So you know we had to do it. We saw the live-action version of Disney’s Aladdin and here’s a reviewof our many thoughts. When Disney first announced that they were bringing the epic tale of Princess Jasmine and the thief from Agrabah to the big screen, we were a bit taken aback. After all,Aladdin is a ’90s classic from our childhoods, and since Robin Williams passed away in 2014, we had no idea who would take over the legendary role of Genie.
As more details about the Guy Ritchie-led film began to leak to the press, we’re just going to admit that our uncertainty grew. There were whispers about the cast not being Middle-Eastern or North African enough for their roles, and once the first photos leaked people literally rioted on the internet.
However, we knew we had to give Aladdin a chance–the man has a magic carpet after all–and we’re glad we did. Despite that tragic top-knot and Yaki braid, Will Smith is legendary as Genie. He makes the character his own, adding a bit of the flair and charm that Robin Williams delivered in 1992. Also, the animation is genuinely extraordinary. When you consider what the animated film looked like and juxtapose it against this flick less than 30-years later, Disney deserves a reward. Aladdin isn’t perfect. It’s a bit too long at 2 hours and 8 minutes, the opening sequence is puzzling, the soundtrack is full of autotune, and we couldn’t really take Jafar serious as a legit villain, but it has a lot of the whimsy of the original.
Feel free to dive into the Cave of Wonders with 7 magical things we love about the live-action Aladdin.
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