This feels like that Tom & Jerry: Willy Wonka movie. Just a bunch of why?
Good luck to whomever steps into Robin Williams’ shoes.
I’d argue that the Tom & Jerry is more inscrutable in terms of “why.” “Why Aladdin remake” is an easier question to answer: It’s my understanding that besides Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland 2, that the live action versions of classic/Renaissance animated Disney movies make bank.
Oh, I completely understand the financial thinking behind these Disney live-action remakes. The only one that didn’t do gangbusters in ticket sales was the Cinderella remake from Kenneth Branagh, so to money folks these are a safe bet.
My issue here is the combination of Guy Ritchie directing Aladdin (WTF?) along with really anyone trying to be The Genie without immediately running into comparisons against Robin Williams.
Ah, k. Thought you had a blanket “Why” at the premise, since that was the biggest question for the weirdo Tom & Jerry.
I weirdly think “kinetic” Guy Ritchie from the Snatch era could do something neat with Aladdin. Agree on filling the shoes of Robin Williams.
Seems like it could be cool.
How has no one at EW yet realized that their costume shots in full lighting always, without fail, look like shit? Put some actual scene lighting on these things, for god’s sake. Every single time they have a superhero issue, the costumes look like high school productions, then those same costumes look fine on film.
You’re right, but come on, EW has been publishing magazines for a really long time. They know what sells.
Longer teaser. Jafar feels and sounds too young, and the Genie VFX are … not good. Well, the latter they still could fix.
Oh boy. That genie is pretty bad. It’s 2 seconds at the end of the ad, but that does not look good.
But also everything else also looked bad. I really hope that it’s mostly unfinished shots, because it all had that cheap feel of early set photography that doesn’t do justice to the finished product.
Is Jafar in a boy band?
I have zero interest in seeing Will Smith take on that role. This has the distinctive smell of a box office bomb to me.
Haha its just Will playing a blue Will. I’m sure it will be enjoyable.
Ugh so much this… Where was F Murray Abraham when we needed him.
And damn Will Smith continuing to pick horrible movies to be in.
He is probably wishing he was in the new MIB.
In Will Smith’s defense, in the abstract, I think he could’ve been a great pick. Almost everything terrible about what I’ve seen so far (of the whole movie, not just him) is because of the questionable decision to so closely mimic the animated film. There’s no one I can think of that could do a worthy performance as Robin Williams as the Genie.
But if this wasn’t Disney, or if Disney wasn’t just tracing over its old films, Will Smith seems like a pretty good fit for a high energy character like the genie. Boisterous, a little larger than life, but with his own personality and not totally cosplaying as the blue Genie of the animated film? I could see Will Smith doing well in that role.
They should just shoot a Fresh Prince of Agrabah with a family of genies and Will Smith can now be the Uncle character as a genie and…
Sorry, it’s just that Will Smith is always Will Smith and he doesn’t look to be pulling off the genie at all. It’s hard to follow in Robin Williams footsteps, and I don’t want a rehash, but this looks like a genie dud.
I’d be happy to be wrong though.
Also, is it just me or did they do a fake-looking CGI version of something that would look better as just Will Smith in blue makeup? It looks a little… off.
Robin Williams was very much Robin Williams in that role, and I’m not here to argue Will Smith could top that, but I do think Will Smith being Will Smith could be a great fit in the same way.