clumsy writing and performing. Will Smith is game enough as the Genie, but, showing the wheels turning and the effort involved, he doesn’t come across as a warm and funny guy as the Genie, unlike the hilarious voice of Robin Williams in the original.

The show tune songs have a dated, faded feel, and Ritchie doesn’t seem to know how to stage the musical sequences to best advantage. Again, more CGI the only go-to answer to this idea. Both songs and the show are desperately old style stuff and they are hard to make 2019 contemporary. Aladdin kind of feels a little bit stale and slightly past its sell-by date.

Egypt-born, Canada-raised Mena Massoud seems a good choice as Aladdin, though he perhaps doesn’t look either quite young or waif-like enough, London-born Naomi Scott seems fine as a suitably pretty and feisty Princess Jasmine, and Marwan Kenzari has his moments as the villainous Grand Vizier Jafar, though he perhaps isn’t terrifying enough. The CGI animals (monkey, tiger) are a bit irritating, along with the magic carpet and parrot. Billy Magnussen is another downside as the Princess’s silly suitor Prince Anders. But Nasim Pedrad gets her laughs as the Princess’s servant Dalia.

There is though a slight imbalance in retelling the age-old story. This Aladdin movie features way too much Genie (after all it is not called Genie), a bit too much Princess Jasmine, too much monkey and carpet, and too little about Aladdin. Smith is employed to bring star power to a film that otherwise lacks it, and his Genie is the star of the show, yet he shows little chemistry with the actual star character Aladdin, who should be the focus of attention.

Script-wise, it is a bit of struggle to understand the magic lamp three wishes thing, with its very specific yet strangely flexible rules and regulations, as laid down by the Genie, especially after Jafar gains control of the lamp, and gets his own three world domination wishes. It is probably best just to let them all get on with it, and just be grateful it isn’t a talking lamp, or a talking carpet either.

It cost an incredible $183,000,000.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Movie Review

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