A swashbuckling joyride

Johnson Thomas

Disney gets Guy Ritchie (Fight Club, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Sherlock Holmes) to re-imagine the classic 1992 animated musical which had a memorable voice turn by Robbin Williams as the Genie and heart-warming double Oscar winning music by Alan Menken. A strange choice for a live-action remake no doubt, but one that makes the revered fantasy classic much more of an irreverent, swashbuckling joyride.

The film aims at being politically correct with a diversified cast and strong Middle-Eastern and Asian influences in its narrative elements. The fictional kingdom of Agrabah reflects Bollywood influences in costumes, dance choreography (a strange mix of Western, Eastern and Bollywood styles) and art décor while the native look and architecture stay true to the Middle-Eastern tenets. The CGI may not be top-notch here but it swings with the gleeful tone complimented by vivid, garish colours and variety entertainment.

The 1992 animated original basically gets an update with Princess Jasmine wishing to succeed her father to the throne and ensuring the well-being of her subjects. It’s a noble endeavour that is rejected by her father, the Sultan (Navid Negahban) and undermined by Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), the Vizier, who has visions of claiming the throne and the Princess for himself, with the help of a magic lamp found in an ancient cave filled with jewels and unexplored riches. Aladdin (Mena Massoud), who was sent to the cave to get the lamp for Jafar, decides to try rubbing it himself and voila, the genie (Will Smith) appears and grants him his three wishes. There are riders involved in the granting of wishes and Jafar wasn’t going to allow a street thief to run away with his glory, was he?

Ritchie’s Disneyfied extravaganza draws inspiration from the animated classic but it’s a different experience and engagement altogether. The singing is first-rate, the music is endearing, the cinematography is a joyful profusion of colours and magical vistas, the animated characters, including the monkey, the flying carpet and the bird lend veracity to Scheherazade’s 1001 Arabian tales and the performances are witty, vibrant and definite. Will Smith and Naomi Scott are certainly the standout performers here but Mena Massoud and Nassim Pedrad as Dalia, the Princess’ maid and the Genie’s love interest, also make their presence strongly felt. Jafar’s (Marwan Kenzari) villainy may seem a little mild but I guess it’s well in keeping with the target audience this film is aiming at. Aladdin is an entertainer through and through and that’s quite a magical feat in itself!