Shining, shimmering, but not quite as splendid as promised, Aladdin is the latest Disney remake attempting to take us to a whole new world. And it mostly succeeds.
Of course it's hard to deny the power of childhood fantasies brought to vivid, gorgeous live action on the silver screen, and few of the golden-age Disney films are as exotic and evocative as Aladdin. While this adaptation does not attempt to remake the original in the same way Beauty and the Beast did, only adding a couple things and changing almost nothing -- frankly, I wish it had followed suit -- it also doesn't scrap the original in favor of novelty, as Dumbo and Pete's Dragon did (again, much to their credit, as the original of each offered so little).
Aladdin more or less follows a safe middle line down these approaches, crafting a new adventure that keeps a lot of the diamond-in-the-rough, polishing it to an endearing glow. Gorgeous costumes, astounding design detail, and some lovely performances from Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott make this movie one to remember. Even Will Smith delivers one of his better performances here (which isn't really saying much), and his Genie works well on its own terms until he all but vanishes from the final act. And while the CGI effects and awkward action sequences never quite jive with the romance, music, or comedy, at least the film keeps things brisk and energetic until it's all over.
We could go on and on about the differences, but a few I found especially noteworthy, even if I haven't much of an opinion on them. I liked that the animal characters are more or less realistic and less anthropomorphized, though the genius psychosis of Iago is thus sacrificed. The Easter eggs flood this movie, from the Cave of Wonders changing from a cartoon tiger to a CGI lion (reminding us that The Lion King approaches?) to a map of Agrabah including other Disney locations. My favorite element of this remake is the extra music and screen time it affords Jasmine. My least favorite element is the crime of making Jafar into a sort of un-villain; he's hot, he's moody and broody, and the fabulous range of his cartoon character is limited to a specific motivation: he wants the throne. More than once I got the distinct impression the film was turning Jafar into a Trump-like monomaniac and it just takes all the fun out of things.
The problems begin and end, however, with director Guy Ritchie, an odd choice for a musical fantasy as anyone would tell you. And while his talents do help the film feel more detailed, grounded, and, yes, adult than we might have expected -- I'm thinking of the action sequences and that particular little torture scene -- his characteristic isms mostly detract from the magic on screen. His funky little fast-slow-motion bits and swooping CGI landscape shots do little more than to yank you off his magic carpet ride of a movie and slump you squarely in your auditorium seat.
And while its beauty is undeniable, one can't quite help but feel dissatisfied by the end. The only cure: go watch the original.
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