
Boku no Hīrō Akademi, My Hero Academia
TV Show Watch
On an Earth-like world where people with superpowers known as "Quirks" (個性 Kosei) are the norm,...
Anime Boku no Hīrō Akademi My Hero Academia Kohei Horikoshi

Fool's Quest (The Fitz and The Fool, #2)
Book
Robin Hobb returns to her best loved characters with the second volume in a brand new series. ...

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (2009)
Movie
Professor Hershel Layton—renowned archaeologist, puzzle-solver, and extraordinary gentleman—and...
Mystery Drama Music

The Secret Detectives
Book
The body seemed to fall for a long time. There was no splash, or if there was it was lost in the...

MasterSolace (19 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
Jun 15, 2019
You are damn right it was.
Let's get this out of the way first. Live action musicals still make me feel awkward. Granted, this is Disney... but animated musicals feel just fine. That being said, the numbers were spot on for the most part, while still being slightly altered for the cast in the present. Yes, that includes slight tweaks due to Will Smith being an actual musician(as much as I love Robin Williams, he was not). And those were made(dammit... sorry for the pun)... Fresh.
Acting on point. Because Disney. Sorry, but it's true.
Was the movie perfect? No. It does have some flaws, but nothing that hinders the movie overall. And most of them for me where solely because of the musical numbers. That being said, "Speechless"... bravo Alan Menken.
There is one part of this version that does IMPROVE over the original. The City of Agrabah. The animated version felt nothing more than a backdrop, but this City felt like it was organic. Like an ACTUAL city they were fighting for.
Other changes were proper... made it more modern. Including Jasmine motivation(instead of marrying who she wants, she is made Sultan... so she can protect and serve her people... she marries Aladdin anyway)... and Jafar's true plans(he didn't just want Agrabah, he wanted to conquer the neighboring nations, as well). Jafar in the original was DRAWN menacing... live action Jafar was devious due to his ambitions. Good job, Disney.
How about the Genie? How did Will Smith do? Well... he was great. BUT Disney did something different this time. In the original, because Robin was the star, it put extra focus on how outrageous he was. Will Smith was the billed star, but they put more focus on who the story was really about... Aladdin. Will Smith served a purpose. He might've been the bigger name, but he did NOT play the biggest part. At least, that is what I feel happened.... and it was for the better.
Was it as good as the original? No. Because there is no true comparison. If you haven't seen it... please... erase the original from your mind for a moment... go see this one... then go back and watch the original. While we KNOW the comparison... there shouldn't be one. This live-action version isn't exactly the same, and it shouldn't be. Askewed focus... different delivery... it maybe Disney's remake, but this version should be approached as if you were watching it from a different perspective......
Treat it as if it were it's own movie.
And know this... the best positive of all...
Robin would've loved it.

Dream Defense
Games and Stickers
App
The night seems endless and full of terrors… Who will save Robin from her evil nightmares, if not...

Winnie-the-Pooh Classic Collection
Book
'Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, about last Friday, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest...

The Lost Estate (Le Grand Meaulnes)
Adam Gopnik, Henri Alain-Fournier and Robin Buss
Book
The Lost Estate is Robin Buss's translation of Henri Alain-Fournier's poignant study of lost love,...

Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love
Book
N this star-studded cross-genre anthology, seventeen of the greatest modern authors of fantasy,...
My Thoughts: Everyone loves a good mystery and this is no exception. Fast paced and keeps the reader guessing until the end. With so many twists and turns that keeps the readers' interest.
This is a well-written novel with interesting characters that the reader will easily identify with. This is my first novel from Robin Caroll, and it won't be my last. I truly enjoyed her writing and the plot for this novel was interesting.
Not only a mystery but a story about forgiving as well. A wonderful read for those who love a good mystery and suspense book.