Aladdin

I haven't seen the original Aladdin yet (shame one me, I know), but after watching the live-action (but still largely animated) remake, I need to make time for it soon. The beginning of the film felt a bit dry and rushed, but eventually it all kicked into high gear and only stopped during the closing credits. The film abounds with an incredible amount of colours that make your eyes cross, it offers plenty of action scenes and there are romantic and funny moments as well. The blue of the genie may have looked a bit weird in places, but in the end it didn't distract me that much. The plot flowed nicely and one did not get bored at all, which is the main thing. Among the best scenes are the first meeting of Aladdin and the Genie and then the arrival of Prince Ali in the city. (23/05/2019)

The thief Aladdin would like to seduce the princess, but ends up in the hands of the villain Jafar, who wants to use him to bring him a magic lamp. But Aladdin discovers a Genie living in the lamp who grants him three wishes, and he decides to pursue the princess with his help. But Jafar doesn't give up... Guy Ritchie directs a brisk and visually arresting family fairy tale that brilliantly combines humour, suspense and romance and features a very likeable cast. The problem is that it's too similar to the animated original and doesn't bring much new to the story. How much of a problem that is is for everyone to figure out. But the craftsmanship is more than good. (23/05/2019)

The mere mention of a live-action version of Aladdin has long terrified me. It is not an inspired story, but a retelling of the classic Disney story, which is a completely useless endeavor. And yet all it needed was a little more and we would have gotten an equally interesting new fairy tale adventure, like in Alice or Maleficent. But wouldn’t you know it, even with such poor prospects, Guy Ritchie managed to make a crazy colorful film that rushes by very quickly and almost amusingly toward its prescribed happy ending. It is not something I would recommend to anyone, but it’s also not the expected disaster. (31/01/2020)

Aladdin lags behind the animated version in many ways, but even so, watching the film is mostly a pleasant experience, particularly thanks to the expensive and colour-rich spectacular expedition with a slightly inconsistent concept, influenced by just about everything. The film’s Arabic elements are joined by Bollywood influences (including a dance number at the end) and the aesthetics of Brazilian carnivals. Unfortunately, the film also has breakdance and beatboxing. In terms of plot, it is not an exact copy, as several passages and two new songs have been added, and in some scenes their order has been reversed and their content changed (sometimes for the better, sometimes worse). Will Smith manages to be playful, funny and touching in the role of the Genie. Compared to Smith, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott in the roles of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine have a more difficult time gaining audience sympathy, and with his leather expression and lack of charisma, Marwan Kenzari is downright tragic as the villain in the role of the Sultan's advisor, Jafar. (03/10/2020)

Who had the terrifying idea to turn Aladdin into a musical? It’s like watching a three-hour long Bollywood opus and enjoying how everyone is dancing and everything around is incredibly colorful. The only good thing about the movie is Will Smith, even though some people might protest that a genie shouldn’t be black. However, Will Smith is the only reason for which this film is even worth watching. All the rest (apart from the opening show jumping scene) is too horrible for words. (27/01/2020)