I won't go into great detail on the plot, because I have already reviewed the animated version. But basically, Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a young street kid having to steal on a daily basis just to get by.
One morning, he meets Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), who is in disguise, so he doesn't realise who she is. But the two of them connect on an emotional level, but due to their difference in status, it doesn't seem as though they can be together.
But Aladdin, desperate to see her again, breaks into the palace, where he is apprehended by Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), chief vizier to the Sultan (Navia Negahban). Jafar has his eyes on him, because he needs a common thief to go into the so-called Cave of Wonders and retrieve for him an oil lamp: a lamp he believes contains a genie who will help make his dreams come true, mainly his dream to become Sultan himself.
Aladdin ventures into the cave, but doesn't make it out again (at least at first). Finding the lamp for himself, he rubs it and releases a genie (Will Smith), who then gives Aladdin three wishes.
That ought to do for plot description. I'm sure most people reading this know the original film, so I'm just going to move onto the actual review.
Directed by Guy Ritchie, this version actually stands quite well as a film in its own right. Yes, the plot is almost identical to the original, and all the songs from the original are in this version, too. But there are some significant enough differences as well.
The music - by Alan Menken - is also of course the same, at least as far as the songs go. There is one additional song that was not in the original, but more on that later. All the new lyrics - both for the new song and some varied lyrics from the original lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice - are written by powerhouse duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (seriously, I am so in love with both of these guys; everything they write is absolutely sensational as far as I'm concerned).
There are also a couple of story/plot elements that are different, but I won't go into too much detail on those, as I don't want to spoil anything for you. The character of Jasmine is quite different in this version too; rather than being quite a passive character as she was in the animated film, she has her own strong desires and ideas, and is not afraid to voice them. She comes off as a very independent woman who knows what she wants, and what she deserves, and how to get both of them.
This is where that new song comes into play. The original film never had a strong, solo song for Jasmine to sing. But as the character here is that little bit different, this was something that needed to be incorporated: the so-called 'I Want' type of song that features in every musical. The song in question is titled 'Speechless', and is actually one of the best songs in the film; it is certainly the best performance of a song, with newcomer Naomi Scott being an incredible singer.
The entire cast are fabulous, actually. Naomi Scott - mentioned above - is by far the strongest character in this film. Mena Massoud as Aladdin also does a reasonable job with his portrayal, and Will Smith does what few people thought he could: bringing the genie - originally played by Robin Williams - to life in a way that pays great respect to Williams and his memory, but also makes the character his own in a wonderful way.
I must say, though, I didn't care much for Kenzari's Jafar. And I'm not just saying that because Jonathan Freeman - who voiced the character in the animated film - is amazing. Kenzari doesn't really bring any emotion to the role at all. He certainly doesn't bring any menace or threat which, for those who know the characters from the original, the character of Jafar needs in order to be any kind of decent antagonist to our band of heroes.
But the thing that makes this film the most different from the original is the sheer visual spectacle that it is. The large-scale musical numbers are absolutely gorgeous, thanks to production designer Gemma Jackson, costume designer Michael Wilkinson and, most of all, choreographer Leah Hill. These numbers feel even bigger and grander when performed by real people than they ever did in animated form.
All in all, the film is a wonderfully nostalgic journey back to the spectacle of the original animated film. The ending does tend to drag on a little, but overall, the film was incredibly enjoyable. I would certainly recommend it to fans of the original, there is enough about this film that is different, but also enough that is the same that you will enjoy it just as much.
9 out of 10.
(Note: You can read my review of the 1992 animated version here).
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