The wonder of Aladdin is impressively realised and though it lacks some of the magic, there is plenty to sit back and soak in, with laughs and singalongs guaranteed.
Remaking a classic Disney film comes with one distinct advantage; the storyline and songs are already a winner, so the pressure is off in that regard.
The flipside to that - you have an awful lot to live up to and assembling a live-action cast that can do the roles justice becomes absolutely crucial, and here, it's pretty spot on.
Will Smith had big Genie shoes to fill in the place of the late Robin Williams but he does so with ease as his version of the character is just far enough removed from the original that it is completely his own, without going too off-book. The best one-liners are Smith's and his energy is Fresh Prince-ian.
Aladdin, too, has been well cast with Mena Massoud both looking and sounding the part. He's extremely likeable and has a great rapport with Smith on screen, really bringing the Aladdin from the animation to life. The chemistry between Aladdin and Jasmine (Naomi Scott) is somewhat lacking however, though Scott hits the right notes overall.
Despite these key components working, there is a little bit of magic missing from proceedings; Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) isn't quite villainous enough, some scenes are given more screen time than they should be, and the Agrabah sets feel as though they've been lifted from Disneyland as opposed to a real place.
Very little is changed from the animation, and it's a fitting introduction to the world of Aladdin for those who may not have had the pleasure of the original just yet. In a toss-up between the two, the 1992 classic will always win out, but there is still good fun to be had here.
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