Will Smith – THE REVIEW MONSTER

I have not been a fan of many Disney live action remakes.
To me, they have never exceeded the originals and mostly feel like cash grabs rather than like they trying to actually do something meaningful.
This looked to be the case with the new Aladdin remake where the world let out a collective, “AW, HELL NO!” after seeing Will Smith’s Genie.

I cringed when Genie was first shown in the trailer but he is not that bad in the movie.

However, after seeing the film, I can say that, while it is still not as good as the original and is still a cash grab, it does actually do some meaningful things.
Directed by Guy Ritchie, Aladdin 2019 adds new parts to the story that I actually enjoyed, and the musical numbers are all greatly performed.
This is especially the case when it comes to Genie and Naomi Scott’s Jasmine.
Their new storylines in this film are actually pretty good and nice changes.
Sure, Genie does look a little off-putting at times, like in the trailers, but you do get used it and he does spend a lot of time in human form.
Will Smith has nothing on Robin Williams’ portrayal of the character but he still does a good job.
Scott is also the best singer in the movie by a wide margin, giving one fantastic solo performance near the film’s end with “Speechless.”
They actually made Jasmine a better character than in the original.

Speechless — Naomi Scott is probably my favourite part of the new *Aladdin* with her giving the best performance and voice.

Aside from them, there are other welcome additions, including a created similarity between the titular Aladdin and the villainous Jafar, which makes their dynamic more interesting.
Mena Massoud does a decent job as Alladin, however, the same sadly cannot be said for Marwan Kenzari who is not threatening as Jafar.
Along with this, even though there are many added storylines I do appreciate, there are also plenty that I do not.
For example, the climax of the film feels very toned down and less epic than it could have been, resulting in a pretty anticlimactic end.
The film also drags a few times with some of its jokes going on for way too long.
All in all, though, Aladdin is still a surprisingly good film with a few very well done features.
It may not top the original but it is still worth seeing.

Netflix’s most expensive film yet, Bright has one of the most unique plots I have seen in a while.
It is set in a world where fantasy creatures like Orcs and Elves co-exist with humans but live in different social classes.
The Elves are the upper class, the human the middle and Orc the lower.
The film centers around human LAPD officer Daryl Ward (Will Smith) and his partner Nick Jakoby (Joel Edgerton), the first Orc police officer, who discover a magic wand, which they must protect from evil forces.
Since this movie is directed by David Ayer, who directed Suicide Squad and the movie seemed to have a similar feel by looking at the trailers, I expected the movie to be nothing more than fun garbage.
And it was… only without the garbage.
The best thing about Bright is the chemistry between Smith and Edgerton.
Will Smith in this movie is, well, Will Smith.
I honestly have not been able to differentiate between Smith and his characters for many of his films but Smith’s charisma makes up for it.
Then there’s Edgerton, who is the standout character of this film.
He is by far the most relatable and I could not help but root for him.

joel edgerton — Joel Edgerton’s Jakoby is the best character in the movie.

Also the make up effects to have Edgerton look like an Orc was very well done.
Seeing these two characters grow, especially Edgerton’s, throughout the film was great to watch.
The action is also pretty good and it will keep you entertained.
There was a really good slow motion sequence that was one of my favourite moments.
However, this is where my positives with the film end.
While I did love the concept of a modern day fantasy world, the ideas this world presented are half baked.
Then there are the characters who, aside from Ward and Jakoby, are incredibly one dimensional.
I cannot event remember the name of the elf character who Ward and Jakoby bring with them because she was so forgettable.
Then there is the villain who is right up there with Steppenwolf from Justice League in levels of a weak villain.
The only two other characters who were remotely interesting were a disabled gangster and the government agent elf sent to retrieve the wand but these two do not get enough screen time to flourish.

elf fbi — Edgar Ramirez as Kandomere, one of the few interesting characters in the film.

Also the climax of the movie is incredibly predictable.
I knew it was coming a full half hour before it happened.
So overall, this movie is a mixed bag.
Smith and Edgerton are great and the action is enjoyable.
But, on the other hand, the rest of the characters are completely forgettable, the idea and themes are half baked and do not come across well and the climax is predictable.
If they do make a sequel, which I find unlikely now since the movie is being slammed by critics, I hope they follow through on the ideas set up here a lot better.
Still, the movie is fun and I would encourage you to watch it.
Just do not expect anything special and you will have fun.

Tag: Will Smith

Aladdin Remake Review: Surprisingly Decent.

Bright: a fun yet flawed film.