People are divided over Will Smith's performance of 'Prince Ali' in Aladdin
15 May 2019, 15:40
"How could they make Prince Ali so BORING :( It’s one of the best musical numbers in any Disney movie..."
From the day it was announced, Guy Ritchie's live-action Aladdin remake has been plagued with negative comments. From the casting decisions, to the trailer and the big reveal of Will Smith's Genie, the 2019 film really hasn't been able to catch a break.
Aladdin, starring Mena Masood, Naomi Scott and Will Smith, is set to be released on May 24 and it's still getting backlash online.
The first look at Disney's live-action Aladdin is here and the memes are savage
Thanks to a one minute clip that's just been released of the legendary Will Smith performing one of the film's biggest and boldest songs, 'Prince Ali', Twitter is absolutely losing it - and not in a good way. People are complaining that the musical sequence is "boring" and lacks the energy and personality of the original cartoon version.
In case you're not familiar with Aladdin (and if you're not, you are a disgrace), 'Prince Ali' is the song that the Genie sings during Prince Ali Ababwa's entrance parade to Agrabah. Genie is essentially acting as Prince Ali's hype man, convincing the crowds that he is a rich Prince and not the infamous street rat with a pet monkey who steals bread from the market. He's wooing the crowd, hyping the gals, he's getting the kids excited... it's one of the best sequences in the film.
In the original, Robin Williams delivers an iconic performance, chucking out several different voices and radiating chaotic energy through his vocals alone.
To be honest, it's completely unfair to compare Will's performance to Robin's because this is a live-action film. It's a completely different ball game. The vibe of the original is much easier to translate through animation than it is in real life with real humans, but regardless of that fact, the complete and utter lack of energy coupled with the slow-paced editing has caused a huge wave of backlash from fans online.
Some people were really not here for it, expressing how disappointing the entire thing looked.
how could they make prince ali so BORING :(
— gavin 🧸 (@belovedearly) May 14, 2019
it’s one of the best musical numbers in any disney movie https://t.co/jOXgb0ETBX
Have they ever seen Aladdin? This song is one of the hype but the scene is shot so slowly wheres the hype wheres the /life/ why is this a thing cmon now 😥 pic.twitter.com/vdTsEw3w2z
— chelswa @ FANIME! (@KeikoPinCosplay) May 14, 2019
i just dont understand why disney thought /prince ali/ of all numbers should be radiating "awkward nervous first time as lead role in a play" energy pic.twitter.com/oDLPoSTLXC
— yani (@dreamyalchemy) May 14, 2019
I couldn't get into the new "Prince Ali" song sequence. In the original, Genie was transforming and blending in the crowds acting as a "relateable" hype man to the public. You know, narrative. This is just Genie standing in front of a procession singing. There's no narrative. pic.twitter.com/E84pxrmvi3
— Gaijin Goombah (@GaijinGoombah) May 14, 2019
me listening to 'prince ali' from the new #aladdin teaser: pic.twitter.com/fFlopTXaJT
— M. Kirin 📚🌱✨ (@MistreKirin) May 14, 2019
Seeing that clip of will smith singing Prince Ali made me feel like this: pic.twitter.com/uWHO77eLFy
— Scarlett (@ScarlettKingdom) May 14, 2019
Some people thought the opposite, giving props to Will's performance and saying they're still gonna see the movie anyway.
My two cents on this whole Prince Ali thing pic.twitter.com/B5dnsRbAkG
— Austin Michelson (@aus_mich) May 14, 2019
Why...why is the new version of Prince Ali so slow. What is with Jasmine's friend. Have they awkwardly auto-tuned Will Smith?
— Ben M-J 🔜 Feral Vector (@V_Ben) May 14, 2019
I have so many questions, and all of them will be answered when I drag a friend with me to see Aladdin. https://t.co/QtWwz9KkCw
NEWS FLASH Will Smith’s Prince Ali version is not as flashy because this is a live-action, NOT a cartoon. Give Will’s Genie a chance! Geesh #May24th #Aladdin pic.twitter.com/uzWNsz7C3q
— Joshua Chenault (@joshuachenault1) May 14, 2019
Maybe this segment will work better within the context of the film. Having only the cartoon as a reference point though its just a slower paced version with less visual flair and of course neither of those qualities are ideal.
— Shesez🎦 (@BoundaryBreak) May 14, 2019
Cant wait. https://t.co/zQRZGhcOZz
Others just said the clip really reminded them of how great Robin Williams' talent really was.
They released the live action Prince Ali from Aladdin. I had low expectations but I didn't expect to get all teary eyed and spend it missing Robin Williams so much. This just reminds me of what an astounding talent Robin was. I think they should have made this a rap song instead. https://t.co/ObPKGBvfFQ
— Lis (@Ameligatha) May 14, 2019
Just watched the new Prince Ali number with Will Smith. Sigh, I just miss Robin Williams so much guys 😞 pic.twitter.com/5u43SJFZfn
— Amanda Gomba (@the_gombodian) May 14, 2019
If you were feeling a little disappointed with the lacklustre clip, do yourself and a favour and rewatch it at 1.25x speed. It works.
this is the craziest thing, when you play the Prince Ali song at 1.25 speed, it actually almost works.
— PoliMath (@politicalmath) May 14, 2019
thanks to @AppliedGiftedEd for that pointer.https://t.co/SfSAYsrulV pic.twitter.com/OVoyMUQZnv
