Movie Review: “Aladdin” is an entertaining live action updating of a Disney animated classic

Movie Review: “Aladdin” (PG)

“Aladdin” isn’t exactly a diamond in the rough, but it’s considerably better than the trailers made it look. At the very least, it works to much stronger effect than Disney’s live-action versions of both “Beauty and the Beast” and “Dumbo,” thanks to Guy Ritchie’s high-energy direction, sumptuous production design, and for the most part a pretty appealing cast.

In this spirited adaptation of Disney’s classic 1992 animated feature, a kind-hearted street urchin named Aladdin (Mena Massoud) engages in an adventure that finds him crossing paths with royalty, a genie, and a powerful adversary named Jafar (Marwan Kenzari).

The big issue going into this one was whether or not “Aladdin” would truly translate to a live-action setting, because the 1992 film is the very personification of “animated.” And it goes well beyond the great Robin Williams’s manic (and iconic) vocal work as Genie. Disney’s “Aladdin” has a rhythm, an energy, and a tone that simply screams “cartoon!”

Enter director Guy Ritchie, of all people, a filmmaker known primarily for hyper-stylized, gritty crime sagas like “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.” While a few of Ritchie’s trademark flourishes are visible, this might be one of the most non-Guy-Ritchie Guy Ritchie movies you’re likely to see. What’s more, you can feel his genuine affection for the source material. You can also feel his affection for Indiana Jones in a few of this film’s bigger set pieces.

What’s more, Ritchie holds true to the 1993 animated feature’s musical roots by collaborating with the great Alan Menken. They’ve even expanded the musical scope of this live-action version by the way of extra music. As for the look of the picture, Disney has spared absolutely no expense. The sets are gorgeous, the costume design is breathtaking, and the visual effects are pretty great, most notably carpet, Abu, Iago, and Rajah.

In terms of performances, let’s go ahead and address the blue elephant in the room: Will Smith! His initial casting wasn’t exactly met with the kindest of feedback, and once the first trailers for this picture dropped, faith wasn’t exactly restored. That said, in the context of the actual movie, Smith is pretty good. No one was ever going to “replace” the genius who was Robin Williams, and to Smith’s great credit, he doesn’t try to replace him. The Fresh Prince simply sets out to honor the spirit of Williams’s portrayal, all while putting his own unique spin on the proceedings.

Massoud is affable enough as the diamond in the rough who is Aladdin, bringing a boyish charm and exuberence to the role while lovely Naomi Scott hits all the right notes, literally, as Jasmine. If there’s a poor casting choice in “Aladdin,” it’s Kenzari as Jafar. He’s not terrible in the role, but he isn’t particularly dynamic, either. “Aladdin” could have used a bigger-than-life superstar in the role of the bigger-than-life Jafar.

All of that said, this take on “Aladdin” is lively and entertaining. It’s a little on the long side and it doesn’t quite hold a candle to the animated feature that inspired it but it’s a very pleasant time at the movies and should more than tie fans over until “The Lion King” drops this July.

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