Aladdin (2019): Review

Once you let the genie out of the bottle, it's hard to get the magic back in... and the genie first got out of that bottle in 1992 with the animated classic. Let's be honest, Will Smith following the act of Robin Williams is difficult, to say the least. In the 2019 live-action version of Aladdin, the movie saw some upgrades, which may also be its downfall. 

At times the movie seems to follow beat for beat the original material, but the tempo changes quickly (sometimes literally speeding up the film rate to get through slow action). There was new songs and dance numbers introduced into the movie that we have not seen before (which nearly all has Jasmine involved). It's hard to swallow them because they don't seem to flow with the original songs. Basically, if you're comparing this to the original material, prepare for disappointment. That original magic is long gone and was used up for the past 28 years in the movie, sequels and all the use in Disney Parks. That being said...

If you go into this movie with totally and complete open minds (or if you have never seen the cartoon, or any variation of the original source), you might find yourself tapping your toes along with the music and enjoying the sheer spectacle that movies can't do these days because they are just laughable at times, but this movie pulls it off. Be assured, without getting into spoilers, this movie actually is much more child friendly than the original movie. 

All in all, you'll still have a good time. The original movie is a hard act to follow, but Disney attempted to "freshen" this version up to play better to a new generation. The biggest change that Disney should have done to make the film better, would be a title change from Aladdin to Jasmine. In this film, she is really the main character and Aladdin seems far more forgettable. Maybe you should stick with the animated classic.

3/5 Stars.