I was sent a copy of this DVD in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all my opinions are 100 percent mine.
Disney’s “Aladdin,” the thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic, lands in homes on Digital in HD, 4K Ultra HD™ and Movies Anywhere on Aug. 27, and physically on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD on Sept. 10. Fans of all ages will enjoy the exciting, humorous tale of the lovable “street rat,” Aladdin (Mena Massoud), courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and the larger-than-life Genie (Will Smith) with all-new bonus features. The release of the live-action adventure coincides with the addition of the original animated classic to the highly celebrated Walt Disney Signature Collection — granting “Aladdin” fans everywhere the opportunity to own both magical movies.
Extras explore elements of “Aladdin” that audiences adore, from the film’s treasured, iconic award-winning music to its beloved characters and their hilarious antics on and off screen. Viewers get the first look at an all-new song “Desert Moon,” deleted from the final film, written by eight-time Academy Award® winning composer Alan Menken and Oscar®-and Tony Award®-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“The Greatest Showman,” “La La Land”). Features document Guy Ritchie’s joyful, easy-going approach to directing that led to movie magic; Will Smith’s fresh take on the infamous shape-shifting blue entity confined to an oil lamp; Naomi Scott’s powerful performance as the spirited princess who yearns to lead the people of Agrabah; and the indescribable feeling of playing Aladdin chronicled personally by Mena Massoud. Deleted scenes and a blooper reel round out the fun.
First of all, I will admit that I was a fan of the original Disney animated Aladdin movie. In fact, I have a sweet memory of going to see it with my dad and my grandmother (who is no longer with us). I mean, how can you begin to beat Robin Williams as the Genie? And the beauty of the animation, the story, the music…it’s hard to imagine that Disney could improve upon the original, and I was kind of on the fence about watching this movie.
Thankfully, my daughter wanted to see it too, so we watched it together, and I must say that this live-action retelling of this classic Disney tale exceeded my expectations. In spite of the two leads being virtual unknowns, I was pretty happy about it.
Mena Massoud is Aladdin in Disney’s live-action ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie.
First of all, Mena Massoud made a perfect Aladdin. He looked the part, and even made the whole “monkey” thing believable. He has a nice enough voice, and even though he looks young, he brings a charm as well as an innocence to this title role. Sometimes, I felt they added too much to Aladdin’s backstory to the point where a couple scenes were tedious, but I also appreciate the fact that they were attempting to fill in the details that the animated one never did.
Naomi Scott is the beautiful and self-determined princess jasmine in Guy Ritchie’s live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic ALADDIN.
Of course, Naomi Scott as Jasmine was a dynamic casting choice. Her voice carried the songs, and the solo song they added for her was absolutely brilliant! While Disney did stress the power she had as a woman, we were also privy to the traditional ways in which women were viewed (and still are in some parts of the world). Because she is royalty, Jasmine has a little more freedom and opportunities presented to her than most. I could have done without the feminist ending, but oh well. This is Disney, and it’s not real life, right?
Mena Massoud is Aladdin and Naomi Scott is Jasmine in Disney’s live-action ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie.
Together, these two made the idea pair. They’re both young, and maybe the chemistry wasn’t always ideal. She appeared so much stronger than he, so why would she be interested in him? Well, we need to remind ourselves that this is a Disney fairytale, and not everything has to make sense.
Nasim Pedrad is Dalia, the free-spirited best friend and confidante of Princess jasmine (Naomi Scott) in Disney’s ALADDIN, Guy Ritchie’s live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic.
Nasim Pedrad is Dalia and Will Smith is Genie in Disney’s live-action ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie.
The addition of Dalia as portrayed by Nasim Pedrad…she was sheer perfection! Easily my favorite character in the entire movie, and I’d gladly support a movie made all about her and her story. She and Jasmine conspired, and she got a bit cozy with Genie. But that merely made the story even more entertaining. And her feminism was much more palatable in the way she was written. I sense that Disney wished to make a statement by portraying these women as stalwart and independent, even if it is not too historically accurate. But this is Disney, so why be historically accurate? I honestly don’t mind supsending reality when watching one of these films.
Aladdin (Mena Massoud) meets the larger-than-life blue Genie (Will Smith) in Disney’s live-action adaptation ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie.
Speaking of the Genie, well, what can I even say about Will Smith? I appreciate the fact that he did his own interpration of the Genie instead of trying to ride the coattails of Robin Williams. I found myself entertained and enjoying every time he was on-screen. In fact, without giving any spoilers, his storyline is just a bit different in this live action movie. It makes the story even more delightful, in my humble opinion.
Mena Massoud is Aladdin and Will Smith is Genie in Disney’s live-action ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie.
In short, there is nothing inappropriate in this movie. No language issues. Jasmine’s clothing is a bit revealing at times, but I believe she is covered more than her animated counterpart. The Sultan and Jafar as exactly as you would expect them to be. I believe Jafar is even more evil, however, but this is Disney. We are guaranteed a happy ending.
Mena Massoud is Aladdin and Marwan Kenzari is Jafar in Disney’s live-action ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie.
If you are looking for an idea last-minute gift for your kids or even the Disney aficionado in your life, look no further than Aladdin. This movie was such a lovely retelling, and I look forward to many more live-action retellings in the future.
ALADDIN” CAST AND CREW:
Will Smith is the Genie and Mena Massoud is Aladdin in Disney’s live-action ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie.
“Aladdin” stars Will Smith as Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Jasmine, Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, Navid Negahban as Sultan, Nasim Pedrad as Dalia, Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders and Numan Acar as Hakim. “Aladdin” is directed by Guy Ritchie from a screenplay by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s ALADDIN animation screenplay by Ron Clements & John Musker and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio.
The film is produced by Dan Lin, p.g.a., and Jonathan Eirich, p.g.a., with Marc Platt and Kevin De La Noy serving as executive producers. Alan Menken provides the score, which includes new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and lyricists Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and new music written by Menken and songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook: Facebook.com/DisneyAladdin
Facebook.com/AladdinPrincessJasmine
Twitter: Twitter.com/DisneyAladdin
Instagram: Instagram.com/DisneyAladdin
Website: Movies.Disney.com/Aladdin-2019
