User reviews

Having not previously seen the Disney-animated version of Aladdin-just choice clips usually featuring the Robin Williams-voiced Genie-I do understand this Disney-live-action version is mostly the same sequence of events with the same songs with one addition. So on that note, I very much enjoyed this with my movie theatre-working friend. Will Smith is amusing enough as the Genie now and when the more dramatic scenes come, I was touched enough by the story, characters, and the actors playing them. And those songs are, of course, as awesome as ever! So on that note, I recommend this version of Aladdin.

I know everyone wants to compare this to the Animated version, but don't. Take it as it comes and you will thoroughly enjoy it. It does stay pretty faithful to the animated version I think. Will Smith as the genie could never be the Robyn Williams genie, but I don't think he tries to. He does fantastically well in his own right. Absolutely loved the Prince Ali song where Aladdin enters the city as the prince. Brilliantly colorful spectacle captured really well. Jafar missed a little for me as had lost the smarmy-ness of the animated version. The songs were great and the Aladdin and Jasmine characterization was pretty spot on. I think kids would love this and I would definitely recommend it.

I was left cringing during each musical sequence due to the blatant over use of autotune. The actors bring no emotion to the story.

When it comes to visuals, through out the movie was just... beautiful- the clothes, culture and architecture. Will Smith's Genie was unexpectedly good and created his OWN version which is great! As for the rest of the major characters? Well...

Jaafar was a bit of a let down from the beginning. Not menacing enough on the outside. Yet still cunning in some ways. Can't say much about his parrot... Jasmine's dad was disappointingly boring (prefer the bubbly albeit blur cartoony-version). Jasmine herself was alright (neither great nor terrible). The "feminist" like scenes were like an unecessary extra and a bit annoying to watch (don't ask me why). Abu (monkey) was cute. He was captured nicely. And lastly Aladdin? For a break through actor, he actually did a good job portraying Aladdin. EXCEPT his relationship with Jasmine...

..And THAT'S where the "magic" is missing. The core lovey-dovey magic thats hard to explain except through emotions. I feel it's one of the major things that makes Disney's Aladdin.. "ALADDIN"! But I felt nothing from the "Whole New World" scene. No chemistry between the two "lovers". Even in other scenes... This is similarly felt between Aladdin & Genie. Particularly towards the end. The lack of that "core" emotion is so disappointing that I couldn't enjoy the movie as a whole. It just felt more on how it looked rather how it SHOULD feel. I mean this is Aladdin! Where's the magic?

"Aladdin" is a very funny and highly entertaining version of the Arabian Nights´ tale by Guy Ritchie. First of all, Will Smith steals the film in the role of a Genie - most of his scenes could be included in the best moments of the movie. The beauty of Naomi Scott is impressive and shines. Marwan Kenzari performs the great villain Jafar with good performance. The small-thief Mena Massoud is a great and warm-hearted Aladdin. Last but not the least, the monkey Abu and the evil macaw complete the brilliant cast of this good version indicated as a wonderful family entertainment. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Aladdin"

This is a lovely film, colourful and full of life. I enjoyed the animated one and I equally love this one. You don't need to compare live to animation, just enjoy the ride.

Well worth watching.

Greetings again from the darkness. Aladdin ... come on down! You are the next participant in Disney's ongoing mission for live-action remakes of their classic films. And rest easy fans, this time the mega-studio has done right by the original. Now that doesn't mean there aren't surprises. How about Guy Ritchie as director? How about a cast of mostly unknowns? How about modernized songs and even a new one sung by Jasmine? And it probably goes without asking, but how about a lot of CGI?

Mena Massoud ("Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan") stars as Aladdin, and he gets to showboat early in the film and flash some parkour skills in the familiar and high-octane chase through the village. Aladdin, of course, is labeled a 'street rat' and 'riff-raff', but he's also charming, handsome, talented as a thief, and quite warm-hearted. He and his pet monkey Abu - or more accurately, partner in crime - are streetwise and work quite well together, both for theft and love.

Naomi Scott (slated to star in the CHARLIE'S ANGELS movie coming out later this year) is a beautiful and ambitious Princess Jasmine, who wants to succeed her father as Sultan of Agrabah, but is instead forced to choose between a steady stream of suitors - each a Prince, as required by law. Ms. Scott has a terrific singing voice and really gets to cut loose on the new woman power song "Speechless".

The blue Genie is played by Will Smith, and this is what has fans of the beloved 1992 animated film so flustered. No, Will Smith is not Robin Williams, and few if any, could match the late great comedian for his energy and comedic flair. But Mr. Smith does a marvelous job of staying true to the original, while also adding his own style ... a style that works very well for comedy, music, and dramatic moments. He is not likely to disappoint anyone who has an open mind.

So let's talk about the villain. Marwan Kenzari is Jafar, the man so dissatisfied with being number 2. Personally, I would have preferred a more intimidating bad guy, but given the tone of the film (more on that below), he's a solid fit. His sidekick and smart-aleck parrot Iago is voiced by Alan Tudyk (it was the distinctive Gilbert Gottfried in the 1992 version). Two other key supporting roles include Nasim Padrad ("Saturday Night Live") as Dalla, Jasmine's handmaiden; and Navid Negahban (Abu Nazir in "Homeland") as the Sultan and Jasmine's father.

It's been 27 years since Robin Williams' Genie entertained so many, and the comparisons to that version are inevitable. It's a relief that Disney opted to keep the film family friendly (Rated PG) and avoid the dark tone that had their recent projects aimed more at adults than kids, rather than the balance they've been known for more than 6 decades. Yes, this is the same director that made SNATCH (2000) and SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009), neither of which any decent parent would allow their young kids to watch. But, Mr. Ritchie has delivered a film which entertained (and didn't overly frighten) kids as young as 5 in the screening I attended.

Director Ritchie co-wrote the script with John August, who is best known for his work with Tim Burton (BIG FISH, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, CORPSE BRIDE, DARK SHADOWS, FRANKENWEENIE). The film runs 2 hours and 8 minutes, 38 longer than the 1992 film ... though it doesn't feel too long. Gemma Jackson's set design of Agrabah, the Palace, and the Cave of Wonders are all stunning, and then of course, there is the music. Alan Menken won an Oscar for ALADDIN (1992) and his music is back and modernized, and sounds wonderful ... especially "A Whole New World" and Jasmine's new song. With a talented cast of Arab/Middle Eastern/Central Asian/Southern Asian actors, there should be no cries of "foul", and there really is something special about a movie that can be thoroughly enjoyed by all ages. The Bollywood-type closing number provides a kaleidoscope of color, texture and dancing ... and is a nice twist to "You've Never Had a Friend Like Me". And I'll leave you with this final offer: you can have the monkey, if I can have the magic carpet.

I honestly didn't know what I was going into and it was such a delightful surprise! It really exceeded my expectations and I had fun during the whole movie. Critics are really being harsh and I can't believe that beauty and the beast was more critically praised. The movie was so bland and boring while this one has so much energy and life to it. The characters had amazing chemistry with each other and the lines were delivered smoothly. The two things I was worried about that subsided as soon as the movie started are: 1- Jafar's character: Marwan tries his best to make but the material he's given isn't strong enough. I wish they developed his character more. However, I didn't mind the change they did it with his character as it fits more with this version. 2- Cultural representation: The trailers made the movie look like a production from bollywood. Not hating on the Indian culture, but it really annoyed me as Arab to see a Middle Eastern/Arabic folk tale that we all know long before Disney introduced it to the world to be represented in a fully different culture. Fortunately, the movie looks and feels way more Arabian such Arabic writings here and there, hearing some people speaking Arabic briefly, the names and appearance of the people of Agrabah and of course the amazing score! Although there are some slight hints of India/South Asia in the clothing and dancing, but I didn't mind that at all.

I would've give it a 10 if the cinematography was better. This is my only issue with movie as it looked like high budget TV soap opera in some scenes.

Don't miss on this one! You'll have fun.

Even with a colossal budget and the spectacular tech available to Disney, live actors can't replicate the dizzy kinetics of a cartoon.

You all know the plot! "Street-rat" Aladdin (Mena Massoud) fancies Princess Jasmine of Agrabah (Naomi Scott). Her father, the sultan (Navid Negahban), only wants happiness for her. But the law says that she can only marry a prince.

Meanwhile, the sultan's evil adviser Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) perceives Aladdin as the fabled "diamond in the rough": the only one able to enter the 'cave of wonders' to retrieve an old lamp; a lamp that contains a genie who will grant the owner three wishes.

The biggest problem here is a 27-year old legacy from the late Robin Williams. In 1992 he embarked on 90 minutes of improvised riffing that the clever Disney animators worked around. How exactly does anyone follow that? Who exactly *could* follow that? As it is, Will Smith has a good crack as the genie, but only makes it to about 60% on the Robin-o-meter. He seems to be far less "street" in this film than his normal persona, perhaps being asked to tone it down by Disney? But this feels like a bad call. If he'd been allowed to 'let-rip' and ad lib, Williams-style, the film might have been a bit more dynamic.

Elsewhere in the acting stakes, both Mena Massoud and Marwen Kenzari both feel underpowered: Massoud can sing adequately for the lead, but lacks the screen presence to nail the role; Dutch actor and comedian Kenzari on the other hand is supposed to be utterly evil but comes across as mildly sarcastic with a side order of constipation. There are a whole world of actors out there who could go the whole "Billy Zane" on the role... but apparently overlooked. In both cases - and in general for the whole production - the roles seem to have been largely chosen for their facial similarities to the animated characters rather than for their charisma or acting abilities.

The biggest change in the script, other than minor tweaks for current taste and sensibilities - "barbaric" for example is gone! - is the respect given to Jasmine who gets a thoroughly "MeToo" makeover as the empowered force for good behind the throne. She even gets her own song - "Speechless" - which gets a curious "snippet" treatment initially but which comes good in fine style later on.

And Naomi Scott is a revelation in the part, setting the screen on fire as a sexy, sassy and wise Disney heroine. Scott firmly sets herself up here as "one to watch" in the future. She is far and away the best thing in the film.

Also good as Jasmine's maid is Saturday Night Live regular Nasim Pedrad, who I spent most of the film thinking was Selma Hayak!

With four grandkids under 5, I always view these films with an eye to "suitability". In Aladdin, there are a few dodgy moments early on: 'henchman number 5' gets suddenly munched by the "blue tiger cave"; and Jafar - clearly to illustrate the depths to which either his 'sarcasm' or his 'constipation' can reach - tosses his hapless right-hand-man down a well to his (presumed) death. ("It's OK little one.... there was a BIIIIGGGG pillow at the bottom"). But other than that, and some possibly scary 'giant-Jafar' effects in the finale, the rest of the film is pretty innocuous. My one reservation for younger kids would be the 128 minute running time. It's a bit flabby in places, and cutting 10 minutes out of the run-time would help youngsters with a less-than feature length attention span.

Guy Ritchie has the unenviable job of bringing it all in, and I was not disappointed by the effort. There is a visual flair on show that made it very watchable. There are also some nice Disney in-jokes: the carpet builds the Disney castle opening titles (tinker bell arc and all!) and the genie conjures up "Fantasyland" on the map.

Overall, I went into this expecting to hate it, but I didn't. The songs lack the manic pizzazz of the original animated versions, but some of them still worked well: "Friend like Me" is particularly effective (I actually got to hear and understand the lyrics this time!). It's a perfectly fun way to spend a couple of hours at the cinema, and for kids, particularly those without the reference of the Disney original, will probably love it.

(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies on the interweb or Facebook. Thanks.) ("Made you look")

What's to say. Before even filming we knew Guy Ritchie was obviously the wrong choice to direct the film. His style doesn't quite lend itself to this type of film. Miscast Mena Massoud didn't bring any real character to the role of Aladdin he was simply okay/ functional. Will Smith is as usual charismatic and had difficult shoes to fill after Robin Williams' take on the genie but he was seriously let down by the VFX in blue genie mode and a weak script. Another miscast Naomi Scott gave a good performance but I always felt i was looking at Indian and not Middle Eastern. In fact the film IS very bollywood with the Jasmin, Aladdin dance off Indian Style (and to Indian music) then Russian dancing(?) plus other times an Indian soundtrack. And i'm not even going to talk about that sorry excuse for a villain. No, no i am not. For a Disney movie set in large Kingdom it sure does feel quite quite small. It looked cheap too. Weird. Ultimately a dreadfully executed cash grab of a movie that no one asked for. Thanks D. Thankfully this is exactly what i expected having seen the trailers.

Although this remake might seem less accomplished than the eponymous cartoon Aladdin (1992), the film is objectively well done. The actors, the songs, the sets, the costumes, the Computer-Generated Imagery (tiger, monkey, flying carpet, genie), ... everything is excellent!

The graphics: 9/10 The acting : 6/10 you know why :) The story : 9/10 Music : 10/10 Movie quality : 8/10

movie was great, their acting was good, the movie was funny, the tale is exactly on the point, I didn't like jafars acting, they could've replaced him with someone with evil face features, he seemed to be calm all the time. The other actors actually did great. I'm not going to spoil the ending, but it was better than the animated one.

Does it deserve a try, Yes/ No?

Yeah, give it a try and ignore negative reviews from the others

P.s. Well Smith did great in this movie

The songs from the original were perfect. No reason to make it more PC if it takes away from the movie.

I listened to people and didn't watch this when it first came out. I'm so glad I decided to turn this on when I got Disney+. What a fun movie! My niece loves all the colors, dances, and Will Smith's updated take on the genie!!!

Considering the director was having trouble and the studio was working against a well loved classic. Plus a few other things, they pulled of a watchable film. Still forgettable but watchable. Maybe I am super impressed by this film because of how awful Dumbo was. Who knows. But this is worth a watch.

I watched this movie this morning and it's beautiful. The original animation is better but it's a little good movie. Will Smith is amazing as the genie. I loved it.

Or, for that matter, the Broadway play...I didn't enjoy the new songs as much as the critics

Sebs Rating: 8 Stars Sienna's Rating: 6 Stars Paul's Rating: 5 Stars.

Like many of the Disney live action adaptations, this film utterly fails to understand what made the original so great to begin with. Moments of character growth or interaction feel rushed and are changed up from the original, yet the outcome in the story still illogically remains the same. Some of the additional scenes around new characters simply feel laughable and out of place. The additional song written for this film heavily clashes with the musical style of the existing ones and the instrumental accompaniment of the songs in general sounds too modern and not like a classical musical anymore. The humor in this movie is very hit and miss. Some lines and moments are indeed extremely enjoyable, while most others seem too forced. The VFX in this film are not entirely up to task and will undoubtedly look dated in a few years time. Most importantly, the overall spectacle feels much less impactful than the original's. Overall, there would be much more to go into. But this should be enough in summary.

A jewel in Disney's animated crown, Aladdin is a true delight. Exuberant, alive, and completely entertaining, the adventure-fantasy combines a raucous sense of humor, iconic performances, and classical songs into a joyful blast of cinematic color. Aladdin is a exhilarating piece of work perfectly brought to life.

Despite all the negativity surrounding Will Smith as the genie, he did a fantastic job overall! This remake sure didn't need to be made, but for what it's worth it was a decent remake with a great score and great effects. And Will Smith just killed it as the genie man. I enjoyed every moment he was on screen. I would like to think Robin Williams would be proud of his performance. :)