Aladdin (2019)

I'm actually really on board with the recent trend of remaking classic Disney animated films in live-action, but Aladdin is not very good. The story is kind of flimsy. There is new music made for this adaptation that does not gel with the original. Alan Menken from the original, and Pasek and Paul of La La Land fame, wrote cringy pop music. Some of the songs are actually not even long enough to qualify as songs, merely two or three sung lines. It is the exact criticism that people who don't like musicals have: the switch from singing to speaking is too abrupt. The acting is good but the singing is not quite hefty enough from the leads. It is nice to hear Will Smith singing again. He is actually quite good, even though I was skeptical of him at first. He adds some much needed humor and levity. The production, set, CGI and costumes are beautiful, but I'm not sure about the accuracy of the costumes. They seem too colorful and revealing for Arabian dress. Jasmine is modernized, given a voice and more agency. That was a nice touch, but the accompanying song is not good.