We got received a media copy of this title for review purposes. All opinions are our own.
The 1992 animated version of Disney’s Aladdin holds a very special place in my life. Roll back the clock 27 years and I was a young lady dating a handsome guy. Said guy took this gal to see Aladdin in the theater and I LOVED it. SO much so that the whole balcony scene became a ‘thing’ for us. No, no we weren’t flying on carpets or anything like that, but we did end up getting married and EVERY night for the 25+ years we’ve been married we say… “Good night my handsome prince” + “Sleep well princess.” So you see when I heard Disney was doing a live-action remake of the animated Aladdin… I was a bit concerned.
I haven’t been interested in the live-action counterparts of Disney’s animated classics. I haven’t seen most of them truth be told. I did see The Jungle Book, which I admit I enjoyed, but the classic “princess” movies, well I’ve honestly stayed away from them, because I haven’t wanted my childhood spoiled. When Disney’s live-action Aladdin was in theaters earlier this year I didn’t make an effort to see it, mostly because I didn’t want my favorite movie ever to be sullied in my mind. (Yeah, I’m a bit dramatic, but anyhoo…)
Walt Disney Home Entertainment sent me a copy of Aladdin (live-action) to preview before it’s release on Blu-ray to watch, I put it on with mixed feelings and when it was done felt that for the most part, THEY NAILED IT! Phew!
The live-action adaptation of the animated classic, Aladdin, is already available digitally and on Movies Anywhere but TODAY (September 10,2019) it is also available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. It stars Will Smith, Naomi Scott and Mena Massoud, the release includes all new bonus features, such as deleted scenes, a blooper reel and more!
So before I go into the details of what you get with your DVD purchase, let me tell you a bit about my overall impressions of the live-action Aladdin movie.
The casting — Spot On. Mena Massoud played the role of Aladdin as if the animated character literally popped off the screen and became human. I think the apprehension most of the purist animated lovers really had though was with Will Smith as Genie. Could he fill the very large lamp (well I know it’s actually itty bitty, but work with me here people!!) that Robin Williams left? I believe he did. While Aladdin and Jasmine in the animated version are the characters more than the actors that voice them, it was as if Genie WAS Robin Williams, you couldn’t really separate the two. But, Will Smith brought something ‘different’ to the character, something that a live action allowed the role to achieve and rather than ‘replacing’ Robin Williams, he embodied Genie in a new way, and he did it well.
Our daughter truly thought that “Speechless”, the new song sung by Jasmine that was added to the classic Aladdin soundtrack, was the best of the bunch. That’s high praise coming from a kid who had to listen to her mother play said soundtrack ad naseum for most of her childhood 😉
I had one disappointment with the movie. Yes, it was the balcony scene 🙁 It did not play out in the same way as the animated Aladdin, to which I say “RUBBISH!” Oh well you win some, you lose some.
So here’s what you get when you go purchase the NOW released DVD selections in store or online:
- “SPEECHLESS”: CREATING A NEW SONG FOR JASMINE – Follow the story of Jasmine’s inspirational song “Speechless,” written by Alan Menken, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul especially for this version of “Aladdin.”
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
- “ A Whole New World” (“Un Mundo Ideal”) – Music video performed by ZAYN and Becky G.
*Bonus features may vary by retailer
“ALADDIN” CAST AND CREW:
“Aladdin” stars Will Smith as Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Jasmine, Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, Navid Negahban as Sultan, Nasim Pedrad as Dalia, Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders and Numan Acar as Hakim. “Aladdin” is directed by Guy Ritchie from a screenplay by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s Aladdin animation screenplay by Ron Clements & John Musker and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio.
The release of the live-action adventure coincides with the addition of the original animated classic to the highly celebrated Walt Disney Signature Collection, granting Aladdin fans everywhere the opportunity to own both magical movies. In 4K for the first time, the new release features all new bonus content, including alternate endings!
Here are some fun activities for your kids themed around Aladdin:
Make Your Own Cuff Bracelets in Celebration of ALADDIN on Blu-ray September 10!
Make Your Own Flying Carpet in Celebration of the Animated Classic ALADDIN on Blu-ray TODAY!
Click on the link for a larger image of the instructions and the flying carpet template: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vVGPbIEU81jNfSKMTlyMnMFvY1Sb94Ac
This is an amazing movie. I still need to go buy this.