Aladdin

Aladdin – Street urchin, Aladdin, meets a beautiful young woman from the palace and he is instantly besotted. When he sneaks into the palace to see her again, he is captured by Grand Vizier, Jafar, who takes him to the Cave of Wonders where only the ‘Diamond in the Rough’ can enter without being killed. Aladdin survives and discovers a lamp which contains a powerful Genie that grants him 3 wishes. After promising to set the Genie free with his third wish, can he escape the cave, survive Jafar’s murderous ways and win the heart of the woman he loves (who just so happens to be the princess) with just 2 wishes and his street smarts?

Aladdin (2019) – Director: Guy Ritchie

By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57720013

Rating: PG

Running Length: 128 mins

Starring: Mena Massoud, Will Smith, Marwan Kenzari

Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Musical, Period

REVIEW: ‘ALADDIN’

Disney’s plan to remake all of their classic animated movies is in full force and now 1992’s Aladdin has been given reality treatment. Although the live-action version is almost a scene for scene copy of the animated one, a few changes have been made. Most prominent is the feminist storyline given to Jasmine. Rather than just being Aladdin’s love interest, she now has scenes by herself (or with her handmaiden, Daria), goals and ambitions of her own, and even her own song. Admittedly, this message feels rather crowbarred in and is a little ham-fisted but overall is a nice touch to an otherwise very male story.

Since the untimely passing of Robin Williams (who voiced the larger-than-life genie), much speculation surrounded Will Smith’s ability to fill his shoes. Smith’s singing voice isn’t the best but he is very engaging and warm as Aladdin’s loyal friend and confidante. The dialogue is a little slow and deliberate, giving the movie the feel of a theatrical play which adds depth to a movie based on centuries’ old folktales. Visually, Aladdin is stunning, today’s technology can do so much for anything live-action these days and this movie goes all out on the spectacle. Unfortunately some of the CGI isn’t fantastic ands struggles to integrate with the actors believably, and there are times when certain moments have obviously been sped-up to suit the action, but this is only a minor complaint.

The original is the favourite Disney movie for many so the remake was bound to disappoint some die-hard fans but for most, Aladdin is a beautiful, fun and vibrant movie that more than justifies it’s remake.

CONTENT: IS ‘ALADDIN’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

The Cave of Wonders has a lion’s open-mouthed head made of sand and a deep, disembodied voice is heard saying that the only one who can enter must be the ‘Diamond in the Rough’. The silhouette of a man enters the mouth of the cave which suddenly closes. Nothing explicit is shown but it is implied that this man wasn’t the right one to enter and therefore he has been killed.

Aladdin is seen to steal various things, including the necklace from a woman’s neck. The dialogue explains that he needs to steal in order to survive.

Jafar is quickly seen to be an evil villain. When talking to another character, he yells ‘Do you have any idea of the sacrifices I’ve made?! The bodies I’ve buried?!’ A character in the room does not take him seriously and is shoved into a deep pit and presumably killed.

Aladdin speaks of his childhood, saying of his parents ‘I lost them both when I was young, I’ve been on my own ever since’. Later, a character cruelly tells him ‘You were born worthless and you will die worthless’.

Jafar uses his staff to hypnotise the Sultan. A red light glows and Jafar’s voice distorts which is quite scary.

Aladdin is captured and tied to a chair on the ledge of a high window. When he refuses to answer his captor’s questions he is pushed out of the window and falls into a large body of water below. He quickly sinks to the bottom and struggles to free himself. After a short amount of time, he loses consciousness and his friends desperately try to save him.

When Jafar gains magical powers, he delights in making the Sultan ‘suffer’. The Sultan is surrounded by a glowing light, stands completely still and convulses slightly while groaning. Jasmine is deeply distressed by this and begs Jafar to stop.

There are several times throughout the movie where a character jumps or steps off a high ledge casually, and either land well or are caught by an unseen friend below. We mention this in case these moments are imitable.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘ALADDIN’ FOR KIDS?

We may not have needed a live-action remake of Aladdin but now that we have one it is perfectly enjoyable. Visually stunning and a whole heap of fun, we recommend this movie as appropriate for kids aged 5 and over.

• Violence: 2/5
• Emotional Distress: 2/5 (Aladdin is treated badly as a ‘street rat’ but his buoyant personality counters this. A poignant embrace happens between two characters, one of which is deeply grateful for a gift the other has given him)
• Fear Factor: 2/5 (Jafar has no qualms about killing anyone who stands in his way. Towards the end of the movie, his parrot, Iago, becomes huge and roars directly at the screen)
• Sexual Content: 0/5
• Bad Language: 0/5
• Dialogue: 2/5
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of living in poverty, breaking the law to survive, not accepting tradition, refusing to stay in a restrictive social position, believing in yourself, love beyond boundaries, loyalty and friendship.

Words by Laura Record