Disney's Aladdin (Live-Action)

[Daniel]

Following discussions from an old thread -- Here's a sampling of a new song called "Speechless" which Naomi Scott, as Jasmine sings:



It's okay, kinda catchy. Gives me more of an Elena vibe, though. Well, at least it's new!

[ShyViolet]

That’s true. . At least they’re trying for some form of novelty. And I also like her voice.

Unfortunately, I’m also getting a “She is more than this” Princess and the Cobbler/Arabian Knight vibe. That’s the last film Disney should want to even remotely emulate.

(AK was actually a mangled version of Richard Williams’ labor of love “The Thief and the Cobbler” his brilliantly animated surrealist vision of Aladdin, much of which Disney “borrowed” from while making their version of the former. Thus, when the travesty that was passed off as being Williams’ original version was released in 1995, it unfortunately seemed to audiences that AK had actually ripped off Disney’s 1992 Aladdin, when it was of course the other way around. )


The history is quite complicated, actually. Here’s the skinny:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thief_and_the_Cobbler

[Ben]

Of course we get new songs. How else will they aim for its Oscar nom?

[Daniel]

Unfortunately, I’m also getting a “She is more than this” Princess and the Cobbler/Arabian Knight vibe.

I could see that.

Despite the lyrics being a bit iffy, it's actually a lovely little song. In a way.

[EricJ]

They could have dug up "Peacock Princess", from the direct-video days, but...let's just leave that bit of dead buried.

[Ben]

OMG, no!!

Okay, this has just dropped my expectations for this even further. Why not just update Call Me A Princess with a new arrangement and a couple of lyric changes rather than this squawky screechy kind of thing that sounds autotuned to death.

Another Beauty And The Beast on the way, me thinks...

[Daniel]

Here's a short interview with Mena Massoud who plays Aladdin:

[Bill1978]

The start of the song in that clip reminds me a bit of Proud of Your Boy

[Daniel]

Imagine if that song were in this..! Would certainly add more weight to Aladdin's character and just make this feel not as redundant!

[EricJ]

Both this and Lion King are starting to become "Disney's 'Psycho remake'"--
Where they prove that classic films CAN be remade shot-for-shot, they just can't successfully persuade us WHY.
(Although Disney Studio's own Twitter feed is already acting as if it's the pre-destined Biggest Hit of the Summer, with nonstop posts on anything tangentially related to promoting Aladdin, and then, inevitably, after May, every single photorealistic Simba shot.)

I wouldn't have minded if they'd used the Broadway musicals as an excuse to title-jumpstart Beauty/Beast, Aladdin and LK, seeing as Aladdin's Broadway musical at least deviated from the movie story--
But as the latest trailer demonstrates, Will Smith is "hip", but since his main persona of humor is to be hip, arrogant and condescending to white people, he doesn't come off as either Aladdin's loyal "Friend Like Me", or the amorphous Robin Williams cutup:
When Genie explains "I can't make anyone fall in love, and I can't bring anyone back from the dead", we get a CGI effect of a mummy--Whereas Robin's lonely laugh-hungry showoff would push the joke all the way into a Peter Lorre imitation.

[Daniel]

Here's a sampling of "Prince Ali": (ignore the watermarks)



That was AWFUL!

The parade feels so meager and very "Bollywood". Where's the energy? There's just no "oomph". The colors feel muted. Will comes off so stiff, he basically sings in place. No shape shifting, no real interaction with the crowd. The song feels so SLOW. Hype it up! Aladdin looks bored.. and didn't lift any animals.

The whole thing just feels off. Bland, emotionless, lacking the magic of the original. Dalia's actress was more animated than most of the clip!

[Ben]

Looks like a TV movie.

Actually, it looks like one of those live musical TV movies!

[Randall]

Nope, Bollywood films have much more energy than that. This Aladdin film looks so inert. Wow, Guy Ritchie directed this?!?

[ShyViolet]

Yeah, but look on the bright side: this should make some great: “I can’t believe they ACTUALLY made that!” fodder decades from now (a la Star Wars Christmas Special). And yes, Rand, “inert” is the perfect way of describing this!

Looks like a TV movie.

Actually, it looks like one of those live musical TV movies!

Yeah, definitely, the Aladdin parades/performances in the theme parks are worlds better than this....

[Otis8]

sad but true!

Dalia's actress was more animated than most of the clip!

Who is she?