Aladdin Wishes Up Some New Spectacle for a Disney Classic

Mena Massoud as Aladdin in Disney’s latest live-action adaptation. Walt Disney Pictures

Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin has a bit more confidence than previous Disney animation-to-live-action adaptations. The studio seemingly had enough faith in the director to let him try out new stuff—and while restructuring a revered Disney animated classic from 1992 is risky, it beats just regurgitating the original scene for scene. Thankfully, Ritchie’s reworking is mostly magical in its own way.

The story remains relatively the same but with some interesting changes. Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is still the street rat of Agrabah with a good heart, stealing to survive and sometimes giving his food to poor kids, and we get to know him a little before his big first musical number starts up. Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) has a bit more allure and mystique on her introduction due to skipping all her setup and jumping straight into her market chase scene, slowly bringing out her backstory with some grace. The couple is given a bit more mystery with this direction but also plenty of time to let their natural charisma ooze into the tale.

Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Marwan Kenzari as Jafar. Walt Disney Pictures

One character who is given a bit of an extra drive is the sultan’s vizier, Jafar (Marwan Kenzari). Different from the animated take, which was more cackling and conniving, this Jafar is far bolder and more focused on his intentions of attaining the throne, driven by his distaste of the sultan’s rule and the very laws that prohibit him from such usurping such a title. He moves quickly and tries a few more personal tactics in trying to attain the mysterious and mystical magic lamp than in the original, appealing more to Aladdin’s desires for power than deceptions of character.

Of course, the one wild card is that of the eccentric genie of the lamp, played bombastically by Will Smith. Let’s face it: nobody can match the energy of Robin Williams’s original take on this character, and composited computer graphics can never fully replace the Genie’s energetic nature as depicted in hand-drawn animation. Thankfully, Smith comes into his own and makes the role his, rather than trying too hard to match Williams. Though he can’t boast the biggest or most varied of singing voices, he can at least bring a little of his personality into the melodies, showcasing audience engagement more than dining on the scenery.

Will Smith as the Genie. Walt Disney Pictures

The additions to Disney’s animated version feel genuinely original and add their own energy to the film. Smith channels a bit of that old Fresh Prince glee in a script that gives him a love interest, which not only provides him more to do inside the royal palace but also grounds him a bit more in what he will do if he gains his freedom from the lamp. Aladdin gets to bust out some fancy dance moves in trying to impress the princess, even if they seem to be manipulated by the Genie. Jasmine is given a couple more more songs so she’s not relegated to a single duet, taking a heavier stock in her goals beyond being just a princess. Many of the classic songs get interesting additions, with Smith tweaking the lyrics to be a little more his thing. But if you’re fearful of what the director has done to “A Whole New World,” fear not—he knows you don’t mess too much with something that classic.

Trying to rework an animated staple of the Disney Renaissance is playing with fire, but Ritchie knows well enough what to leave out and what to add in with the limitations of live action. Though it does fall into the predictable pattern by the end, when I found myself hoping some of that Ritchie editing could pick up the pace, there’s more bright than bland in this take, which manages to deliver a somewhat exciting romantic comedy amid the whimsical adventure. Even if it’s lacking that extra kick, there’s a still little bit of that old Disney magic present when the story leaps from paper to life.

Naomi Scott as Jasmine. Walt Disney Pictures