All Disney movies seem to be getting the same treatment as they are being transformed into live action films. Aladdin is the most recent film to enter the ring. Being an extremely popular film with a soundtrack that is by far one of the most notable of the original Disney films, Aladdin was a large task to take on. So, if Aladdin is such a popular film, then why are the ratings for it so low? I attribute this to a few major things, firstly, the lack of open-mindedness towards Will Smith’s portrayal of Genie. The way the music was altered from the original. Lastly the way the film utilized actual film making and likely thought it was too glamorous. These could all contribute to why ratings from critics are low.

The original Aladdin will always and forever be a classic because of the beloved Robin Williams who played Genie. Let’s be honest, everyone likely walked into the theater thinking, “lets see if Will Smith can measure up”. We all had the same fear that no one would ever be able to play Genie as well as Robin Williams. Luckily, Will Smith is a ridiculously intuitive and adaptive actor. The role of Genie was a good role, it is a role that encompasses quite a bit of humor. If you have ever seen the film Hitch, then you’ll know that Will Smith is hilarious. I think Will Smith was the best choice for a big celebrity to bring attention to the film for marketing purposes. Don’t get lost in that though, when presented with it Will Smith actually refused the role for a little time as he did not want a shadow to be cast on his performance because it was not as powerful as Robin Williams’. I think Will Smith needs more credit than he is getting for his involvement in this film.

The music in Aladdin is classic. From Never Had a Friend Like Me to Prince Ali to the always classic A Whole New World, has always been something people could sing along to for decades. I was worried about the music in the film when I stepped into the theater however I walked out absolutely satisfied with the way that it was altered and actually have begun to enjoy the new and improved music more than the original. There is a specific spin put on the music that makes it incredibly adaptive. I specifically enjoyed the way Genies music was changed to specifically accommodate for Will Smith. The music absolutely shined in those moments. I think my favorite part of the music so far is the end of Prince Ali or the entirety of Speechless. I really enjoyed this new addition and it added a large amount of depth to a classic Disney Princess. I have always thought Jasmine was rather shallow however Disney did a fantastic job of bringing her to life and making her a much deeper and more powerful character in the film. The music in the film was phenomenal and truly shone through in my mind as one of the most enjoyable aspects of the film. Another extremely enjoyable factor of the show was how visually involved it was. There were only a few moments where I was not surprised by the visual wow factor that was present in the film. In the original you had a little bit of the same feeling towards the visual aspects of the film, however; this version truly brought the film to a whole different level. A lot of critics seem to think it was too much and it was actually distracting, however I think it paired nicely with the music and made the film much more powerful and even more of a hit. Specifically, the visualization of Never Had a Friend Like me and Prince Ali. These were two moments of the film that shone out and truly put a different spin on the film that made it an absolute success to me. I think Disney did a fantastic job on this film and I give it an 8.5 out of 10.

Thanks for tuning in and stay tuned for more posts, just like this one!

~Revan