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REVIEW: "Aladdin"

Genre: Fantasy; Adventure; Musical; Romance.
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Written by: John August & Guy Ritchie
Starring: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban and Nasim Pedrad
I was curious about Guy Ritchie's live action remake of the massive Disney's 1992 animated classic. This year's Aladdin is far better than what I was expecting, but it fails to add something to the original besides the feminist values around the character of Jasmine - which becomes the strongest ingredient of the whole movie! 
You will remember the music, you will remember the scenes (some scenes are a detailed live action recreation of the animated movie's, which draws a kind of nostalgic feeling) and you will remember how it all ends, but Aladdin is nonetheless a nice ride! 
Mena Massoud portrays Aladdin and I don't think he's at the top of his game (he's not bad, but he lacks the energy and charisma the animated version brought to the screen). Will Smith has the thankless task of filling Robin Williams' voice performance's shoes and he does it in his own way - he uses his charisma and comedic timing sucessfully, making Smith's take on Genie as a good turn (but far from Robin Williams' brilliance). The surprise of the movie? Naomi Scott! In Aladdin, she delivers what can be considered her breakthrough performance, giving Jasmine a voice and a soul and making the most of the material that's given to her - not only Scott is perfect for the big screen (visually speaking), but she has a superstar charisma and acting chops to match. Plus, her redemption of the movie's original song "Speechless" makes for an acting showcase for her and a message for women and young girls. 
Visually, Aladdin is great: the colors, the streets, the costumes, the palace and the visual effects! And since it is a Guy Ritchie movie, we couldn't pass fast slow motion action scenes! In terms of sound work, Aladdin is no big deal, but it introduces its songs nicely and the action scenes are OK.
In the end, you realise Aladdin might well be the best live action Disney remake so far and it would excel if they have picked another male lead for Aladdin and if it worked as a reflexion of the Middle Eastern culture. But... hey! It is a movie made for box-office numbers, right?

RATING: 3,5 / 5

Oscar potential categories:
  • Best Production Design
  • Best Costume Design
  • Best Makeup & Hair
  • Best Visual Effects
  • Best Original Song ("Speechless")

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