Aladdin review - Passable fantasy entertainer
Director Guy Ritchie, who's popular for his unique and stylish action comedy entertainers like Snatch, Rocknrolla, Sherlock Holmes etc,is back, this time with a genre one would have never expected him to be associated with. Guy has teamed up with Disney, for the Live action version of Aladdin(1992), featuring prominent stars like Will Smith, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott. Let's see if Guy scores with this one as well.
Taken from the folktale One Thousand and one nights, the movie revolves around poor Aladdin (Mena Massoud) , who falls for Jasmine (Naomi Scott) who happens to be the princess of Agrabah. Zafar(Marwan Kenzari) wants to claim the throne, but for that, he must get a magic lamp from the cave of wonders, which Aladdin could enter. As Aladdin gets the lamp, he rubs to find a Genie (Will Smith) which grants him three wishes. How did Aladdin use the wishes, was he able to unite with his love Jasmine, and was he able to thwart the evil Zafar's plans is what Aladdin is all about.
Mena Massoud as Aladdin is perfectly cast as the pickpocket turned Prince and the young chap in love, and he's equally good in the romance episodes with Jasmine as well as the confrontation with Zafar. Naomi Scott is cute and her charm makes one glued to the screens. Her chemistry with Mena Massoud makes the proceedings enjoyable. Will Smith tries to entertain with his Genie act, which partially works, and his combination sequences with Mena evoke occasional laughs. Marwan Kenzari is menacing, though the role is a cliched and monotonous.
Alan Menken's background score is apt for the fantasy genre the movie deals with though the songs that appear occasionally, don't impress. Aladdin's encounters with Zafar and the magical experiences of the characters enhanced visually by CG are beautifully captured by Alan Stewart.
Guy Ritchie has opted to go for a faithful remake of the 1992 animation flick, and has retained most of the elements of the original, and has opted for a simplistic screenplay. This time around, unlike the animated version, Jasmine gets importance and Guy Ritchie has presented the character very well with the charming screen presence of Naomi Scott. Though the movie is set in an Arabian milieu, the screenplay doesn't focus much on the aesthetics and culture that exists, but rather follows the Hollywood musical style song dance routines. 27 years since Aladdin's animated version released, yet Guy Ritchie hasn't taken much efforts to modify the screenplay or present interesting twists, but keeps Aladdin limited to an old school love story with an evil villain, and with fantasy elements thrown in, delivers a very basic fantasy flick that might appeal to kids. All said, Aladdin is a visually rich and extravagant, kids friendly fantasy entertainer which offers entertainment in parts, thanks to the leads.
Verdict: Kids might love this passable fantasy entertainer.
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