aladdin

*ing: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen

Rated:5.5/10

Now we know why Will Smith decided to shake a leg for two-seconds in Student of The year 2. It was to prepare us for the dance sequence in Aladdin. Not that he is bad. But then it is a Disney movie. They know how to charm even those who don’t like movies based on folk tales. And this one is from the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.

Those who were looking for something different or new will be disappointed. Director Guy Ritchie has stuck to the original story as much as possible with just a twist or two. What he has counted on is for Will Smith to create his magic and he delivers this with aplomb.

While the big blue top-knotted genie may only grant three wishes, the film delivers on a lot more platforms especially for the kids. They will love the action, the drama, the song, the dancing and most importantly a funny genie.

It has been years since Will Smith did something that was fun. His Men In Black series showed us glimpse of how he can be entertaining. Aladdin proves that he still has charm in place and can make you laugh with his one-liners and sarcasm.

The good is that the film talks about woman empowerment through Jasmine. The sad part is that the director has not been able to improve on the original animation film. Given what one can do with technology, the CGI could have been better. But this doesn’t mean that the movie is not visually impressive.

Overall, it is a fun film that your kids will thoroughly enjoy.