Starring: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad Director: Guy Ritchie “ALADDIN” is Disney’s latest live-action remake of its 1992 animated classic. The screenplay, co-written by Ritchie and John August, adds a framing device in which the familiar story of “Aladdin” from “One Thousand and One Arabian Nights” is being told by a mariner (Will Smith) to his children. We’re thus introduced to the tale of the title character (Mena Massoud), a petty thief in Agrabah, a city in an Arabian kingdom whose ruling Sultan (Navid Negahban) is preoccupied with finding a husband for his daughter, Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott). Jasmine, who chafes at living behind the palace walls, frequently ventures out into the city streets dressed as a commoner so she can better understand the people. It’s on one of these excursions that she meets the roguishly charming Aladdin and his monkey partner-in-crime Abu. Not long afterward, Aladdin is chased through the teeming streets by the Sultan’s men, in the process demonstrating an uncanny ability for singing and performing amazing feats of parkour simultaneously. Following Jasmine back to the palace, Aladdin encounters Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), the Sultan’s trusted adviser who’s secretly planning to take control of the kingdom. He forcibly enlists Aladdin to enter a magical cave and procure a lamp containing a Genie with the power to grant three wishes. In the course of carrying out the mission, Aladdin rubs the lamp and frees the genie (Smith, in bright blue CGI form), who fulfills Aladdin’s wish to be made a prince so he can be worthy of marrying Jasmine and, well, you know the rest. Despite having helmed some relatively family-friendly entertainments as the Robert Downey Jr. “Sherlock Holmes” movies and “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” Ritchie wouldn’t seem an obvious choice for this material. Indeed, the director responsible for such films as “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” provides an undertone of grittiness here that feels misplaced. Massoud, who possesses the requisite lithe physicality and toothy grin, and Scott, who sings gorgeously, display a winning chemistry and charm that make the central love story fully engaging. Smith, faced with the impossible task of living up to Robin Williams’ iconic voice performance, easily makes the role his own. His infectious personality shines throughout, and he even manages to infuse his martini-swilling genie with moving emotional moments. Unlike the blubbery animated version in the original film, however, the CGI-rendered character here is so distractedly muscled and buff that you wonder how he was able to hit the gym so often while trapped in a lamp. Kenzari and Negahban are fine as Jafar and the Sultan, respectively, while former Saturday Night Live regular Nasim Pedrad is endearingly funny in the newly created character of Dalia, Jasmine’s loyal handmaiden and best friend. But it’s Billy Magnussen who nearly steals the film with his too brief but hilarious appearances as the bizarrely accented Prince Anders. Ritchie keeps the film moving at a suitably fast pace, but everything feels obvious and telegraphed, including the obligatory monkey reaction shots designed for cheap laughs. A sequence in which the Genie saves Aladdin from death by drowning is staged so realistically that it may prove upsetting for younger audience members and seems a bit out of place amidst the magic-carpet flying and other fantastical interludes. The climactic showdown between the heroes and villains also feels overblown, more appropriate for a Marvel movie than a lighthearted Disney entertainment. Of course, none of these factors will prevent the film from raking in big bucks — although probably not as much as the upcoming redo of “The Lion King.” The movie is now being screened in Shenzhen. (SD-Agencies) | 