IS THIS ALADDIN REMAKE WORTH SEEING?

Disney’s Aladdin Christian Movie Review (Live-Action 2019)

Disney is the holder of the lamp when it comes to movie-making. Often it seems that they just “make a wish,” and they have a classic. However, with their recent remake line-up, some of those movies have failed to produce the magic that they were hoping for. I was concerned about Aladdin.  In my latest installment of movie reviews: Disney’s Aladdin Christian Movie Review I will answer the questions: Will Disney disappoint? Are there items in this movie that parents will object to? Can you watch Aladdin with your entire family?

So my Disney’s Aladdin Live-Action Christian Movie Review is given by a mom who loves Disney movies but recognizes that Disney sometimes fails to create the magic. Would this happen with Aladdin? But before you read my movie review, you may want to find out how I review movies.

Disney’s Aladdin Christian Movie Review:

Synopsis

I have done a great deal of research and reading to find out the real story of Aladdin and compared it to the beloved Disney’s animated classic. I have never met a person who didn’t love that original movie. It is certainly timeless, but the true facts of the story may surprise you.

This latest live-action version of Aladdin follows a very similar path of their animated movie. All the main characters remain the same: Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine, Rajah, the Genie, Jafar, The Sultan. However, there was the addition of Jasmine’s handmaiden, Dalia, and Hakim (Jafar’s right-hand man) who oversees the palace guards.

Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a street rat living in Agrabah. He meets Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) when she ventures beyond the palace walls. Aladdin knows he is destined for greater things. When he comes across a lamp, the Genie (Will Smith) grants him 3 wishes. One of his wishes is to be a Prince so he can capture the hand of Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), who is the Sultan’s (Navi’s Negahban) beautiful and strong-willed daughter.

Jafar (MARWAN KENZARI), is the Sultan’s Royal Vizier, and a powerful sorcerer who wants the Sultan’s position. The story that unfolds is one of intrigue, lies, and a power struggle between good and evil.

The Good:

Disney held true to the original animated Aladdin. Overall, the movie is entertaining. The casting is on point besides two characters which I will discuss later.

The costuming is absolutely, positively splendid. Jasmine’s dresses are stunning. Prince Ali looks regal. The Sultan is definitely a Sultan. I liked the spin they took with him as compared to the original where he seemed to be easy to overpower.

The Bad:

Some of the singing (Will Smith) is just not great.

I have noticed in several movies lately (Dumbo, The Live-Action Beauty and the Beast, and others), that it appears the CGI in the background was rushed and is not detailed enough. This is true for Aladdin, especially in the nighttime scenes.

While I like Will Smith most of the time, and I liked him in his character as Aladdin’s “friend” (the scenes where he appears as a person), I did not like him when he played the Blue Genie. This may be just my personal opinion. Would anyone be able to take the place of Robin Williams? The Genie was and always will be Robin!

The other character I thought was miscast was Jafar. In the animated movie, Jafar was someone you hated, however, in this movie, Jafar is blah!

Finally, I noticed they sped up the characters or the background at several points of the film, and it is just odd looking. Maybe it was meant to be slapstick humor, but it is just weird and out of place in this film.

What Parents May Want to Know:

There are a few scenes that may be scary to small children. Remember that on the large screen things may be scarier than at home. Animated movies are also “less scary” because it is not real. Additionally, at home, a child may walk away if they get scared.

The Cave of Wonders may overwhelm some children. When Aladdin is in the cave, there is lava and eruptions that may be less scary than the original.

Additional Scenes that may frighten children: In one scene a man is pushed down a well (and presumably dies).

There are scenes with Jafar where he uses his staff to mesmerize the Sultan which a little creepy, but I do think the animated version was creepier.  When Jafar appears on-screen towards the end of the movie, some of the scenes can be frightening.

Iago turns into a giant bird and pursues Aladdin and Jasmine as they are flying on the magic carpet through the city.

Jafar throws Aladdin into the water tied to a chair, and he is shown lifeless at the bottom of the sea.

Language:

I was pleasantly surprised that there was no objectionable language in this movie.

Other Elements Parents May Want to Know:

Aladdin and Abu steal to eat, but Aladdin does give food to those less fortunate to him.  Aladdin is an orphan and living on his own. He sings, “Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat.”

The phrase is said, “the most powerful being in the Universe,” in relation to Jafar wanting to be a genie.

Jasmine is a little more vocal than in the original animated classic. She even sings a song entitled Speechless. I would use this scene to compare her to Queen Esther in the Bible, who risks her life to stand up for what is right. Jasmine is a woman with a perfect mix of beauty and backbone.

In the marketplace, the Genie appears as a woman. He is also seen drinking a martini several times.

My Recommendation:

Overall, I thought the movie was good. I do think it is worthy of seeing in the movie theater. My recommendations are ages 5-6 and up.

I absolutely loved the interaction between Jasmine and Aladdin. They kept the movie fun, engaging and entertaining.  A Whole New World was excellent! Additionally, Jasmine’s handmaiden played a great supporting role. This movie is worth the price of the ticket for just those 3 characters even if the character of Genie was less than stellar. Everyone in my family left the movie saying they really liked it, and that is a magical moment in my book. For more information about the Genie and Aladdin, check out Chris Lucas’ post about Ten Things You May Not Know About Disney’s Aladdin.