Aladdin

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)

The anticipated failure turned out to be a commercial hit, praised by audiences and critics alike, and apparently no one expected that. Guy Ritchie has the direction firmly in hand and serves up the fairy tale of my childhood with an excellent Will Smith as the Genie (quite possibly the best performance of his career), a beautiful Princess Jasmine with a voice like Adele, and a very likeable Aladdin. It's beautifully colourful, suspenseful, fun and most importantly for the whole family. The dance numbers and songs are reminiscent of the best of Bollywood. Disney is making me happy this year. 80%! (18/06/2019)

Disney put it together like Bata's trainers, but it has nothing to do with full-blooded movies, the kind that appeal to me. This is nothing but CGI cartoon, tiresome, stupid, standing in a shop window next to a McDonald's burger and chicken strips from KFC. A factory product on demand that is far from proper craftsmanship. Its success is certainly a signal that Mickey will continue to delight us with this kind of digital mess, but I won't be there anymore. Artistic statements as well as mid-budget auteur ambitious films go to shit, they don't pay in theaters, Disney will buy us all. Honour the rare exceptions that make big money without having to compromise on their auteur vision (Villeneuve, Nolan, Fincher and others). (12/09/2019)

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)

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)