Movie Review: Aladdin (1992)

PLOT:

Aladdin is a poor street urchin who spends his time stealing food from the marketplace in the city of Agrabah. His adventures begin when he meets a young girl who happens to be Princess Jasmine, who is forced to be married by her wacky yet estranged father. Aladdin’s luck suddenly changes when he retrieves a magical lamp from the Cave of Wonders. What he unwittingly gets is a fun-loving genie who only wishes to have his freedom. Little do they know is that the Sultan’s sinister advisor Jafar has his own plans for both Aladdin and the lamp.

REVIEW:

What did I like?

Animation. This week, I found out that The Pokemon Movie: Mewtwo’s Strikes Back is getting a re-release, but they’ve redone all the animation in CGI. I won’t go on a rant about this, but I feel one may be coming, but rather it makes one really appreciate hand drawn animation, especially when it is done as well as it in in the hands of the Disney animators. Of course, it should be noted that this is one of the early uses of CGI in animation. Just about everything that had to do with the cave and of course the animation of the magic carpet flowed seamlessly. The technology wasn’t what it is today, but it is still impressive to see these two forms of animation work together.

Genie. By now, Robin Williams’ performance as the genie is the stuff of legend. Having not watched this film in a few years and seeing the live action version played by Will Smith in the other Aladdin, one comes back to really appreciate how much fun Williams is having as genie, as well as watch in awe as he puts on a masterclass of comedy. I do not think I am the only one that will say this would not be remembered as fondly without his performance.

Tall, dark, and evil. Disney villains are all great, but there are two that just stand head and shoulders above the rest. Maleficent and Jafar. The live action film gave us some back story and made him “sexy”, which is fine and dandy, but I prefer the mysterious sorcerer who is obviously an homage to the Conrad Veidt’s portrayal of…well, he’s not the same character, but at the same time he is, in The Thief of Bagdad. The evil plotting, attempted murder, as well as his proper mannerisms are what cause Jafar to be long remembered, not to mention he appears to be, as Genie says, “a tall, dark, and sinister ugly man” who you would do well not to cross paths with.

What didn’t I like?

Wonder about the cave. Back when I saw this for the first time and the Cave of Wonders appeared, I wondered how its eyes were two halves of a scarab. I still wonder that, but something else has been bothering me. When Abu touches the treasure and, what is Jafar doing outside. It not like the cave just whispered that they were about to die. That was some loud, angry yelling, on top of all the other stuff that was going on (melting treasure, lave flowing, etc).

Where did she go? In our first time meeting Princes Jasmine, she watches birds fly away. The next time we see her, she decides to climb over the palace walls and run away.and we don’t see her again until what seem like the next day in the market. My question is where did she go during that time? I can’t see her sleeping out in the elements overnight and it isn’t like she knows anyone non-royal, at least in this film, that is. I may be nitpicking with this one, but I couldn’t get this out of my head the whole time I was sitting in the theater this afternoon watching.

Sex kitten. On the subject of Princess Jasmine, she is hands down the hottest of the Disney princesses and, as far as heroines go, only Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame can give her a run for her money in the looks department. Having said that, I hate that they made her into a sex slave, or something akin to it by her outfit later in the film. Now, I know that in many of the sword and sandal movies of the 60s, mostly the Sinbad series, the damsel in distress would end up in a similar situation and that is probably what this was a nod to, which I actually have no issue with. I do have a problem with it when you consider this is supposed to be a family film, but perhaps I am just stretching to find fault.

FINAL VERDICT:

What did I think of Aladdin? I have always loved this film. It’s my #2 favorite Disney flick between The Aristocats and Robin Hood. Thanks to a program one of my local theaters is running, certain Disney classics are shown every few months. This is one of those months. As I mentioned earlier, it has been some time since I last saw this version of the film, and even longer since seeing it on the big screen. Everything I have always loved about the film, the music, the story, the characters, etc, hasn’t changed and neither will my opinion of this true Disney classic. Do i recommend it? Yes, very highly!!!

5 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: Aladdin

PLOT:

A kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.

REVIEW:

What did I like?

Always bet on brown. This may seem like a small thing, but I have to give credit to the casting director for casting people that at least seem to look like they are from this area of the world, even if they aren’t. Hollywood has a history of “whitewashing”, so this is a pretty big thing.

She’s so pretty. Naomi Scott is a gorgeous creature. Princess Jasmine has long been one of the prettiest of the Disney princesses, so for me she was perfect casting. However, let me now just focus on her beauty, because she kills it as an actress. She is able to portray the more delicate and vulnerable flower, for lack of a better term, as well as the fierce princess ready to defend her people. Watching her flip the switch is pretty impressive, even there are aspects of her character that I didn’t dig on (which I will touch on shortly).

Culture. Middle Eastern culture is full of vibrant colors, extravange robes, and percussive dances. At least that’s what this film would have us believe and, while this isn’t all the culture has to offer, it is a part of it…one director Guy Ritchie (it can be debated later whether he was the right guy for this film or not) chose to highlight. Say what you will, the designs of the dresses, specifically Princess Jasmine’s are breathtaking.

What didn’t I like?

Some people should not sing. By now, you can read review after review praising Will Smith’s portrayal as the Genie and how he didn’t dare try to repeat what Robin Williams did. When you think about it, no one could really recreate that magic. What is not being talked about is how Smith sings in this film. Will Smith initially rose to popularity as a family-friendly, comedic rapper in the late 80s/early 90s, but he has never been one to belt out a tune, which makes it weird that they chose to have him do so in this film. Granted, a lot of of it is sing talking, but the rest…well, he isn’t horrible, but you aren’t going to go out and download a bunch of files of Smith singing. Couldn’t they have let someone else do the singing for him?

Feminist agenda. This is sure to ruffle some feathers and for that I am sorry, but this is my blog and my opinion. I prefer Jasmine’s character arc from the cartoon. In this adaptation they have made her want to be sultan which makes absolutely no sense. She’s a princess, albeit a strong-willed one, and nothing in her backstory suggests that she would ever want to be sultan. Oh wait…there is this movement where women have to have all the power, be strong, and not need a man. Nothing wrong with that, but when we see it in every….single…thing…it gets tedious, especially when it doesn’t particularly fit the character. Sure, a Jasmine that just sat around pining for a guy would not work, but the reverse doesn’t do anything for me, either. In some ways, this characterization ruined the character for me.

Jafar. We are all familiar with the tall, dark, and menacing Jafar. Not only is this the one that was used in the original animated version, but he is also based on the royal vizier from the silent film The Thief of Baghdad. So, what is wrong with this version? Well, if you were to run into the animated version in a dark alley, there would be a sense of fear and intimidation before he even spoke a word. With this one, other than his anger issues and background as a street thief, one isn’t really intimidated and that really takes away from the character. I mean, this is supposed to be the main antagonist and he doesn’t really cause one to quiver with fear.

Final verdict:

Like other reviewers, I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed Aladdin. This is a film that has received alot of bad press, starting with that horrible picture of Will Smith as the Genie. Rest assured, though, he kills it, as does Naomi Scott as Jasmine. I with the same could be said for Aladdin, but our main character takes a backseat for a good portion of the film. The songs are all given a hip hop edge to them that I could take or leave and Jasmine has a new feminist power song that I sort of like, but not enough to be belting it out like “Let It Go”, from a few years ago. So, with all this said, I have to say that it is best to stick with the original Aladdin. This live action remake is serviceable, but nothing compares to the original

4 out of 5 stars