So, this is kind of a slightly different review than normal. The reason for this is because I’ve pretty much seen this movie so many times.

Why you ask? Because instead of watching YouTube videos of oddly built structures for hamsters, a walk-through for Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Mood or Ryan’s World; Miles likes to watch some strange stuff. I’ll talk Miles (and ultimately Aubrey as well) into watching certain movies.

The live action ‘Aladdin’ is one of them.

Spoilers are ahead! And I have a lot to say since I’ve seen this movie a bunch on Disney+.

Off the top of my head:

• When I first started watching this I had heard from friends on Facebook that it wasn’t very good
  • So, I almost shut it off fifteen minutes in
  • Then I decided to give it a shot
  • And well, I like the movie
  • Not saying it’s amazing, but it didn’t offend me nor do I mind watching it over and over
• To be fair, I am not one of those traditionalists that have complained about the structure not being the same as the cartoon. I also don’t mind the slight modifications to some songs or even the addition or changes to characters or songs
  • Don’t get me wrong, nothing is better than the original animated ‘Aladdin’. But, unlike most people, I didn’t mind this. I consider this movie to be a different take of the story
• I think having Aladdin and Jasmine meet at the beginning is a wise move, the merger of two scenes into one is fine 
• The One Jump Ahead song is better suited for a cartoon or broadway play. 
• I don’t think the movie really gets good until after Aladdin goes into the Cave of Wonders
• Certain things, like the Friend Like Me song got better after a number of watches
  • It wasn’t bad, just got much much better
• I didn’t mind Genie at all. Sorry to say to everyone who didn’t like it or wanted to watch this but I liked Will Smith’s take on the Genie
  • It wasn’t Robin William, but, come on. Who could top that. He did a fantastic job and tried very hard to make this his own
• While I missed Iago as a true character, preferred him as a more realistic parrot
  • The terror parrot at the end was a great addition to the story

• Naomi Scott is a perfect Jasmine
• Mena Massoud is a good live action Aladdin, quiet and shy. Inexperienced and over his head, just like how Aladdin should be if suddenly thrusted into the position that he is in during the course of this movie
• Nasim Pedrad is great as a new character as Jasmine’s handmaiden Dalia. Last I saw her was in ‘New Girl’
• I like that the Sultan wasn’t a buffoon like he was in the cartoon. He was being fooled but he wasn’t a complete idiot
• Jafar, not the old evil bad guy from the original, more like a quiet and calculating bad guy. 
  • I didn’t mind this and I was fine that they didn’t have Jafar’s song from the cartoon. I think that would have ruined this take on the character
• I truly enjoyed the awkward moments in this movie. They made me laugh.
• Whole new world was good, but I think I enjoyed it more in the cartoon
• They did a good job giving Jasmine more character and more importance in this movie
  • She wasn’t a damsel in distress and I appreciate that 
• Heard they were making a sequel and that they weren’t bound to making a Return of Jafar movie. I’ll see it!

3 out of 4 stars

Probably would have been 2.5 stars if it had not grown on me.

And not a comparison to the original. I rated this as a stand alone movie.

Have you seen it? What did you think? 

Leave a comment below! Let us know what you thought!