MOVIE: A whole new world of Aladdin

WHEN the original trailer of the new Aladdin movie landed, fans couldn’t wait to express their disappointment. 

Will Smith was too blue, Jafar wasn’t creepy enough and basically don’t even try to remake the classic 1992 animated version starring Robin Williams. 

Apparently there is lots to be disappointed with, if you are looking to be disappointed that is. But if you’re out for a good time, want to be entertained by spectacular visuals, foot tapping musical numbers and funny lines, maybe you should give this movie a chance. 

Sure, Marwan Kenzari, the Dutch actor of Tunisian descent who plays evil Jafar, isn’t as effective as Tom Hardy (who was originally touted to play the role) would have been, but we live in a time when casting decisions are often based on fulfilling ethnicity quotas rather than getting the best person for the job. Progress for the actors perhaps, but sometimes a backward step for effective storytelling. And yes, Smith is very blue, and maybe not as good as the incomparable Robin Williams was, but that doesn’t make him a disappointment either. 

We don’t know about you, but we’re not turning down a really tasty apple tart on the basis that it’s not as good as the best dessert that ever existed, and yes, this is the first time that Will Smith has ever been compared to an apple tart. 

There really isn’t much you need to know about the story here, it’s one as old as time. What makes this movie special are its spectacularly sumptuous visuals, always rousing songs (‘A Whole New World’, ‘Friend Like Me’, ‘Prince Ali’) and often very funny dialogue. Guy Ritchie directs the fast paced action, and despite his failings last time out with ‘King Arthur’, he does a solid job in charge. 

But it’s the extraordinarily talented Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine who steals the show from Smith with an excellent acting performance and blowout vocal turn with one of the movie’s new songs ‘Speechless’. There’s just so much to love about this movie, we award it a review score of five magical stars.

Paul O’Rourke