💬 Review Aladdin (2019)

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silverfox05

In Love Lv4️⃣
Member for 6 years
Name of the movie you are reviewing: Aladdin (2019)



A live adaptation of the animated Disney classic, Aladdin. Starring Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmin and Will Smith as Genie.

Review:
I never understood why live movie renditions are so hated or disliked amongst critics -- professional and casual critics alike. People seem to say that the new versions ruin the "chastity" or the "essence" of the original/previous version. Most critics even rate and review these movies as a failure, grading them the lowest they could give in Rotten Tomatoes or whatever media they use.

Personally, I think these movie "critics" are missing the whole point of watching a movie by seemingly focusing, dwelling and holding on to even the tiniest detail just so they could justify their "criticisms". Because of that, it saddens me to think that they no longer feel joy/entertained/happy when watching movies.

What they also fail to understand is that these new versions of old movies and classics are a good way of introducing them to the current generation by making and presenting them through ways they could understand and appreciate.

I think adapting to these modern changes are vital for the preservation of these films/stories. In addition to that, the different versions also act as a glimpse of what the culture, trend or standing were when they were released.

With that said, I was excited to see the live adaptation since the original animated Disney version was the first ever movie I ever get to watch. Sneak peaks or teasers of how Will Smith looked like as a Genie, honestly, threw me a little off -- Robin Williams will always be my Genie, I guess.

Nonetheless, since I loved the new version of Beauty and the Beast, I decided to watch it with the same anticipation as someone watching it for the first time.

Would you recommend this to other users? The new version could definitely set itself apart from its predecessor. Rather than walking in the shadow of the animated film, the cast <i> <b> (yes... including Will Smith as the Genie.) </b> </i> did an amazing job in helping us with the transition.

For one, Will Smith became THE GENIE in his own right. In my opinion, he didn't feel like he was trying hard to BE Robin Williams' Genie. I pleasantly accepted and considered him as ANOTHER Genie instead of persisting on them being one and the same. Will Smith actually gave Genie an added sense of humanity. His version of the songs were given the modern, hip-hop, "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" vibe, as one would expect from Will Smith.

Also, Aladdin seems to take a step back in this version, giving Princess Jasmin the moment in the movie when she realized (while proving to herself and her father) that she could stand on her own while singing the new song "Speechless".

There are a lot of comparisons between the numerous characters (main or supporting) from the cartoon and from the live action movie that fans of the older one may notice, but these distinctions further add to what makes the 2019 version distinguishable from the 1994 animated film.

Some songs (like "Prince Ali", "One Jump" and "A Whole New World") however, seemed to lackluster in comparison during the movie.

Other than that, the 2019 version offers an unexpected refreshing take on the beloved characters as well as the story of Aladdin that old fans, as well as new ones will all come to love.

Rating(1-5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
 

Salamadra

Lurker Lv0️⃣
Member for 4 years
Honestly, the movie was better that I expected. I really loved the song Speechless, Naomi Scott's voice is beautiful.
 

silverfox05

In Love Lv4️⃣
Member for 6 years
her voice really is beautiful, though Speechless didn't have the same effect as I'd hope I would get with me..

Execution wise, though, top notch.
 
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