The colours, the music, the costumes, the animals, the sets were just so spectacular. Guy Ritchie truly outdid himself. I could personally have not asked for a better way to relive my childhood. Aladdin is a must watch! It is everything you’d expect to see and more. The plot had been retained and its enactment was breath taking. The old tale had been brought to life with a few modern-day twists.
I personally admired the modern-day character of princess Jasmine. Trending actress Naomi Scott portrayed the young princess with uttermost grace and feminism. The princess as shown in the movie was not afraid of standing up for herself. Thus, setting an example for young girls everywhere. The musical featured her singing the newly added song- ‘Speechless’ which showed women empowerment and self-confidence. The lines –
“let the storm in,
I cannot be broken,
No, I won’t live unspoken,
Cause I know that I won’t go speechless”
Were absolutely beautiful. She takes a stand and makes herself clear as well as accustomed to be heard. She also dropped hints of sarcasm throughout the movie thus intensifying the drama and comedy. Though she is confined to the walls of her palace, she doesn’t accept the fact that she cannot see the world. I mean isn’t that just an encouragement to set new levels for yourself? I’m going to have to declare her my favourite character in the whole play!
Moving on to the young and confident Aladdin played by Mena Massoud. Aladdin was called a riffraff, street rat yet he declared that he just wouldn’t buy that! The stunts performed by Massoud were not just amusing but also exciting. He played a decent and down to earth guy who takes Jasmine’s sarcasm in a positive way. I think in some ways he inspired jasmine to not go ‘speechless’. I always admired the fact that Aladdin kept his promise and set genie free in the original movie. The musical did not fall short of that heart-warming scene either! You could honestly feel the connection between Aladdin and genie in the movie. Which brings us on to the next character-
The genie! As portrayed by the beloved Will Smith. I mean he was the perfect guy for the role now, wasn’t he? He was all powerful and all-knowing yet he was still humble towards his master- both Aladdin and Jafar! He wasn’t your typical ‘your wish is my command’ genie. he was your- “make your wish and I’ll blow your mind away” genie. and that worked out great cause we saw magnificent things after that. The genie did everything with perfection and confidence. Will smith really brought out the carefree, cheerful and ecstatic side of the lovable genie.
Now just a brief mention of the other amazing things in the movie. Abu was super cute. The cheeky little monkey was absolutely adorable. Next, the music was spot on! You couldn’t help but sing along to the songs. I know I did! Everything was portrayed with such grandeur and charisma. The vibrant colours brought everything to life and enhanced the viewing experience. The choreography was impeccable as well. The musical numbers were indeed the best part.
So, I implore you to relive the grand tale of Aladdin with your friends and family. It’s a thing worth putting on your to-do list!