Blu-Ray Review - Aladdin (2019) -

0Shares

Aladdin (2019) [rating=4]

Disney’s live-action retelling of it’s 1992 classic animated tale Aladdin faced a lot of criticism for a variety of reasons, but actually turned out to be the best received of all their live-action remakes this year.

Alongside The Lion King, Toy Story 4 and Avengers: Endgame, Guy Richie’s Aladdin joins the ranks of Disney’s five films to surpass the billion dollar mark this year alone. Yes, despite all the pre-release criticism, the apparently doomed-to- fail remake was a surprise hit with audiences worldwide – and deservedly so.

Richie’s remake centres once more around the classic tale of the charming and charismatic street rat Aladdin (Mena Massoud) , the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and the Genie (Will Smith) who may just be the key to their future. The titular hero goes on a magical adventure after he finds a lamp that releases a wise genie that grants him wishes. Aladdin takes the lamp and in return, he uses it to become a prince and tries to woo the princess. The princess, on the other hand, is met with potential suitors but she refuses to get married for political reasons and instead looks for love. It’s all familiar territory for those who have seen the original animated film or the stage musical, only this time some of the characters are given expanded roles and additional songs. Princess Jasmine is given a more fleshed our role and is far more independent and political this time around which is a refreshing update to the character, and is so wonderfully portrayed by Scott. Will Smith is taking on the role of Genie here, and does a great job in his take on the character. Of course the late Robin Williams is irreplaceable and nobody will ever trump his performance in the original, but Smith brings a lot of laughs and heart to the table and is perhaps even the highlight of the whole film. We even get to see an even happier ending for Genie this time around!

The songs are great, the visuals are dazzling and the cast this time around do a fantastic job following on from the original. The chemistry between the three main characters is fantastic, and really does add to the experience. The only real issues I found with the film were some questionable CGI moments with Genie, and it feels just a bit too long running in at 2 hours and 9 minutes. You can really start to feel it in the final act where some scenes would have benefited from being cut shorter. Overall, Aladdin is a fun film that is sure to become a classic that people of all ages will enjoy.

The video quality on the Blu-Ray are fantastic. Every detail and vibrant colour pops out of the screen, especially during the musical numbers where a lot of the costuming and scenery are shown off most. Every extravagant detail and colour is even bolder and brighter in high definition, so I really do recommend picking up the film on Blu-Ray or 4K Ultra HD format as this is a film with some really gorgeous costume and set design. The Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD formats also come with some great special features to check out.

Video Quality: [rating=5]
Audio Quality: [rating=4]
7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Track

Bonus features include:

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL BONUS: * ALADDIN’S VIDEO JOURNAL: A NEW FANTASTIC POINT OF VIEW – Watch behind-the-scenes moments captured by Mena Massoud (Aladdin) in this fun, fast-paced look at his personal journey.
DELETED SONG – “DESERT MOON” – Experience a moving duet performed by Jasmine and Aladdin, fully shot and edited, with an introduction by Alan Menken.
GUY RITCHIE: A CINEMATIC GENIE – Discover why director Guy Ritchie was the perfect filmmaker to tackle this exhilarating reimagining of a beloved classic.
A FRIEND LIKE GENIE – Discover how ‪Will Smith‬ brings talent, experience and his own personal magic to the iconic role of Genie.
DELETED SCENES * Falling Petals Into OJ * Jafar’s Magic Orrery * Anders’ Gift * Wrong Wishes * Silly Old Fool * Post Yam Jam Debrief
BLOOPERS – Laugh along with the cast and crew in this lighthearted collection of outtakes from the set.
MUSIC VIDEOS: “Speechless” – Music video performed by ‪Naomi Scott‬, “A Whole New World” – Music video performed by ZAYN and Zhavia Ward, and “A Whole New World” (“Un Mundo Ideal”) – Music video performed by ZAYN and Becky G.