Top Reasons Why Aladdin (2019) is Disney’s BEST Live-Action Ever
When Disney announced in 2016 that the live-action of Aladdin was in pre-production, the Disney kid in me grew equally excited and concerned. It means I will have the chance to relive the best Disney animated film I’ve watched yet has doubts if Disney can capture the “magic” of the 1992 version. Aladdin was considered as one of the quartets that defined Disney’s golden age during the first half of the 90s, which also include The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King.
The live-action version of Beauty and the Beast went ahead in 2017. Although there were some minor details in the movie that didn’t convince me, I thought it was beautifully done. I knew then that Aladdin will have a good shot to be executed fairly as well. But boy, it did exceed my expectations after finally watching the movie.
The live-action remake was directed by Guy Ritchie and Disney made the right decision to give him the project. Ritchie knew the material very well that he even managed to add some playful touches while keeping the charm and magic of the original version. I think Aladdin is the best live-action remake that Disney has made with the following reasons:
Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott were perfect for the lead roles. They might not be the exact copy of the 1992 version’s Aladdin and Jasmine but they brought the characters into life with their own interpretations that worked so well in the movie. While I can think of several actresses who can play Belle even better than Emma Watson (sorry for the honest opinion), I cannot think of anyone else who can fit Princess Jasmine’s “Speechless” (Reprise) scene but only Scott. The same goes for Massoud — the guy was born to play Aladdin (think of Mark Hamill for Luke Skywalker).
Will Smith’s best role yet. If you are a Will Smith fan, you will love him here even more. Before the movie came out, Smith’s casting as the Genie was highly-criticized. When the movie came out, early viewers were all praises for his take on the character. Smith has created a new Genie inspired by Robin Williams’ 1992 version. He made him more human and “lesser blue,” which worked on Genie’s storyline especially at the end. I am not a big Will Smith fan, but I became fond of him after watching the movie.
A vivid visual and musical experience. Vivid colors and fun music are constantly present from beginning to end. Every corner in Agrabah was so alive with playful hues of red, orange, and blue and when the music played, the colors seemingly explode and dancing by themselves. Except for Jafar’s “Prince Ali Reprise” in the 1992 version, all of the original songs were present and updated with a modern tune, plus “Speechless.”
Changes made are necessary and relevant. In the animated movie, Princess Jasmine’s personality was not fully explored since she only played second to the main character, but that’s okay because she’s a sight to behold. During her empowering Speechless scene in the 2019 version as the palace guards were escorting her to the dungeon, it allowed the audience to see both of her inner conflicts and strength. The scene has demonstrated her independence and the capability to save herself had not only been for some magical forces involved. Jasmine was made a powerful icon in this version, almost equally as the Genie, by possessing great leadership skills, wit, and strength of character. Genie’s capability of romantic feelings was explored, which is highly entertaining and added context to the movie.
It has all of the elements of great family entertainment. Engaging characters? Yes, plenty. Wholesome dialogue? Of course! Moral lesson? Easily perceived. Funny scenes? Lots! Cute side characters? Abu, Carpet, and Dalia! Satisfying final act? Indeed! Potential fun sequel? Definitely.
A great cinema experience. My reasons are seemingly repetitious. I cannot help it. The movie is just so fun that you would just like to dance along with them with that fun Bollywood (?) number in the end. You wouldn’t even like to see the screen turned into rolling credits. I even stayed ‘til the end thinking there might be some post-credit scenes, sadly there’s none.
Aladdin 2019 is definitely a three-star experience.
