Blue Qs? We have ‘Aladdin’ answers
The “Aladdin” magic carpet ride is underway.
Disney rolled out the purple carpet Tuesday night for a lavish Hollywood premiere celebrating director Guy Ritchie’s live-action remake of the beloved 1992 animated film, which arrives in theaters Friday.
Fans of the animated classic, with Robin Williams voicing Genie, will have a few burning questions about the live-action film. To quote the famed song, it’s a whole new world with Will Smith as the wish-granting Genie, Mena Massoud as street thief with a heart of gold Aladdin and Naomi Scott as the strong-willed Princess Jasmine.
Good news: We’ve seen it, and we’ve got you covered.
How faithful is the film to the original 1992 version?
The new “Aladdin” keeps the same beats of the previous film, but with considerably more story: It’s 128 minutes now compared with the sleek 90 minutes of the original. This allows time to flesh out Aladdin’s tale as he vies for the affections of Princess Jasmine after acquiring a magic lamp that calls forth a fast-talking, wishgranting Genie.
With Ritchie (”Snatch”) directing, there’s an emphasis on parkour-style action and thrills. Still, such classic songs as the Oscar-winning “A Whole New World,” Oscar-nominated “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali” are performed amid stunning live-action spectacle.
The “Prince Ali” musical extravaganza alone features 250 dancers, 200 extras and Massoud’s Aladdin making his entrance atop a 30-foot yellow floral camel made up of 37,000 flower heads, all to impress Jasmine.
Is the new Jasmine the movie’s breakout star?
Even among Massoud’s engaging Aladdin and Smith’s motormouthed Genie, Scott’s formidable Jasmine stands out. The British actress, who played the Pink Ranger in 2017’s “Power Rangers,” is beautiful and believable as the princess resists 10,000 years of male tradition keeping her from becoming sultan. She has the vocal chops to boot. When Scott hits the high notes on “A Whole New World,” don’t you dare close your eyes.
The actress reaches a power-ballad peak with “Speechless” (music by Alan Menken, lyrics by “La La Land” writers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul), a new song about the male-dominated kingdom.
We’ll next see Scott in November as a detective in “Charlie’s Angels” opposite Kristen Stewart.
How blue is Will Smith’s blue Genie?
Like Robin Williams’ famed vocal role in the animated version, Smith’s Genie comes out of the magic lamp a deep blue. The Genie’s unveiling in a Grammy Awards TV spot earlier this year was turbulent, with fans criticizing the character’s “uncanny valley” look and bright blue color. The CGI improves with longer viewing of Genie in the full movie, even if it’s not perfect.
Genie also spends much of the film in human form, where Smith can simply be the amazing Will Smith. He brings his own infectious talents to the role, pulling
it out of Williams’ formidable shadow. The star caps off his performance by triumphantly rapping through the closing credits.
Is Hot Jafar, in fact, hot in this movie?
Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari, as wicked and powerful sorcerer Jafar, has been an early “Aladdin” standout, dubbed “Hot Jafar” for his good looks. An impressive shirtless cover shoot for Dutch Men’s Health that resurfaced didn’t hurt.
But his Jafar is so over-the-top evil in “Aladdin,” with violent tantrums and perpetually glaring eyes, it’s hard to see Kenzari as hot.
Is it suitable for little kids?
There are moments where “Aladdin” earns every bit of its PG rating, as when Jafar tosses a henchman into a stonelined pit and pushes Aladdin, hands bound, hundreds of feet off a balcony to a slow-motion water splashdown.
But the animated original went dark as well (Jafar’s thugs threw Aladdin off a cliff into the sea with a metal ball-and-chain attached to his ankle). So kids are well-prepped to make it through the new “Aladdin,” which is predominantly a joyous, old-fashioned musical.