In 1937, Disney’s first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, premiered in the USA. Initially banned in Sweden, the film was released the following year in a heavily edited version. Winning an Oscar, it marked the beginning of an over 80-year tradition of annual animated classic releases. In 1992, Disney’s Aladdin, based on tales from One Thousand and One Nights, debuted. Robin Williams (1951-2014), as the Genie, delivered a wildly improvised performance. Aladdin achieved significant success, spawning sequels and video games, making a Live-action remake inevitable, as with many other Disney films.
I haven’t personally seen The Lion King (2019), but reportedly, director Jon Favreau delivered another successful remake, following the well-received The Jungle Book (2016). Tim Burton’s Dumbo (2019) , however, was critically panned. As a fan of Aladdin (1992), I approached this remake with skepticism, compounded by trailers featuring a visually unappealing animated Will Smith as the Genie. I proceeded to watch the film with cautious anticipation.
Aladdin (2019) opens with a framing narrative absent in the original animated film, which initially eased my concerns about a direct, uninspired adaptation. I soon found myself genuinely enjoying director Guy Ritchie’s interpretation of Aladdin. Mena Massoud embodies Aladdin perfectly, capturing his humor and charisma. The integration of Princess Jasmin (Naomi Scott) is cleverly executed, and the musical numbers seamlessly blend into the plot. Overall, the initial impression was surprisingly positive…
The film’s antagonist, Jafar, then enters the narrative. The original Jafar is portrayed as an evil, obsequious, and genuinely unpleasant character. In Aladdin (2019), he is depicted as a model with a subdued voice and an insecure demeanor. While he commits villainous acts, the actor (Marvan Kenzari) fails to convincingly portray Jafar’s inherent malevolence. This proved particularly disappointing, as I anticipated that Will Smith’s portrayal of the Genie would be the film’s weakest casting choice.
However, Will Smith demonstrates an unexpected aptitude for entertainment, delivering a Genie that, while distinct from Robin Williams’ iconic performance, is engaging in its own right. This was a genuinely pleasant surprise. Furthermore, the film benefits from a substantial budget, evident in its extensive, practically constructed sets and a large ensemble of dancers, singers, and acrobats. Aladdin (2019) is a visually rich spectacle from beginning to end.
Unfortunately, Aladdin (2019) will not be released on UHD in Sweden. To view the film in 4K, it must be imported. Consequently, we are limited to the Full HD Blu-ray version. The picture quality is sharp and vibrant, with clear and vivid colors. While the deep blacks associated with HDR on UHD are absent, the picture quality remains above average. However, the Dolby Digital plus 7.1 soundtrack feels mixed at a low volume, resulting in poor surround sound. This is regrettable, as the film’s heavy reliance on effects necessitates a robust soundtrack.
The Blu-ray edition includes some entertaining behind-the-scenes content, such as documentaries, deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and music videos. Overall, the Blu-ray edition is acceptable, although the sound quality falls short of expectations.
In conclusion, I found Aladdin (2019) to be an entertaining experience, providing genuine enjoyment at times. However, I remain conflicted by the sentiment of “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”. Aladdin (1992) remains a highly effective film, not only as an animated feature, but as a complete feature film. In some respects, it is more intense and frightening than the remake. The original conveys a greater sense of peril, making a milder and more sanitized version seem somewhat redundant. Nevertheless, with Aladdin (2019) grossing over a billion dollars, the concept clearly resonates with audiences, and Disney is unlikely to cease producing live-action remakes of their animated classics anytime soon. One wonders if they will ever attempt The Black Cauldron…?
