‘Aladdin’ remake wastes the filmmaking talents of its director

The new live-action “Aladdin” remake isn’t half bad. Really. It looks pretty. The musical numbers are handled pretty well. Will Smith even manages to get out of Robin Williams’ shadow with his take on the Genie. That’s not the sad part. The sad part is it could’ve been much, much better.

‘Aladdin’ tells the well-known and beloved story of the title character (Mena Massoud), a street thief who gets recruited by the evil Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) to break into a cave full of wonders and retrieve a magic lamp. After Jafar doublecrosses him, Aladdin finds himself befriending the powerful Genie (Smith) and using genie magic to pursue the lovely Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott).

This remake doesn’t adhere too strictly to the plot line of the 1992 animated film it’s based upon. It rearranges the elements of Jafar’s plan. It beefs up Jasmine’s character, giving her a more modern motivation and a couple of new songs to express her feelings. This new material feels more like an organic part of the story, and not tacked on like new stuff in other retakes on Disney animated classics. (I’m looking at you, “Beauty and the Beast.”)

The acting is pretty solid too, and occasionally quite good. Smith shines as the Genie because he doesn’t even try to imitate Robin Williams. In fact, because Smith gives us his own version of the character, we get a few really great Genie moments that are on par with Williams’ performance.

Scott is great as Jasmine, too. She plays the character like someone who is completely fed up with her lot in life, and meeting Aladdin causes her to open herself up and come to life. Watching her blossom as the story progresses is one of the best aspects of the film.

The film is also beautiful to look at, with gorgeous sunsets and epic landscapes. Sure, they’re mostly computer-generated, but they still make your heart flutter. And the Genie doesn’t look nearly as cheap as early footage led us to believe he would. That’s a relief.

Unfortunately, the film also has some major flaws. Start with the portrayal of Jafar. Kenzari’s take on the character isn’t nearly sinister or menacing enough to be an effective villain. Massoud’s Aladdin is somewhat flat and lifeless, as well.

Other issues include characters like Abu, the monkey, and the magic carpet, both of which work far better in hand-drawn animation than they do as computer-generated elements in a live-action film.

But this movie’s biggest flaw, and it’s by light-years the biggest flaw, is that they hired Guy Ritchie to direct and you can’t really tell.

Ritchie is one of the most visually distinct directors working in blockbuster filmmaking and brings energy, grit, and inventiveness to even his worst films. You get an idea of what might be possible with Ritchie helming this flick in the chase through the city at the front of the film. It’s a fun, exciting scene, but apart from a few epic camera moves, it’s the only scene in the film that bears Ritchie’s visual style.

The rest of the film has plenty of eye candy, but it never again has the same energy and inventiveness. I came away wondering if Hollywood had finally sapped Ritchie of his identity as a filmmaker. I wondered if he chose to tone down his style or, more likely, if Disney demanded he tone it down. And I wonder how much less meh and more interesting “Aladdin” would be if Guy Ritchie made a Guy Ritchie movie, instead of a Disney movie.

Overall, “Aladdin” is one of the better live-action Disney remakes. Will Smith creates a Genie that actually works pretty well, the acting is fairly strong, and there are a few laughs to be had. It’s really not a bad movie at all. I just have a sinking feeling that it could’ve been better had it not wasted Guy Ritchie’s abilities.

3 Indy Fedoras out of 5

MPAA Rating: PG