Aladdin remake fails to recapture the magic

On May 24, Disney rolled out its newest live-action adaptation, Aladdin, which tells the story of a street rat who accidentally encounters the Genie, defeats the evil sorcerer Jafar, and falls in love with Princess Jasmine. The anticipated film received a red carpet welcome, instantly over-performing at the box office and earning praise from movie critics, with some even dubbing it “the best Disney live-action remake up to date.” It was a gamble for Disney with Guy Ritchie as movie director, but it certainly paid off in the end.

Aladdin faced challenges from the start as Disney tried to find a racially diverse cast that was compatible with the geographic location of the movie. In the end, Egypt-born actor Mena Massoud and British actress Naomi Scott star as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine respectively. Still, the studio received backlash for casting Naomi Scott, who was of Indian heritage, instead of a Middle Eastern or Arab actress, and for applying brown makeup to white extras in specialty and technical issues. Other members of the star cast include American actor Will Smith and Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari.

Although the original animated movie came out over twenty-five years ago, Aladdin still rings true, perhaps more than ever, in 2019. The most obvious example and arguably the highlight of the movie is the headstrong and defiant Princess Jasmine. In the remake, Princess Jasmine wants to become Sultan after her father. The princess is also given her own song, “Speechless,” a musical number in the same vein as “Let It Go.” In the song, Scott sings, “I won’t be silenced, You can’t keep me quiet.” This will resound with many women nowadays as they try to shed the narrow definition society allots to them. However, the end result may seem like a swing and a miss; the fast-paced plot packed full of action gives the film little opportunity and even less time to give Naomi Scott’s character the attention she deserves.

Another character who is feeling the pressure is the Genie, played by Will Smith in the 2019 remake. In February, when Disney released a movie trailer depicting Smith as the blue Genie, the actor was laughed out of the house by memes and Photoshopped pictures mocking his CGI-altered appearance. There’s no doubt about the fact that Will Smith has gigantic shoes to fill in regards to his character. Originally voiced by the late Robin Williams, Williams’ outstanding performance was something that Smith, unfortunately, couldn’t live up to. Still, Will Smith’s Genie is well-played, and there’s no denying the actor brings his own spin to the iconic character.

Compared to the 1992 original, the 2019 adaptation falls short. As a remake, though, Aladdin is a solid success, bringing Agrabah and all of its magical inhabitants back to life again in a way more colorful than ever. Mena Massoud’s performance as Aladdin is charismatic and daring, and his chemistry with Naomi Scott crackles on the big screen. Add in beautifully rendered musical scenes such as “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali”, and the film’s razzle-dazzle is certainly blinding. While the 2019 adaptation doesn’t quite recapture the magic of the 1992 film, Aladdin is more than capable of providing a visually-stunning trip down memory lane.

Feature Image – Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine Photo Courtesy of Bing

by Esther Wu