Aladdin – Enjoy a whole new world with a story you already know.
Movie Rating – 8 out of 10.
Family Rating – This movie is entirely suitable for all. A true Disney standard from the past.
This is exactly the same story as the Robin Williams animated movie and very similar to the amazing stage play that we saw in Sydney last year. So after two successful tellings why see another version? To be honest, I wasn’t going to make the effort to see it but Jene agreed to come along and I couldn’t turn that offer down. So with little expectation, we went to last night’s premiere showing. There were only about 30 people in the theatre so I guess very few others had caught the vision either.
I don’t know if it was because there has been so much tension and despair arising from the recent election campaign but I really really enjoyed this movie. As I mentioned earlier there are no new plots or characters but it had a great sense of fun and entertainment that you couldn’t help but be lifted by the experience. The choice of Will Smith as the Genie was questioned and I wondered how anyone could outdo Robin Williams but he played the role as Will Smith and brought his own character to the part. The lead characters in Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott were what you would expect from a Disney family movie but had good chemistry and were very likable. Marwan Kenzari plays a mean Jafar and the CGI characters of Abu and Iago are aimed to entertain the kids so don’t expect Marvel quality.
Let me just say it again that even though this is just another version of Aladdin both Jene and I really enjoyed. There were some corny comedy, mostly from the animals, and schmaltzy romance but enough to make you laugh or utter an “Awwww’ when Aladdin and Jasmine finally hook up. And of course there is the soundtrack which is nothing new or extra exciting but I extend to everyone the challenge of leaving the cinema and then not singing lines from ‘A whole new world. I was singing it during the movie, again through the credits and all the way home. I am already feeling sorry for my work colleagues who will hear it for the rest of the week.
If you are looking for something to lift your spirits or just want to go to the movies for old fashioned entertainment this is a great film to take all the family to see and every one of them will find something to enjoy.