Disney’s live-action treatment of Aladdin is just about here, but thanks to a few early screenings, we have an idea of what to expect from the colorful, larger-than-life romp.
For the most part, it looks like people have some surprisingly positive thoughts on Disney’s latest remake. After some initial apprehension due to Will Smith portraying Genie, which comic legend Robin Williams was so well known for, it wasn’t immediately apparent how the movie would pan out.
Most praise has actually been for Smith and his take on Genie, which is a bit unexpected given the initial reaction to the actor’s appearance in the movie’s first trailer. Some viewers are over the moon for the chemistry between Mena Massoud (Aladdin) and Naomi Scott (Jasmine).
Strangely enough, several folks weren’t as excited for “hot Jafar” (Marwan Kenzari), though they didn’t exactly go into why. Still, it looks like Disney has another hit on its hands here. Here’s what a selection of critics and viewers thought about their first brush with Aladdin.
ScreenRant’s Alex Leadbeater called the movie “fairly good,”praising Massoud and Scott’s interactions as Aladdin and Jasmine and the three “high-energy songs” help elevate the story.
Writer Joe Passmore’s expectations were “in the gutter,” but he ended up calling Aladdin “much more fun than it had the right to be.”
Critic Hannah Wales didn’t expect much either, but came out of the movie “pleasantly surprised.”
Podcaster Andrew Jones called the movie “Disney’s second-best recent remake” following Pete’s Dragon.
Digital Spy found the movie a “lavish and enjoyable retelling,” but stated “the less said about Jafar, the better.”
Film critic Andrew Gaudion didn’t praise the movie’s musical sequences, but found the movie “quite funny, rather sweet, and charmingly earnest.”
Critic Rory Cashin seeks to quell our concerns about Aladdin, “especially anything Will Smith-related,” but choose an unexpected pick with Billy Magnussen as his MVP for his comedic talents.
If you can’t wait to see how Aladdin defies (or lives up to) your expectations, it’s bringing its vision of a whole new (live-action) world to theaters on May 24, 2019.
Source : MTV
