CLEVELAND, Ohio -- What if I told you the best moment in the live-action remake of “Aladdin” isn’t the magic carpet ride to “A Whole New World,” the Genie’s “Friend Like Me” introduction, or even the big show-stopping musical number “Prince Ali,” which, incidentally, elicited spontaneous applause at the screening I attended.
Do you trust me?
The fact that it’s actually “Speechless,” a new, original song written for Princess Jasmine, speaks to not only how Disney improved upon the animated classic, but also how the movie addresses the problematic aspects of the original to make it more modern and relatable.
Written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land,” “Dear Evan Hansen,”) “Speechless,” performed at the crucial moment when Jafar seizes control of the kingdom, is a radio-ready female empowerment pop anthem performed with conviction and emotion by the mesmerizing Naomi Scott in a star-making turn. The result, beautifully staged by director Guy Ritchie, is more moving and re-watchable than anything in “A Star Is Born” or “The Greatest Showman,” two recent great movie musicals.
In many ways, this new “Aladdin” is Jasmine’s film. Whereas in the original in which she dreams of leaving Agrabah to make her mark in the world and, in the end, asks her father to change the law so she can marry Aladdin, she is much stronger and decidedly more feminist here, taking charge of her own life, standing up for what she believes and, spoiler alert, becoming Sultan.
Jasmine’s arc is at the top of the list why live-action “Aladdin” is better than animated “Aladdin,” but it isn’t the only reason.
Coming in a close second is Ritchie (“Sherlock Holmes,” “Snatch,”) who brings his signature style of constantly moving cameras, frenetic editing and hyper-realistic action and combines it with the look and feel of old fashioned Hollywood and Bollywood musicals to create a spectacle that not only breathes life into the source material but the genre itself.
The film also fares better in its portrayal of the Middle East. Jafar, as played by Marwan Kenzari, is no longer a racist caricature. The offensive lyrics of “Arabian Nights” have been changed. Aladdin (Mena Massoud) and Jasmine (Scott) are played by actors whose ethnicities match their characters.
That brings us to the elephant in the room: Will Smith’s Genie. To say Smith doesn’t come close to matching Robin Williams’ legendary performance isn’t fair. Nobody could ever recreate the high-energy improv and random stream of consciousness the late actor brought to the role.
Smith does just fine, reminding us of the guy who got his start in comedies before becoming a serious actor. His singing voice is somewhat suspect, but he has the charisma to pull off Genie’s rapid-fire jokes and meta references.
And if the trailers have you worried about how the giant, shape-shifting blue guy looks like IRL on the big screen, don’t be. The CGI is no worse than the Hulk in all those “Avengers” movies and we all bought that.
Another thing you don’t have to worry about: the film ignores the Broadway version, so there are no superfluous characters or time-filling songs you’ve never heard before to bother with.
Add it all up and, sorry “Beauty and the Beast,” you get the best Disney remake yet.
“Aladdin” arrives in theaters Friday with sneak previews Thursday.
https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/05/why-disneys-live-action-aladdin-will-leave-you-speechless.html
2019-05-22 15:55:00Z
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