Halfway through Guy Ritchie’s live-action remake of “Aladdin,” the title character sits uncomfortably on a Rose Parade float while Will Smith leads a ramshackle chorus in a spirited but mediocre rendition of the beloved tune “Prince Ali.”
It’s not the best scene that this new “Aladdin” has to offer, and it’s not the worst, but it’s probably the key to decoding the entire production. This isn’t a movie. It’s a chintzy revival, specifically designed to appeal to audiences who think “that looks familiar” qualifies as entertainment.
Ritchie’s “Aladdin” looks so familiar that, if anything, it’s hard to imagine why Ritchie wanted to make it. Disney seems to have smoothed out all the wrinkles in the director’s familiar, if sometimes oppressive style. Gone are the textured lighting schemes, the dynamic speed-ramps, and the energetic montages. In their place are flat pastels, straightforward action and long-take musical numbers.
It’s not the best scene that this new “Aladdin” has to offer, and it’s not the worst, but it’s probably the key to decoding the entire production. This isn’t a movie. It’s a chintzy revival, specifically designed to appeal to audiences who think “that looks familiar” qualifies as entertainment.
Ritchie’s “Aladdin” looks so familiar that, if anything, it’s hard to imagine why Ritchie wanted to make it. Disney seems to have smoothed out all the wrinkles in the director’s familiar, if sometimes oppressive style. Gone are the textured lighting schemes, the dynamic speed-ramps, and the energetic montages. In their place are flat pastels, straightforward action and long-take musical numbers.
- 5/22/2019
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
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