Aladdin Review

Aladdin (2019)

I saw Aladdin! I hadn't actually been planning on seeing it in theaters, but we decided to go for Father's Day and I'm glad we did. It was SO GOOD. So much to love.

First off, I'd better say that I've only seen the animated movie a handful of times. I saw it once at my great grandma's house when I was little, and then, due to the Disney vault and whoever stole it from the library, I didn't really watch it again until the Bluray came out a couple years ago. So there isn't a boatload of nostalgia with the cartoon to compete with like there is on a lot of other Disney movies. That said, I still really like the animated movie, and I wasn't sure how the live action would hold up. I shouldn't have worried at all.

I'll just go ahead and say the one thing I didn't really like about the movie. Jafar. It's not that the actor necessarily did a horrible job, per se, though it could have been better, but he just really didn't look the part. He didn't look cruel and evil, and Jafar's supposed to have that creepy evil look. See?

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As opposed to this:

Plus, like a coworker of mine said her husband pointed out, he wasn't old enough.

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One thing I think we were all worried about was how Will Smith's Genie would compare to Robin Williams's. There's only one Robin Williams. And Robin Williams's Genie was very special. But I was actually very pleasantly surprised with Will Smith's Genie. I don't know why I wasn't expecting him to float in the air, change his appearance to fit some of the comedy, etc. CGI can obviously do that now. Of course, it wasn't as much as in the animated movie, but he still behaved like Genie. But yet slightly different. And he was still blue part of the time. Just not when he was trying to blend in as a human. And he even gets a girl in this one! No, no one's ever going to quite match Robin Williams. But he still did a fabulous job.

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And when they did "Friend Like Me." :D My sister and I were both so excited when the song started.

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I liked both Aladdin and Jasmine. Jasmine doesn't exactly look like I'd expected...not like the cartoon or the girls at Disney World...so it took a bit to get used to, but I ended up really liking her. And her costumes are actually pretty modest! They were well cast, and I just love them. They played their characters well.

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As for the story and how it compares to the cartoon, yes, it's the same story. I don't think there are any real twists, unless you count Genie meeting a girl. But it didn't feel like a shot-for-shot remake either. It the same enough to be the same Aladdin we all love, but different enough to not feel like the filmmakers cheated. (Like with Beauty and the Beast. Didn't like that one so much, though that's partially because I didn't like Emma Watson as Belle.) I felt like it was the same story but different more in the vein of Cinderella, though of course, Aladdin was still a musical, while Cinderella wasn't. And oh my goodness gracious. The scene after "Prince Ali" when Aladdin is presented to Jasmine and the Sultan. Just wow. Like Genie said, 10,000 years, and he's never been more embarrassed. But I loved it so much. Jams. XD

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And then there are the songs. I'm so glad they included the songs. I've been listening to the soundtrack so much. It's mostly the same songs from the original, and I love them. Like I said, I was so excited when "Friend Like Me" started. "A Whole New World" makes me so happy too.

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And then there's the new song, "Speechless."

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It seemed to have somewhat of a different feel from the other songs, but I still loved it. It's very Jasmine. All about how her supposed role is just to stand there in the background and let others rule her kingdom. Just be silent. Not say anything in defense of her people. But she won't do that. "Speechless Part 2" in the climax of the movie is her finally breaking free, standing up to Jafar, refusing to stay speechless. Doing what it takes to save Agrabah. And I love it.

So no, Aladdin wasn't a perfect movie. But I love it so much and I can't wait for it to come out on Bluray so I can watch it again and again. Now excuse me while I listen to the soundtrack for the 500th time this week.