The more Disney remakes their classic animated films into "live action" the more hollow they feel. I've complained many times about remaking films for no reason (other than profit) and the problems with this experience so I won't go into all the details. Suffice it to say that Aladdin is a pretty good example of all the reasons not to remake a perfect good film.
We've seen this story and know exactly how it will play out so there is no dramatic tension. The updates do nothing to enhance the story and to be honest the story was told better the first time. For an example that is rather small but impactful, one of the pivotal and most memorable moments of the first film is how Aladdin tricks the genie into giving him a free wish. That whole interaction tells us so much about the characters and its a clever and fun plot wrinkle. For some reason they change how he tricks the genie and the means takes away from all of this. It's simpler and feels more of a cheat than a clever exploitation. Also it is brushed off without creating the relationship that the the moment did in the first film. Similar changes to plot devises in remakes irk me. 1994's Miracle on 24th Street changed the judge's final reasoning into a way that just doesn't make sense. The end of Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes remake takes out the best moment from the story and substitutes something rather anti-climactic. The American remake of The Vanishing adds a completely different ending which fully erases the power of the original film. If you're going to just tell the same story over again then tell it, don't fuck up details.
But I get it. People love what they are familiar with and want to be told the same story again and again. Aladdin is beloved (if somewhat problematic) and therefore lets see it again but with bigger special effects! Wow.
But despite my disappointment in just another Disney remake let me focus on a few of the things I liked. The new song is pretty and gives Jasmine a little more room to shine. That's a plus. I like they removed the homophobic gay coding around Jafar, and removed all the mildly xenophobic references the first film had. That's another plus....
Um...
I can't think of anything else I enjoyed. I mean. It's a good story so if you haven't already seen it 100 times I guess it would be entertaining for that purpose.
Will Smith is given the thankless and impossible job of following up Robin Williams' Genie. Smith is clever and funny but just doesn't come near to capturing the magic (pun intended) of the original Genie. Not sure anyone could.
And that's the problem over all. Aladdin just doesn't capture the original magic. Pun intended. These films still haven't ever done that yet. Most of the time when I was watching the film I just wanted to watch the original instead. This is a curiosity, nothing more, just like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and most of the remakes Disney has churned out recently.
Aladdin
Starring: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Alan Tudyk, Frank Welker
Director: Guy Richie
Writers: John August, Guy Richie
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