"Aladin" could have been a fun live action film. Unfortunately, it isn't. Instead of a cute fantasy, the film is bogged down by characters that are almost cartoonish--which is fine if you're Disney but not if you aren't.
The film stars Shubhankar Atre as Aladin Chattergee--a nerdy and awkward college student who is constantly picked on by his peers(?). Soon after seeing a gorgeous new exchange student, he decides that he's in love-- though he knows NOTHING about her. She could be Hitler's granddaughter or eats babies for all he knows--but he's smitten (yuck). So, when he gets a magical lamp, he decides to use it to make this girl fall for him.
Now this could have worked. Had the genie not been so obnoxious and didn't try so hard to be hip, it would have worked much better. But instead, a fine actor (Amitabh Bachchan) is wasted and comes off as a boorish jerk instead of Aladin's new friend or benefactor. Calling the genie 'Genius' didn't help any. The bottom line is that Bachchan's character came on like a stripper at a Baptist wedding--totally out of place and lacking in Subtlety. It's a shame--he really deserved better material than this.
The bottom line is that the film is too much--too loud, too hip and too pushy. I got tired of it rather quickly and assume that you will as well--especially since the its rather low rating on IMDb would seem to support me. The bottom line is that you can do better. Either watch the Disney film or try finding a copy of "Bernard and the Genie"--a British film set in modern times that comes off as sweet and clever, not loud and annoying.
The film stars Shubhankar Atre as Aladin Chattergee--a nerdy and awkward college student who is constantly picked on by his peers(?). Soon after seeing a gorgeous new exchange student, he decides that he's in love-- though he knows NOTHING about her. She could be Hitler's granddaughter or eats babies for all he knows--but he's smitten (yuck). So, when he gets a magical lamp, he decides to use it to make this girl fall for him.
Now this could have worked. Had the genie not been so obnoxious and didn't try so hard to be hip, it would have worked much better. But instead, a fine actor (Amitabh Bachchan) is wasted and comes off as a boorish jerk instead of Aladin's new friend or benefactor. Calling the genie 'Genius' didn't help any. The bottom line is that Bachchan's character came on like a stripper at a Baptist wedding--totally out of place and lacking in Subtlety. It's a shame--he really deserved better material than this.
The bottom line is that the film is too much--too loud, too hip and too pushy. I got tired of it rather quickly and assume that you will as well--especially since the its rather low rating on IMDb would seem to support me. The bottom line is that you can do better. Either watch the Disney film or try finding a copy of "Bernard and the Genie"--a British film set in modern times that comes off as sweet and clever, not loud and annoying.