By Jason Pyles

Just a quick, random note about this side-by-side artwork comparison: I was going to comment on this on Twitter, but I honestly didn’t have the energy. (Besides, Adam Frazier @AdamFrazier on Twitter, ended up doing it for me.) What can be said, really? Studios continually try to ride the wave of other successful films by emulating and imitating their poster art — down to every little detail, even color scheme — trying everything they can to strike gold again. It’s really a non-story, but I must admit that I noticed it instantly when I first saw this “Aladdin” poster art.

By way of preface, my family revisited the original, animated “Aladdin” from (1992) — on VHS, no less — just two days before seeing the new live-action version. And I should also mention up front that I have been a Will Smith fan since about 1988, even before his TV show, because I bought his cassette tape of “He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper.” I’ve been supporting Will Smith (as much as possible) ever since, though “After Earth” even pushed my limits.

Having said all of the above, following in the footsteps of Robin Williams to reprise this genie role is a thankless and futile endeavor. Will Smith does a fine job as the genie, don’t get me wrong, but nobody’s going to give him much credit, regardless of how good his performance is. The world would never let anyone top Robin Williams’ genie performance, especially now that he’s gone and under such tragic circumstances. It would be like remaking “Citizen Kane.” It’s a fool’s errand.

My point to all of this is to try to put any criticism or dismissive comments into perspective. My family and I both really loved the new, live-action “Aladdin” remake, and we thought Will Smith did a fine job. You know, perfectly fine. I just worry that people won’t give credit where credit is due. And no, for the record, I don’t believe Will Smith’s genie even approaches what Robin Williams did with his performance. But that’s fine. Will Smith’s genie was a different take. It was humorous and completely acceptable. I will agree with most of the internet that he does look strange with blue skin, but we all would have griped if he weren’t blue at all. You know we would have…

The rest of the casting is pitch perfect. How wonderful to see characters from a certain part of the world portrayed in a major release by actors who, for the most part, are actually the appropriate race and appearance. In other words, the new “Aladdin” isn’t white-washed with a cast full of white people. Is it more financially marketable to cast white people? Well, according to Box Office Mojo, “With an estimated $86.1 million, Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ topped the Memorial Day three-day weekend box office, besting the three-day opening for the studio’s ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ last year.” And as of May 27, the domestic haul was $116,805,962, and its worldwide box office was $255,847,707, and climbing. Just ask the actors of “Black Panther” if a non-white cast can make bank: It’s domestic gross was $700,059,566, and its worldwide total is $1,346,913,161.

Speaking of color, the new “Aladdin” is delightfully colorful and dazzling to watch. My family and I found it to be very entertaining — even with its 128-minute runtime. The performances are all excellent, and we would recommend seeing this one in the theater with your family. And yes, we’re going to buy it on Blu-ray. 8 out of 10!

Just a few final notes… This new “Aladdin” was directed by none other than Guy Ritchie. who also co-wrote the screenplay with screenwriter extraordinaire John August. “Aladdin” was released in theaters on May 24, 2019.

Rating and Recommendation: Aladdin (2019)
Jason = 8 ( Theater / Buy it! )

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