Movies That Make Us

The latest of Disney’s live action remakes, Aladdin was released on Memorial Day weekend. This new version of the 1990s classic stars Will Smith as the Genie, Mena Massoud as Aladdin, and Naomi Scott as Jasmine. As Tracy, Val, and Jake take a look at this new film, the question is asked: Does it live up to the original?Released in 1992, Disney’s animated Aladdin was right in the middle of the Disney animation renaissance, along with films like Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King. With memorable songs and an iconic performance by Robin Williams as the Genie, this film quickly became a beloved classic.Our three cohosts discuss the new film and compare it to the original. Was there enough nostalgia, or maybe too much? Did it do enough to stand out from the original and be its own story? Was Will Smith able to fill Robin Williams’ shoes in one of his most memorable roles? The team is somewhat divided on these issues, but they all agree that by and large, this film is worth seeing and is ov