Was Aladdin Shining, Shimmering, Splendid?

Let me share this whole new world with you. After having watched Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin, all I can say is that I would indeed flock to the cinemas again to watch it, and I’m sure the anticipation would be tenfold because of the excitement of what I know is about to come. Ritchie doesn’t reinvent the wheel; rather he stays true to the original Disney film with a few tweaks here and there, which only enhances the production.

The film is far from perfect. But let’s talk about the flying carpet moments first. This Jasmine (Naomi Scott) has got spunk. Not only does she stand firm against the patriarchy (Baba, Jaffar and Hakim), and have those kohl-lined eyes set on the lovable Aladdin, but she also wants to be Sultan. Chuck in the solo ‘Speechless’ whenever Jasmine’s feeling passionate, and we have transformed the 1992 Jasmine into a modern woman because her life broadens beyond romance. 

Of course I admire her autonomy and her self-actualisation, but then it also begs the question if this live-action remake is trying too hard to reflect modern day values. Is Jasmine not already enough if it really is “what’s on the inside that counts?” A Muslim Middle-Eastern girl challenging court officials and standing her ground to undesirable suitors is forward thinking for the time and context, and it’s worth noting that Jasmine’s character is a Western interpretation of her feminism. But then again, Aladdin is also supposedly a Chinese tale.

The live action is obviously an Orientalist fantasy, with the stereotypical sandy souks, fruit and veg stalls, and harem girls prancing around. Though set in a fictional city of the Middle-East, the Director’s just cherry-picked the bits they liked from brown culture catalogue and stuck it all onto one big Aladdin collage. Even the musical-numbers have a typical Bollywood-ish feel to it because of the co-ordinated jazzy dances and sheer number of people dancing on screen!

Dalia and Genie (and Will Smith) offer us a sub-plot of their unnecessary romance. Smith draws on his Hitch character through playing matchmaker, and this is how his Genie is different. He’s humanised through his romance, bringing his Fresh Prince of Bel Air sass to the table. Cue lots of playing-it-cool, just-speak-to-her and quiet cheering in getting Aladdin and Jasmine together, which makes it more relatable to contemporary dating situations. Dalia shines as Jasmine’s awkward and funny handmaiden, bursting out one-liners (‘I just need to wash my cat’ and ‘You can just marry him. You don’t have to speak to him!)

Jasmine’s wardrobe is beautiful. Jasmine’s signature Arabian turquoise outfit is brought to life, which she wears to the garden party. Her costumes also have an Indian influence to them, as can be seen in the crop tops, short sleeves and gold embroidery. Chuck in some opulent jewellery and her looks are definitely for a princess.

Would I watch it again? Yes. Absolutely. I think Mena Massoud captured Aladdin's cheeky chappy character well. The visuals were great, and there’s plenty of colour and dancing to keep you entertained for over two hours. It’s also brilliant to see some brown representation on screen-(although not all of the actors are actually Arabic.) If you're fussed about historical and cultural accuracies, give it a miss because you'll be sighing endlessly. If you’d just like to relive your childhood magic, this shining, shimmering splendid remake is a must.

Shai.