atiyaahsan

First off, let me say that growing up, Aladdin was my favourite Disney movie. I loved Aladdin's character so much, I wanted to be like him; I even cut up a favourite T-shirt of mine right down the middle to dress up like him. Suffice it to say, I had great expectations from this live-action remake.....AND NONE OF THEM WERE MET!!! The titular character himself is a huge let-down; even Aladdin, the cartoon could emote better than him. Completely impasive, Mena Massoud just sort of meanders through the movie to the end. Jaffar was o.k, he just wasn't menacing enough and lacked any sinister aura. They reduced Iago's character to a regular, talking parrot. Now, let's come to the genie. I get that Will Smith had some big shoes to fill in order to live up to Robin Williams' performance, perhaps that is what made him less self-assured and hesitant and he comes off as such. Sorry Will, I really wanted you to pull it off but you just don't. Now, let's come to the saving grace of this entire debacle, Naomi Scott. If anyone succeeding in surpassing the original movie character's performance, it was the leading lady herself. She breathed such life into the original Jasmine's listless character that it was indeed a sight to behold. Emoting perfectly, she dominated each scene she shared with the lackluster Mena Massoud. The newly added single, "Speachless" will leave an indelible mark on your memory. It's such a shame they couldn't find anyone to play Aladdin at least on par with the female lead. It would have made up for the ridiculously flamboyant dresses and needlessly loud dance numbers that are more reminiscent of Bollywood than middle eastern culture. All in all, kind of a let down.

A movie about two people, where you don't hear anybody else talk for the entire length of the film except the 2 principal characters, and yet it doesn't bore you for a minute. It's easy to guess why the 2 Hollywood, big-wigs (Reeves & Ryder) signed on for this modest venture.....the writing is exceptionally witty and hilariously sarcastic. You will find your literary senses tickled time and again by the clever banter and well-crafted dialogue. It's an homage to an era bygone, where actors actually delighted the audiences with their grammatically correct, Elizabethan English. If you have any interest in literature/ well-written prose, you will certainly be enthralled by this little gem of a movie.