Movie Review : Aladdin

Aladdin is a lovable street urchin who meets Princess Jasmine, the beautiful daughter of the sultan of Agrabah. While visiting her exotic palace, Aladdin stumbles upon a magic oil lamp that unleashes a powerful, wisecracking, larger-than-life genie. As Aladdin and the genie start to become friends, they must soon embark on a dangerous mission to stop the evil sorcerer Jafar from overthrowing young Jasmine’s kingdom.

PROS

• Excellent performance by the whole cast. Will Smith was especially exceptional and was the perfect choice to play the Genie.
• The musical numbers were fantastic.
• The movie was filled with visually stunning scenes that brought the colorful city on Agrabah to life. The iconic magic carpet ride was breathtakingly beautiful.

CONS

• The live-action version of Jafar was not as menacing as the original cartoon version.

FAVORITE QUOTES

Genie: I made you look like a prince on the outside, but I didn’t change anything on the inside. Prince Ali got you to the door, but Aladdin has to open it.

Dalia: A handsome prince wants to marry you. Oh, when will life get easier?

Aladdin: [to Jasmine] Do you trust me?

CONCLUSION

The story of Aladdin is familiar to most who grew up on classic 90’s Disney Cartoons. I was originally skeptical about a live-action remake , thinking it would steer to much from the original. I was pleasantly surprised with the Guy Richie directed live-screen adaptation. Even though i was familiar with the story it still had a feel of originality as well as nostalgia.

Of all the characters , Will Smith had the biggest challenge of filling the iconic shoes of Robin Williams who voiced the original Genie. The best thing Will Smith did was not to try to recreate the ‘magic’ but instead put his own spin on the character ,whilst still maintaining the nostalgia of the role.

The movie elevated Jasmines character, giving her more depth and a clear purpose that was equivalent to Aladdin’s but in her own unique way.

Mena Massoud brought the charisma and cheeky brilliance that we expect from Aladdin. He did an outstanding job bringing the character to life.

Aladdin is a classic story that is wonderfully brought to life by the exquisite cast. Those who loved the original will fall in love with it all over again. First time views, Welcome to the magnificence that is Aladdin.

RATING

4 out of 5

BY KAPA KAUMBA