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First Reactions To Disney’s Aladdin Are A Bit Mixed

It seems that Aladdin has already been screened for a few lucky fans and critics, who are weighing in with their own reactions and thoughts.

Aladdin Genie

While Aladdin fans from all over are eagerly awaiting the live-action remake, the road to launch has been anything but smooth. Leading up to its release, Disney has come under fire for casting a white actor, using brownface to darken light-skinned characters, and, of course, Genie’s new look, which some have criticized for his unnatural skin tone and visual appearance situated right in the middle of the uncanny valley.

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While we’ll still have to wait a couple of weeks to see how the final product holds up, the film has premiered at the Grand Rex theater in France, and first reactions and impressions have finally made their way to social media. As CinemaBlend reports, the overall response has been generally positive, albeit with a few caveats.

Taking to Twitter, Digital Spy shared their thoughts, praising the performances of lead actors Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott (who play Aladdin and Jasmine, respectively), while also giving a shout-out to Will Smith’s energy-filled take on Genie, even if the CGI doesn’t do him justice. That being said, the outlet was not too fond of Jafar, the film’s antagonist. Unfortunately, though, they didn’t shed any light on what they took issue with.

Andrew Jones, a self-described podcaster and video editor, also had the chance to catch an early screening of Aladdin. He praised Will Smith’s role as Genie and commending the film’s humor and leads. While Andrew did find that the movie ran a little too long, he did shed some light on the end credits, which apparently feature a rap from none other than Smith.

https://twitter.com/EthanRunt/status/1126201396775325696

BBC reporter Haroon Rashid, meanwhile, called the film “amazing,” comparing it to a few Bollywood classics.

Thankfully, fans won’t have to wait long to check out Aladdin for themselves, as Disney’s latest live-action remake is due out in theaters on May 24th.