“Only because you got caught.”

From Aladdin.

Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a thief living on the streets of Agrabah, stealing what he needs to survive.  While Aladdin is happy in his life of free mischief, all of that instantly changes when he meets Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) in the market, because he knows that he could never be good enough to even speak to her.  After falling into some more-serious-than-normal trouble, Aladdin is tasked by the kingdom’s Vizier, Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), to pay for his freedom by retrieving a mysterious lamp from a dangerous cave.  However, after locating the lamp, Aladdin can’t help but test if the legend is true, so he rubs the lamp and releases the Genie (Will Smith) that was trapped inside.  Genie informs Aladdin that he is allowed three wishes, so Aladdin decides to use Genie’s powers to his advantage in capturing Jasmine’s heart.  Genie transforms Aladdin into Prince Ali so Aladdin can officially meet and woo Jasmine, but she is unimpressed with his wealth and attitude.  Aladdin and Genie are left searching for a way to capture Jasmine’s attention and keep her handmaiden (Nasim Pedrad) from getting in the way.  Around the same time, Jafar is able to capture the lamp and use Genie’s power to overthrow the Sultan (Navid Negahban).  As almost the entire kingdom falls under Jafar’s spells, Aladdin must find a way to stop him before it is too late for Jasmine and Agrabah, as well.

This live action remake of the 1992 classic is the bolder and more culturally-appropriate installment in the recent slew of Disney animated-to-live transformations.  The costumes, computer-animated animal companions, sets, and choreography are amazing and absolutely breathtaking; the musical numbers, both old and new, are captivating. Massoud and Scott are brilliantly honest and endearing in their roles, while Smith is a constant source of humor (especially in his interactions with Massoud). Immensely enjoyable for all viewers, Aladdin reminds us once again that no one can create a fun extravaganza like Disney.

| Rated: PG | Running Time: 128 minutes |Genre: fantasy/adventure/musical |

||Family Viewing||Cursing: 0 of 10|Nudity: 0 of 10|Sexuality: 0 of 10|Gore: 1 of 10

|AVAILABLE FOR HOME VIEWING|