ALADDIN
Year of Release: 2019
JR's Rating:
(9.0 out of 10, Impressive)
JR's Rating:
(9.0 out of 10, Impressive)
"Flying Through An Arabian Dream"
Note: I would avoid comparison with the original animated film. I treated the film as if I haven’t watched the animated classic.
Aladdin is your mischievous thief of Agrabah with hopes of feeding his necessities alongside his friend, Abu. Princess Jasmine is a desiring Sultan of Agrabah who takes difficulty at getting the respect of her father who wants her to marry a decent prince to eventually rule their nation. They aren't your idealistic couple but introduce the magical Genie to make magic happen. Enter a villain named Jafar to tense up their romance, how would their love conquer all odds?
I have to say, the Arabian tale of a pauper falling in love and desiring the hand of a powerful daughter of nobility is more than just a love story. It delves further on the question of power in terms of gender being antagonized by the misogynistic culture and politics that has been predominantly proliferated in this world. We see how opportunity is put into waste by traditional mindsets that blur decision-making. Aladdin places women empowerment at its forefront by making an abled and witty Jasmine as its postergirl for that particular advocacy.
Aladdin successfully recreates the classic it was based on creating some of the most extravagant, colorful and ambitious song numbers in their live-action properties. I enjoyed most especially those scenes when Genie introduces himself to Aladdin and when the Genie parades Prince Ali to Princess Jasmine. The CGI was superb on those. The "Speechless" number by Princess Jasmine is, however, the best. I was originally skeptical of the blue Will Smith genie from the movie's trailer because it felt a little bit off but Will done really good on interpreting the character. There are times though he overshadowed the titular character when the movie is titled Aladdin. I enjoyed the vibrant and bustling Eastern culture on this film while the love story between Aladdin and Jasmine was played. My only problem was the pacing and movement of direction that may sometimes feel uncomfortable and nauseating.
🚩🚩🚩SPOILERS AHEAD 🚩🚩🚩
Here are some noteworthy points I had on watching "Aladdin":
➕Will Smith as Genie
- At first, I was skeptical of the blue genie Will Smith from the trailer of this film because other than it feels badly edited, it felt really off and out of place. Lo and behold, watching the movie proved otherwise and in fact was one of the most watch out for in this film. Will Smith had huge shoes to fill in as the great Robin Williams was iconically attributed to the role but Will gave the character his own color and vibe that might not surpass that of Williams but in a way was still enjoyable and impressive. The scene involving the genie introducing himself to Aladdin is a show of how witty and eccentric Will Smith placed himself into the role. The CGI was also superb on that scene.
➕Aladdin and Princess Jasmine
- I liked how Disney made this film genuine to the culture by avoiding whitewashing of the two main roles. It proved to be the best decision as well since the chemistry between Aladdin and Princess Jasmine was well played by the actors; Aladdin played by Mena Massoud and Princess Jasmine played by Naomi Scott. Everytime they are on screen together I just can't avoid the chills of joy for them. You just have to root for them to get to lead Agrabah together.
➕Abu
- The company of Abu was really enjoyable too. At times when we feel so serious with the story, Abu is just there to ease that tension giving us that smile we just needed. How realistic he seems with the environment of the movie is also one of the the things I'm astounded.
➕Iago
- I'll disregard the warning I gave ahead of this movie review for the meanwhile and compare the modern Iago to the animated one. The old animated Iago spoke as if he was human while this modern take gave us a more authentic feel by actually taking the characteristics of a talking parrot in real life (as I researched he's a scarlet macaw). Iago is now speaking with the squawks and whistles in between.
➕Middle Eastern Culture
- The introductory song given by Will Smith at the beginning of the film gives us a glimpse of what to expect upon stepping foot in Agrabah. The experience was true to Middle Eastern culture with peddlers selling spices at the streets, rags of vibrant colors decorating houses and the houses that have that clay or stony feel. I actually wanted to visit such a place and culture in the future because of this film.
➕Cave of Wonders
- How it was presented in this film was unique amongst the games and animated movie I had seen (sorry for again breaking my note above). It's more authentic to the feel with gold and treasures scattered through stones. You are too but tempted with the luxury it has in store. Here we see a trapped magic carpet for the first time and the magic lamp atop an elevated stone figure for Aladdin to get.
➕"One Jump Ahead"
- The chase scene at the beginning as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine are singing to the tune of "One Jump Ahead" is well-choreographed and coordinated. There is too much happening that you can't miss out anything even with the blink of an eye. This is where chemistry between Aladdin and Princess Jasmine was first built.
➕"Prince Ali"
- The amount of coordination and choreography to show the peacocks, elephants and colorful parade escorting Prince Ali (Aladdin) towards Princess Jasmine is superb. It doesn't waste on the energy and vibe of Will Smith as he sings the song named after Prince Ali. You too just want to hop in and join the fun.
➕"Speechless"
- Ever noticed that this scene was took all in one-shot? Everything was at pause while Naomi Scott would sing a song characterizing a very sentimental Princess Jasmine. The effort of editing put into this scene was also impressive, it doesn't feel off and in fact remains the best musical number in this film.
➕Connecting Beginning & End
- I'm dumbfounded how the beginning was interconnected with the end. I actually anticipated it to just be a filler to introduce the narrative of the Arabian tale. I was caught off-guard when everything comes full circle at the end.
➕Women Leadership
- The deeper message of the movie delves on the role of women in this society. Tradition dictates politics as misogynistic. The idea that men rule better than women has been a concept time and time been proven wrong. Great women leaders have rose to the echelons of progress and greatness. Aladdin doesn't shy on showing such message especially to children and young adults alike. Princess Jasmine made sure her voice is heard despite being avoided the sultanate by her father who wants a fixed marriage with a prince who would eventually lead them. She wanted to be sultan of Agrabah because she believes on change and that change is evident by her thoughts, words and deeds. It's the message Aladdin done right for a Disney princess that hopefully other princesses would suit on empowering women all over the world.
➖Direction Issues
- The one involving the chase scene at the beginning was a bit uncomfortable watching especially when the pacing varies from being fast and slow. While the choreography of each scene was good, there were times that the pacing even of a scene wasn't good by how the camera was moved or panned. There are also times when I felt nauseous because of the varying and sometimes confused movements of the camera.
➖Genie Overshadowing Aladdin
- Why name a movie Aladdin when he'll be overpowered by a more ecstatic and enjoyable Genie? When both Aladdin and Genie are on one scene, it seems that Genie is the more dominant man just by how he makes sure his presence is felt. I don't know but I actually anticipated Genie more because of how dominant his character felt in this movie.
With 11 positive points and 2 negative points,
"Aladdin" is an impressive 9.0/10 for me.
#Aladdin #Disney
#2019Movies #MovieReviews #JRMovieReviews
Note: I would avoid comparison with the original animated film. I treated the film as if I haven’t watched the animated classic.
Aladdin is your mischievous thief of Agrabah with hopes of feeding his necessities alongside his friend, Abu. Princess Jasmine is a desiring Sultan of Agrabah who takes difficulty at getting the respect of her father who wants her to marry a decent prince to eventually rule their nation. They aren't your idealistic couple but introduce the magical Genie to make magic happen. Enter a villain named Jafar to tense up their romance, how would their love conquer all odds?
I have to say, the Arabian tale of a pauper falling in love and desiring the hand of a powerful daughter of nobility is more than just a love story. It delves further on the question of power in terms of gender being antagonized by the misogynistic culture and politics that has been predominantly proliferated in this world. We see how opportunity is put into waste by traditional mindsets that blur decision-making. Aladdin places women empowerment at its forefront by making an abled and witty Jasmine as its postergirl for that particular advocacy.
Aladdin successfully recreates the classic it was based on creating some of the most extravagant, colorful and ambitious song numbers in their live-action properties. I enjoyed most especially those scenes when Genie introduces himself to Aladdin and when the Genie parades Prince Ali to Princess Jasmine. The CGI was superb on those. The "Speechless" number by Princess Jasmine is, however, the best. I was originally skeptical of the blue Will Smith genie from the movie's trailer because it felt a little bit off but Will done really good on interpreting the character. There are times though he overshadowed the titular character when the movie is titled Aladdin. I enjoyed the vibrant and bustling Eastern culture on this film while the love story between Aladdin and Jasmine was played. My only problem was the pacing and movement of direction that may sometimes feel uncomfortable and nauseating.
🚩🚩🚩SPOILERS AHEAD 🚩🚩🚩
Here are some noteworthy points I had on watching "Aladdin":
➕Will Smith as Genie
- At first, I was skeptical of the blue genie Will Smith from the trailer of this film because other than it feels badly edited, it felt really off and out of place. Lo and behold, watching the movie proved otherwise and in fact was one of the most watch out for in this film. Will Smith had huge shoes to fill in as the great Robin Williams was iconically attributed to the role but Will gave the character his own color and vibe that might not surpass that of Williams but in a way was still enjoyable and impressive. The scene involving the genie introducing himself to Aladdin is a show of how witty and eccentric Will Smith placed himself into the role. The CGI was also superb on that scene.
➕Aladdin and Princess Jasmine
- I liked how Disney made this film genuine to the culture by avoiding whitewashing of the two main roles. It proved to be the best decision as well since the chemistry between Aladdin and Princess Jasmine was well played by the actors; Aladdin played by Mena Massoud and Princess Jasmine played by Naomi Scott. Everytime they are on screen together I just can't avoid the chills of joy for them. You just have to root for them to get to lead Agrabah together.
➕Abu
- The company of Abu was really enjoyable too. At times when we feel so serious with the story, Abu is just there to ease that tension giving us that smile we just needed. How realistic he seems with the environment of the movie is also one of the the things I'm astounded.
➕Iago
- I'll disregard the warning I gave ahead of this movie review for the meanwhile and compare the modern Iago to the animated one. The old animated Iago spoke as if he was human while this modern take gave us a more authentic feel by actually taking the characteristics of a talking parrot in real life (as I researched he's a scarlet macaw). Iago is now speaking with the squawks and whistles in between.
➕Middle Eastern Culture
- The introductory song given by Will Smith at the beginning of the film gives us a glimpse of what to expect upon stepping foot in Agrabah. The experience was true to Middle Eastern culture with peddlers selling spices at the streets, rags of vibrant colors decorating houses and the houses that have that clay or stony feel. I actually wanted to visit such a place and culture in the future because of this film.
➕Cave of Wonders
- How it was presented in this film was unique amongst the games and animated movie I had seen (sorry for again breaking my note above). It's more authentic to the feel with gold and treasures scattered through stones. You are too but tempted with the luxury it has in store. Here we see a trapped magic carpet for the first time and the magic lamp atop an elevated stone figure for Aladdin to get.
➕"One Jump Ahead"
- The chase scene at the beginning as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine are singing to the tune of "One Jump Ahead" is well-choreographed and coordinated. There is too much happening that you can't miss out anything even with the blink of an eye. This is where chemistry between Aladdin and Princess Jasmine was first built.
➕"Prince Ali"
- The amount of coordination and choreography to show the peacocks, elephants and colorful parade escorting Prince Ali (Aladdin) towards Princess Jasmine is superb. It doesn't waste on the energy and vibe of Will Smith as he sings the song named after Prince Ali. You too just want to hop in and join the fun.
➕"Speechless"
- Ever noticed that this scene was took all in one-shot? Everything was at pause while Naomi Scott would sing a song characterizing a very sentimental Princess Jasmine. The effort of editing put into this scene was also impressive, it doesn't feel off and in fact remains the best musical number in this film.
➕Connecting Beginning & End
- I'm dumbfounded how the beginning was interconnected with the end. I actually anticipated it to just be a filler to introduce the narrative of the Arabian tale. I was caught off-guard when everything comes full circle at the end.
➕Women Leadership
- The deeper message of the movie delves on the role of women in this society. Tradition dictates politics as misogynistic. The idea that men rule better than women has been a concept time and time been proven wrong. Great women leaders have rose to the echelons of progress and greatness. Aladdin doesn't shy on showing such message especially to children and young adults alike. Princess Jasmine made sure her voice is heard despite being avoided the sultanate by her father who wants a fixed marriage with a prince who would eventually lead them. She wanted to be sultan of Agrabah because she believes on change and that change is evident by her thoughts, words and deeds. It's the message Aladdin done right for a Disney princess that hopefully other princesses would suit on empowering women all over the world.
➖Direction Issues
- The one involving the chase scene at the beginning was a bit uncomfortable watching especially when the pacing varies from being fast and slow. While the choreography of each scene was good, there were times that the pacing even of a scene wasn't good by how the camera was moved or panned. There are also times when I felt nauseous because of the varying and sometimes confused movements of the camera.
➖Genie Overshadowing Aladdin
- Why name a movie Aladdin when he'll be overpowered by a more ecstatic and enjoyable Genie? When both Aladdin and Genie are on one scene, it seems that Genie is the more dominant man just by how he makes sure his presence is felt. I don't know but I actually anticipated Genie more because of how dominant his character felt in this movie.
With 11 positive points and 2 negative points,
"Aladdin" is an impressive 9.0/10 for me.
#Aladdin #Disney
#2019Movies #MovieReviews #JRMovieReviews
Watched on 04 June 2019 at SM Baguio
Image Reference: Internet Movie Database
Time Published: 05 June 2019 (08:00 PM)
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