Aladdin Review: It'll leave you Speechless

'Aladdin' will open a whole new world of excitement with catchy tunes, empowering messages and standout performances in an all-around family fun musical

Naomi Scott, Mena Massoud and Will Smith in 'Aladdin' (CREDIT: Disney)

by Jack Linsdell

Guy Ritchie knocks it out of the park with Disney's musical-fantasy remake of the original 1992 (yes, that long ago) that is Aladdin. I'm a big fan of musicals as I believe any film that combines two of the greatest artforms out there (music and film, obviously) is off to a winning start anyway. However, the critics will tell you that this Will Smith/Naomi Scott/Mena Massoud-led flick isn't very good, or hypocritical online trolls with too much time on their hands will complain about the appearance of Will Smith's genie or older adults (who grew up with the original stories and/or 1992 film) will say "Eh, not as good as the original". But, let me tell you they've all missed the point. They've not let themselves be immersed into the glamour and fantasy for the sake of worrying over trivial points. Aladdin not only works, it's exceptional - providing knockout performances, a solid and entertaining screenplay, empowering songs, splashy and vibrant production values and a comedic sensibility that will have you laughing throughout.

Aladdin isn't trying to be anything other than a modern re-telling of the story we've all loved so much since our childhoods - remember it is one interpretation of the source material and it succeeds in bringing a fresh and modern take on the beloved fairy-tale, whilst providing a sense of pathos, spectacle and entertainment to charm your pants off. I have to admit, I'm not Guy Ritchie's biggest fan, but Aladdin along with the exceptionally good (and underrated) The Man from U.N.C.L.E remake he directed in 2015, prove that you should never right any filmmaker off - he's knocked two films out of the park, and for one to be a musical Disney toon is truly remarkable. As with a Ritchie epic, his frenetic camera style gives Aladdin a sense of pace, excitement and visceral entertainment in numerous action-ey beats like the chase on the magic carpet and the opening rooftop chase (which acts as an amazing character introduction sequence), and this also lends itself well to the musical number ensemble dances in which he really brings out the energy of the dancing. In the 'Prince Ali' musical number there are 1,000 extras dressed in ornate middle-eastern costumes doing a massive ensemble dance routine - it's this sense of scale that Aladdin's $187 million budget is put to excellent use on. Ritchie also immerses us into the culture, showing us the costumes, foods, lifestyles as we follow characters through the streets and considering the importance of the ordinary folk to Princess Jasmine, it's great for us to understand why she loves them so much. He also brings out the sense of fantastical escapism and child-like wonder which even as an adult I still have, and it's nice to leave everything at the door, sit down and watch a fantastical epic for the attention it deserves.

Ritchie's co-wrote the screenplay with John August (Charlie's Angels) and for a blockbuster-fantasy, it's a solid, compelling, richly entertaining and moving one at that. The story was far better told than I thought it would be, with no obvious flaws or mishaps and with it's use of sophisticated techniques like "set ups and payoffs" the emotional depth and meaning of the messages/characters is really brought to life and handled well. Although, I claim not to have seen the 1992 original, I grew up with the stories and I am familiar with the story - although not in great depth meaning there were a few genuine surprises along the way. So, yes I may have a slightly different reception to someone well versed with the story in detail, although I stand by it as a different interpretation (which is sublime).

So, we are in the middle-eastern kingdom of Agrabah and start with seeing (spoiler alert!) a freed genie (Will Smith) with his wife and children years later, telling them about the story of Aladdin. Then, in an amazing opening number 'Arabian Nights' we get introduced to all the characters and settings within the Kingdom who/that'll come into effect during the film by Smith. We eventually find a kind-hearted young street rat/thief Aladdin (Massoud), and his pet Monkey Abu, who intervenes when Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott; in disguise to prevent being recognised) steals bread to feed a group of hungry and deprived children. We then get the energetic rooftop chase as Aladdin and Jasmine run from the guards, Aladdin helping her with his athletic and intelligent prowess, in the 'One Jump Ahead' number. After Abu steals Jasmine's precious bracelet, Aladdin creeps into the palace to return it, capturing the attention of evil and rebellious general Jafar who forces him into the sacred temple to retrieve the lamp. From here, we get a brilliant interplay between Aladdin and the Genie, who helps him capture Jasmine's heart, but through learning the important life lessons of honesty and being yourself. Jasmine has her own battles, struggling with living in a sexist and patriarchal world (how relevant does that feel?) and wanting to be the first female ruler but being forced to be silent - the number 'Speechless' (written by The Greatest Showman song writers Benj Pasek & Justin Paul) where Jasmine breaks free of societies shackles is so moving and empowering, giving all those young girls in the audience an important message of standing up for your own dreams, and even though I knew it was coming, it still blew me away. I see an Oscar coming for Best Song - their third nomination and second win if so.

This leads us on to the humour - Will Smith earns his pay-check, he is truly one of the best and most down to earth global movie stars around in modern moviemaking. His portrayal of the Genie is truly brilliant, nailing the "mentor helps a protégé achieve a goal" typical strand, with an excellent chemistry with Massoud, and harking back to a similar role in played so brilliant in Hick. Their interplay and Aladdin's awkwardness provides us with some of the funniest lines and comedic gags of the film, and being so funny was not a box I thought the film would tick at all, definitely not so well. The humour adds another element to the movie, giving us all-round entertainment through spectacle/action, humour, emotion and empowering themes. Performance wise, Massoud's portrayal is excellent (Disney's choice to cast a newcomer in the role worked well as his passion and energy elevates his performance), Naomi Scott brings all the goods and more as Princess Jasmine (especially in the film's climax including the 'Speechless' sequence) and their chemistry is great making us believe in their romance. All the supporting cast have equally important roles to play as well it's worth noting and each one helps create a loveable character to fall in love with.

Music wise, not only do we have our Aladdin classics like 'A Whole New World', but as I've mentioned the six songs are catchy, empowering and well-sung, slotting in well to the narrative and the use of reprises to show character arcs and narrative progressions is elegantly done - it's how a musical should be done. Alan Menken's score (taking themes from the songs) is truly excellent - immersing us into the emotion of a scene or the excitement of a chase and supplements the visuals nicely. Production values are colourful, vibrant and on top form, really helping to reflect a unique middle-eastern environment (it's refreshing to see the area presented differently from it's typical war-torn, depressing western interpretation in most Hollywood films) and add to the joy and fun.

So, Aladdin is excellent family fun, working as a compelling and empowering character drama and a splashy, vibrant and uplifting musical fantasy. It's packed with awesome songs, lashings of humour and loveable characters and the cast and crew under Ritchie's sublime direction have delivered a memorable film that'll continue to entertain me for years to come. I really have never had a friend like Aladdin (or the Genie!).

5/5 STARS