Director Guy Ritchie creatively helms an enjoyable retelling of a classic Disney film that takes us to a whole new world of Aladdin.

Aladdin is a live-action remake of Disney’s 1992 animated film of the same name. It tells the story of a kindhearted, thieving street urchin, Aladdin (Mena Massoud), who falls in love with Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) of Agrabah. He is ordered by nefarious sorcerer Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), the Grand Vizier, to bring the magical lamp which wields the powerful Genie (Will Smith) who can grant three wishes to whoever holds it. Now it is upon Aladdin to get the love of his life and stop Jafar’s evil intentions.

This adaptation is a thrilling and nostalgic nod to one of Disney’s animated classics. It’s a childhood dream come true. It’s beautifully directed by Guy Ritchie who takes us to a whole new world. With a perfect mix of then and now, it elicits nostalgia especially to viewers who have grown with Aladdin. It could even be considered as Disney’s best live action remake overall.

With so much heart in it, this reiteration is as magical as the first one. The songs on its own provide pure eargasm, from the song “A Whole New World” to its new original, “Speechless,” written by Pasek & Paul (‘La La Land’).

It really is a whole new world for Disney. With a lot of issues going around with its marketing and Will Smith’s take on the role of Genie, Guy Ritchie paves the way for a fun-filled adaptation.

No one could have played the Genie better than Smith in this adaptation. He is surprisingly entertaining and funny. He owns the character through his hilarious quips and chemistry with his master, Aladdin. Smith alone can make you smile throughout.

Mena Massoud on the titular role is charismatic with such angelic voice that sounds just like the animated Aladdin—most especially when he sings the opening number “One Jump Ahead.” His connection to Naomi Scott is indeed on-point as they anchor the entire film.

Scott as Princess Jasmine is a beautiful choice for the role. She is an amazing singer, a little bit better than Emma Watson portraying Belle in Beauty and the Beast.

As for Marwan Kenzari who played Jafar, it comes off as a bit of an unfulfilled impression, but the way his background is pictured here would make you appreciate his character more.

The tale of Aladdin is obviously familiar. There may be a few changes which thankfully “fixes” some irrelevant scenes from the cartoon. These additions adversely affect the length of the film. Despite it all, it appears the good aspects and creativity of the film outweigh issues to make way for an enjoyable blockbuster. It is an amazing film—so vibrant, so colorful. A pure nostalgic experience everyone must see.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Directed by Guy Ritchie. The film stars Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, and Numan Acar.