By Susan Granger
Special to WestportNow
“Aladdin,” Disney’s live-action remake of its 1992 animated classic stars Will Smith, first as a mariner/storytelling father and then as the jovial, blue-skinned Genii released from the lamp.
In the fabled kingdom of Agrabah, thieving Aladdin (Mena Massoud) — with his mischievous monkey Abu perched on his shoulder — nimbly lifts dates from a marketplace vendor and steals a bracelet belonging to Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), who’s incognito, spending time among the people of her city.
Thinking she’s the Princess’s handmaiden, Aladdin returns Jasmine’s bracelet, and these two attractive young people definitely connect. But the princess must marry a prince, not a pauper.
Enter evil Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), ambitious adviser to the Sultan (Navid Negahban), who dispatches plucky Aladdin to retrieve a Magic Oil Lamp from the Cave of Wonders.
In possession of a magic carpet, along with the Lamp, Aladdin summons the CG-enhanced Genii, who explains the three wishes. Aladdin’s first wish is to become Prince Ali so he can properly pursue Princess Jasmine with the Genii as his wisecracking wingman.
From there, it’s scrappy fun and games, peppered with familiar Alan Mencken/Howard Ashman-Tim Rice music: “Friend Like Me,” “Arabian Nights,” “A Whole New World.” Plus the new song “Speechless” by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land”) in which empowered Jasmine asserts her independence.
“It’s inspired by something that was really hidden for us in the original animated movie,” notes Pasek, referring to Jafar’s observation that Jasmine says little, noting, “You’re speechless, I see — a fine quality in a wife.”
“That’s very dismissive, misogynistic,” Pasek says. “So the inspiration was waiting for us.”
Writer/director Guy Ritchie (“King Arthur,” “Sherlock Holmes”) and co-writer John August don’t venture far from Disney’s lavish Arabian Nights fantasy, yet Richie astutely cast actors with Middle-Eastern roots: Mena Massoud’s Egyptian, Naomi Scott’s Indian and Marwan Kenzari’s Tunisian.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Aladdin” conjures up a refreshing, splendidly shimmering 7, not Disney’s best but an entertaining interlude destined to become a new Adventureland ride.
Every generation has a raunchy coming-of-age comedy — like “Porky’s,” “American Pie” and “Superbad” — so actress-turned-first-time-feature director Olivia Wilde delivers “Booksmart” for millennials.
At Los Angeles’ Crockett High School, snarky best friends/brainiacs Molly (Beanie Feldstein, recognizable as Jonah Hill’s sister) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever), accepted at Yale and Columbia, respectively, suddenly realize that — by concentrating only on their grades — they’ve missed out on all the fun.
It seems their playful, slacker peers are also headed to elite schools or great jobs. “They did two things,” Molly marvels, meaning studying and partying, while “We’re the assholes who did only one!”
Determined to spend the night before graduation making up for lost time, valedictorian Molly convinces social-activist Amy to embark on a raucous evening they’ll never forget. That means crashing the pool party hosted by hunky Nick (Mason Gooding), taking hallucinogenic drugs and experimenting with sex.
Shy, socially awkward Amy only agrees because she has a lesbian crush on skater-punk Ryan (Victoria Ruesga) and winds up on the bathroom floor with ultracool Hope (Diana Silvers). Plus there’s ethereal space-cadet Gigi (Billie Lourd, daughter of Carrie Fisher/Debbie Reynolds’ granddaughter) and lonely rich guy Jarek (Skyler Gisondo).
As it turns out, their Lyft driver is their moonlighting school principal (Jason Sudeikis) and their hip teacher (Jessica Williams) hooks up with a classmate.
Sensitively scripted by writer/producer Katie Silberman, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins and Susanna Fogel, the dialogue and vignettes ring true — and authenticity goes a long way. The characters are recklessly honest and achingly vulnerable, particularly when they discuss gender and sexuality.
Made more topical because of the recent college cheating scandal known as Operation Varsity Blues, the movie questions the real value of education, advocating finding worth beyond categories and labels.
On the Granger Gauge, “Booksmart” is a savvy, surreal 7 that, ultimately, turns out to be quite satisfying on the subject of female friendship.
Since superhero origin stories and subversive horror movies dominate the box-office, it’s not surprising that someone came up with “Brightburn,” a clever premise that combines both genres.
About a dozen years ago in the rural town of Brightburn, Kansas, a childless couple — Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle (David Denman) Breyer — realize a meteor has crashed on their farm. Aboard is a healthy baby boy — a heaven-sent answer to their prayers.
Naming him Brandon, they tell people he’s that he’s adopted. Now, as Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) approaches puberty, strange things seem to be happening to him.
While helping his dad with chores, when he accidentally throws a lawn mower 100 yards across a field, Brandon smugly realizes, “I’m special.”
So he decides to stalk a pretty classmate, Caitlyn (Emmie Hunter), who once sympathized with him when he was teased for being so smart. Putting it mildly, Caitlyn is not pleased. Indeed. She calls him a pervert, dropping him during a ‘trust fall’ exercise in gym. So Brandon crushes the bones in her hand after she’s forced to help him up.
Brandon soon becomes defiant, manipulative and, eventually, homicidal, wearing a cape fashioned out of the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby. Is it all somehow, inexplicably, connected to that malevolent space pod, vibrating and glowing in a locked cellar in the barn?
Director David Yarovesky (“The Hive”) turns Superman into the Bad Seed — on a thrifty $6 million budget — under the supervision of producer James Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), whose brother Brian Gunn and cousin Mark Gunn wrote the warped, formulaic screenplay, focusing on grisly gore, never delving into the creepy concept of an evil superhero, capable of mass destruction.
“Brightburn” was originally scheduled for release last November but scuttled after Disney fired James Gunn and canceled his appearance at San Diego’s Comic-Con.
On the Granger Gauge, “Brightburn” is a fright flick 4 — with a sinister end credits sequence that signals a sequel is in the works.
(Editor’s Note: Westport resident Susan Granger grew up in Hollywood, studied journalism with Pierre Salinger at Mills College, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in journalism. In addition to writing for newspapers and magazines, she has been on radio/television as an anchorwoman and movie/drama critic for many years. See her reviews at www.susangranger.com.)
