Movie Review: Aladdin- Live Action
- Anita Kumaran
- Jun 7, 2019
- 6 min read
The 90s is certainly making a comeback in 2019 as Aladdin joins the ranks of yet another movie to get a fresh new update. Aladdin and Lion King were some of my favourites as a child. I used to watch Aladdin the series religiously after school in the lazy afternoons of my yesteryears. I sound like an old lady, I know.
Aladdin (the animation) played a pivotal role in my childhood for one very profound reason. It showcased a rarely seen trait among its lead characters. Though they were merely animated sketches, they stood for representation especially for people of colour such as myself.
How delighted was I to see a Disney princess with similar skin tone and even clothes that closely resembled my own ethnicity.
Understandably, I was quite on edge when they announced that they were remaking Aladdin. A part of me was delighted whereas another was dreading it. You wouldn’t want a huge part of your childhood ruined right?
So, did the latest Live Action remake do it justice? I did hear a lot of mixed reviews before I watched it but I elected to ignore it and drew my own opinion after seeing it for myself.
REPRESENTATION
If anything, this was a part of the movie I was particularly nervous about. There has been a long history of Hollywood butchering scenes involving people of colour by taking it so lightly when casting appropriate actors who are ACTUALLY PEOPLE OF COLOUR. That lax attitude alone was enough to make me doubt that this movie would be any different. Lo and behold! I did not see ANY actor who was NOT a person of colour. Dalia (Jasmine’s handmaiden and friend) who may appear to look Caucasian is actually of Iranian descent played by actress Nasim Pedrad.
As if that was not enough; the fact that they casted THAT MANY people of colour comprising the whole cast, I paid close attention to the extras and background actors. I did not see anyone who was out of place in the city of Agrabah.
GASSSPPPP… they know we exist! And a lot of us too!
That really went the extra mile for me. From the dancers, to the street dwellers to the nomads just passing through, everyone was a person of colour. A Disney movie showed the whole of Hollywood that IT IS POSSIBLE to cast and direct a movie with people of colour through and through. Bravissimo!
GENIE OH GENIE
Though Genies in their true forms don’t wear shoes, Will Smith admittedly had GIGANTIC shoes to fill (lame pun intended). THE GENIE as we knew it has always been Robin Williams (bless his soul) and as a true blue 90’s kid who has watched almost all of his movies, his role as the Genie was unrivalled. He made me laugh so much as a kid with just his voice.
Will Smith definitely knew what he was signing up for when he took on the role. I think we can collectively agree that ‘Blue Smith’ was just weird but he definitely upheld the role with grace, liveliness and an oil lamp full of humour which was a tough feat to achieve.
It is notable that at this point, we shouldn’t even try to compare Will Smith’s version to Robin’s. Though he kept some integrity of the original Genie, he added his own flair to his which I am totally okay with. I actually ended up liking and appreciating the fact that he didn’t try to imitate him 100%. Will Smith added his classic pizzazz to the role and reinvented the Genie that kids of this generation would love and hold dear. After all, we can’t truly imitate art, only create our own inspired versions of it.
CULTURE
Another vital point of the Aladdin reboot which I was anxious and curious to see was how the culture of Agrabah was going to be represented. It is not fully Arabic as it has some subtle elements that nods to the Indian culture. Two very different cultures yet this movie married them so well that the city of Agrabah was as good as real. It is an incredible sight to witness the richness of the two cultures coming together to weave the on-screen movie magic. The casting of extras once again kept it convincing and added depth and dimension to this element.
CGI
I am so glad to have Agrabah recreated in this era where we have come so far in terms of technology and CGI effects. The city was bursting with colours and looked amazing! Even the Magic Carpet, for its lack of facial features was so well done.
Of course, it was obvious that Rajah was a CGI tiger because I’m sure they couldn’t afford to allow a tiger to ACTUALLY lick Mena Massoud’s face. The details on Rajah was incredible!
Plus, can we talk about the interaction between Abu and the Magic Carpet in the reboot?! THEY MADE IT HAPPEN! The Magic Carpet had so much character from what I remember watching in the past and it was so well translated in this movie!
Abu was not just a sidekick. He was just as charismatic and cheeky as he was in the animated version.
SONGS
This was where the mixed reviews started to come in. Some agreed that the songs were great whereas others say they could have been better. I don’t agree or disagree with either of these opinions since they do hold some weight to them to a certain extent and everyone has their own taste and point of view.
There were some songs which were absolute entertainment bombs like ‘Prince Ali’ and ‘Friend like Me’ by Will Smith. I was laughing my head off.
Jasmine’s ‘Speechless’ sung by Naomi Scott gave me goosebumps and may have jerked a tear or two. The song came in at such a turning point in the movie and after years of being told that, “Your place is below the men; staying silent,” she finally lost it and as such created a powerful and moving moment in the film which metaphorically speaking can reflect so many situations out there where women are oppressed and are barked orders at to cease speaking. The fact that the video was one continuous take! Dangggg…
A Whole New World had to be one of the highly anticipated numbers. During the whole movie, I was like, “Wait for it…” and when it finally came, it was pretty well executed. Particularly Naomi’s part. I listened to the original back to back after the latest and I’m convinced that Mena Massoud is the actual Aladdin. He sounds almost like the original version!
The song cover by Zayn (end credit) is not exactly my favourite. Sorry, Zayn fans.
Overall, for me, the songs in the movie all came out pretty darn amazing!
Special mention to ARABIAN NIGHT which used to be my go-to sing along title song every time the series played. I was hollering (softly) though my arms went out of control to either directions and may have annoyed my friend. You can’t sing Arabian Nights without your arms wide open.
ALADDIN’S DIMPLE!
In my head before the idea of an Aladdin reboot was even conceived, I always imagined Avan Jogia as Aladdin but Mena managed to change my mind with his incredible acting, singing and that signature Aladdin smile of his with the added bonus of a dimple!
P.S: I had the biggest crush on Aladdin that I was so adamant to hang the Aladdin figurine on the Christmas tree myself when I was 4.
OVERALL REVIEW
Aladdin is a masterpiece and this reboot is a work of art no less! There were some scenes from the original animated edition that were eliminated like the scene where Jamine kisses Jafar in order to distract him. I’m not at all mad about it because this Jafar (who is quite the looker and had only conquest in his mind) had a completely different motivation as did Jasmine. He wouldn’t have fallen for it and I’m thoroughly glad that they decided to switch it with something else that made more sense for this movie.
To answer the question: Did the live action Aladdin do the original version justice?
Oh, it certainly did and went above and beyond!
Don't expect an exact copy of the original animation because this Aladdin added its own twist and flair to it which in my opinion doesn't take away from the movie. In fact, it adds a new outlook an dimension to the original particularly in the area of character development like Jasmine who wants to rule Agrabah as well as Jafar for wanting to do so. The movie added believable motivation to their backstories whilst staying true to the storyline. The comic relief too was great, involving more than just the genie.
*BONUS: Keep your eyes peeled when Jasmine asks Prince Ali to point out his kingdom! There was a homage to the original genie by Robin which I thought was the sweetest gesture to include.
-ANITA KUMARAN-
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