Disney has engaged in a trend in recent years to reimagine their animated movies as live or somewhat live action versions. This has worked for the most part with the studio seeing success with releases like The Jungle Book and The Lion King. Those successes are largely due to the vision of director Jon Favreau and his continued push to develop new filmmaking techniques and technologies. Aladdin was released in 2019 and faced a very different challenge than its predecessors. The Lion King featured talented voice actors in Matthew Broderick and Jeremy Irons among others, but they were just roles filled by those actors. The original Aladdin which was released in 1992 featured a performance specifically written for its best-known star. The genie was a showcase for the chaotic improvisational stylings of comedian Robin Williams. That role was something that Williams owned. Allowing anyone else to play Genie was already a controversial subject. Doing so after Williams committed suicide due to depression in 2014 made the idea unpopular to many. Fortunately for Disney, they found an actor with a flexible enough skillset to put his own stamp on Genie without disgracing Williams’ brilliant performance by seeking to duplicate it.
Enter Will Smith.
Genie’s importance in both versions is very strategic. Williams was the biggest household name when the original aired. Scott Weinger, the voice of Aladdin, was relatively unknown. This dynamic is the same in 2019, with Smith’s long career and popularity dwarfing that of Mena Massoud. The bull’s eye was clearly on Smith’s back once he agreed to the role. Fortunately, he has the acting, singing and rapping chops to make his version of Genie feel like something completely new. The film itself feels enormous yet still a “boy meets girl” story at its core. Director Guy Ritchie is no stranger to large scale, fast action films. His visuals in the Sherlock Holmes films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. reboot are exceptional. This film feels similar, but there are gaps in the CGI when it pulls back from the actors and replaces them with graphics.
The story is a pretty typical good vs. evil one. Aladdin is a street rat who is compassionate. He’s the Robin Hood of Agrabah. He meets the delightful Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) who is in disguise so she can be among her people. Aladdin becomes infatuated and sneaks into the palace to find her. He is captured by the sultan’s Grand Vizier, Jafar (Marwen Kenzari), who tasks Aladdin with entering the Cave of Wonders and bringing back a magic lamp hidden within. Aladdin is double-crossed but eventually winds up with the lamp. He meets Genie and the two quickly become friends. The rest is a wild ride of relationships, power plays, and thrills, all sung to Alan Menkin’s wonderful score. Viewers won’t need to watch the original to appreciate the 2019 version. In fact, there are benefits to watching the two in reverse. This will give viewers an appreciation for Smith’s performance and an awe of what Williams developed and drove given his creative freedom. It really is pretty much a retelling of Robin Hood, but with a delightful soundtrack that gives Smith and the others places to really shine. Aladdin is very family friendly and enjoyable for audiences of all ages.