Disney have given their animated Aladdin a live-action makeover.
But is it as shining, shimmering, and splendid as the original?
Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers, I'm Jan and today I'm explaining the top 10 differences between
the new Aladdin movie and the classic film from 1992.
I'm also kicking off a new giveaway, so subscribe, hit the bell, and leave a comment about the
movie for a chance to win.
Robin Williams' iconic performance as the Genie in Disney's animated Aladdin is totally
unforgettable and beloved by generations of children and adults alike.
"What better way to make your entrance on the streets of Agrabah than riding your very
own brand-new camel.
Watch out.
They spit."
Obviously, no one could ever hope to recreate the very specific genius of Williams' madcap,
impersonation-filled turn.
So, when it came to retelling that story, a different approach was needed, and that's
what Will Smith gives us with his particular interpretation of the shape-shifting granter
of wishes.
"Why you playing hard to wish?"
Like Williams did so successfully in the animated movie, Smith brings his own special energy
to the role of the live-action Genie, injecting some of his larger-than-life personality into
the part.
"Oh, great one who summons me, I stand by my oath, loyalty to wishes three.
I'm kidding, watch this."
So expect a genie with some swagger and also a light Fresh Prince of Bel Air flavour to
his songs.
Smith's charismatic take on the character soon makes its own impression.
"And now for your entourage.
Too small.
Too obvious.
The genie's on fire!"
He really is a lot fun and gets plenty of laughs, including some great back-and-forth
with Aladdin and some of the other palace residents.
Mena Massoud gets Aladdin's cheeky charm just right and has a cool comic rapport with the
Genie.
"Pladam!"
"Do we need the topknot?"
"That's my little cherry on top."
And a lovely on-screen chemistry with Naomi Scott's Jasmine.
"How did you get past the guards?"
"That was challenging."
"You cannot just break into a palace like you own the place."
"If you don't have anything, you have to act like you own everything."
Overall, Massoud shines best in the movie's comedic moments, so he really makes the most
of some of the additional scenes that Aladdin gets in this version, including a big dance
number where he's basically orchestrated by the Genie, and a hilarious scene where he
meets his future father-in-law and clumsily tries to charm his way into the Sultan and
Jasmine's good books.
As for Aladdin's costume, well, that's undergone some changes too, with his bare-chested, waistcoat
look in the animation getting an extra shirt in the new film.
Jasmine's outfit also gets an update to cover up more in the live action version.
Of course, both characters' clothes still heavily echo their animated attire, and Jasmine,
in particular, gets some stunning new looks.
Naomi Scott gives a fantastic performance as Jasmine, who gets a much more active role
in the new film compared to the animated movie.
In the live-action version, Jasmine's desire to make her own decisions and choices in life
goes beyond simply wanting to experience a bit of life outside the palace and marry a
man she actually loves.
"How dare you.
All of you.
Standing around deciding my future?
I am not a prize to be won."
Now Jasmine questions why a woman shouldn't have political as well as personal power.
"You want to be sultan.
But why?"
"I have been preparing for this my whole life."
For example, she asks how a foreign prince would look after the people of Agrabah better
than she would.
"You have no idea what is happening out there.
Hakim, tell him."
As she knows and cares for them and wants to improve their lives.
This Jasmine knows she has something to offer as a leader, not just as a romantic partner.
And we also get some new backstory about Jasmine's family and why the Sultan is so overprotective
of his daughter.
Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice's classic songs from Arabian Nights to Prince
Ali and A Whole New World which you know and love from the original movie are all there
in the new film, with a few updated lyrics and a touch of hip-hop on some of Will Smith's
Genie tracks.
There's also a brand new song for Princess Jasmine called Speechless, which Naomi Scott
totally knocks out of the park.
"I won't be silenced.
You can't keep me quiet."
Think Frozen's Let It Go meets This Is Me from The Greatest Showman.
In fact, it was written by Disney legend Alan Menken with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the
award-winning duo behind La La Land and The Greatest Showman.
Oh, and there's a cool curtain call with the cast busting some moves to Friend Like Me,
and we get a more full-on hip-hop version of that song sung by Will Smith during the
end credits.
Before the film came out, reactions to the new Jafar were mixed with some saying he didn't
seem as intimidating as his animated counterpart.
"Bring me the lamp."
"Bring me the lamp.
The rest of the treasure is yours, but the lamp is mine."
In fact, the movie's production designer revealed they wanted to make Jafar more evil so during
reshoots, they "built him a dungeon to do more nefarious things in."
The new film certainly reveals an even darker past for Jafar, filling in his backstory before
he became the Sultan's trusted advisor and providing an interesting comparison between
him and Aladdin.
However, this Jafar does still seem to lack some of the animated villain's menace.
Also, while live-action Jafar uses a snake-headed staff to mesmerise people like in the animation.
"Don't worry.
Everything will be fine."
"Everything will be... fine."
He doesn't need disguises to trick Aladdin into doing what he wants.
"You stumbled upon an opportunity.
There's a cave nearby and in it a simple oil lamp."
Jafar's parrot side-kick Iago doesn't get as much screen time in the live-action movie
as he did in the original animation.
He does still go out spying on the other characters for his master in the new film, and even gets
a big action scene, but don't expect to see him in the sort of crazy slapstick moments
that were a big part of his character in the 1992 movie.
"That's him?!
That's the clown we've been waitin' for?"
"You got a problem, Pinky?"
Another difference between live-action and animated Iago is how they sound.
As voiced by Gilbert Gottfried in the original animation, he spoke with a regular parrot
voice when people like the Sultan were around.
"I'm at my wit's end."
"Awk!
Wit's end!"
Saving his true wise-cracking, cantankerous personality for scenes with Jafar.
"I can't take it anymore!
If I gotta choke down on one more of those moldy, disgusting crackers..."
However, in the live-action version, where he's voiced by Disney regular Alan Tudyk,
Jafar's feathered friend sticks to typical parrot talk whenever he speaks.
"That's what I said.
That's what I said."
Director Guy Ritchie told EW he wanted to "ground [the film's peripheral characters]
in some degree of reality."
So I think the movie's squawky parrot voice is part of adding a bit more of a sense of
realism to the animal characters, in a similar way to how the mice didn't speak in the live-action
Cinderella.
Like Jafar's parrot, Aladdin's pet monkey is a completely computer-generated creation
in the new film.
Unlike Iago though, Abu gets lots more time on screen interacting with his owner Aladdin
and retains a lot of the fun personality of the original, which is great because he has
some really nice moments.
However, like with Iago, the semi-intelligible monkey talk from the animation doesn't make
it into the live-action version in the same way.
"Bleh, bleh, bleh!"
"What?!"
"Bye, bye!"
The live-action movie introduces several new characters and my favourite of these is Dalia,
Jasmine's handmaiden and friend who gets some delightfully funny scenes with not just the
princess, but also Aladdin and Genie.
She's played by actress Nasim Pedrad who's best known for Saturday Night Live and the
sci-fi comedy People of Earth, which was sadly cancelled way too soon.
Pedrad turns in a scene-stealing performance as Dalia, really wringing the best out of
every moment she gets on screen.
Jasmine's father, the Sultan, gets a personality makeover in the live-action movie.
Instead of the bumbling and pompous but generally good-natured ruler we saw in the original
film "Have a cracker, pretty Polly.
Your Majesty certainly has a way with dumb animals."
The new Sultan is wiser and more dignified "It's a pleasure to welcome you to Agrabah,
Prince Ali."
And we also get some new backstory about the Sultan's wife, Jasmine's mother.
Instead of the animation's cruel and arrogant Prince Achmed, who almost whipped two young
children in the street before he was stopped by Aladdin, the live-action movie gives us
a different potential suitor for Princess Jasmine.
This new prince, Anders, is from a fictional place called Skånland and, rather than being
constantly annoyed like Achmed, he's more bumbling and idiotic.
However, when Prince Anders meets Jasmine and Rajah, fans of the original may notice
a little easter egg to how Jasmine's tiger reacts to the prince.
And I'll be delving deeper into those easter eggs from the original in my next Aladdin
video.
I'll add a link on the screen and in the video description as soon as it's ready.
Now, it's time for you to decide which Aladdin is better.
I've added a poll where you can vote.
Just tap in the top of this video, and after you've cast your vote, you'll be able to see
the results.
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Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers!