2019 has been dubbed “The Year of Disney” with “Dumbo,” “The Lion King” and “Aladdin” upcoming as live action films. Many are frustrated Disney continues to make live action remakes of classic films, but I think we should give Disney a break.
The “Aladdin” teaser trailer was recently released, but it left some Disney fans unsettled, particularly surrounding Will Smith as Genie, according to BBC News.
I am sure Smith knows the shoes he must fill are huge; there is no Genie like Robin William’s Genie. The complaints go farther than the choice of actor, though. Viewers are complaining Smith’s face on a blue CGI genie body is both awkward and frightening. Had Smith appeared as the Genie and not been blue, though, I suspect there would have been outrage.  
Disney is faced with the task of finding a balance between feeding into the nostalgia of past fans and creating something different for a new generation of fans. 
Those who are angry Disney is abandoning such a classic form of animation for awkward CGI should admit the original was not animated perfectly, either. The CGI tiger head on the Cave of Wonders just did not fit, and nearly every movement between characters has motion blur. 
But even I worry how Disney can possibly translate Aladdin’s quick escapes from guards and merchants. How can they recreate the “Prince Ali” number onto the big screen in a fashion that is not animated? Why is Disney trying to change “Aladdin” when the original is still deeply loved and widely watched? 
This live action “Aladdin” should not be looked at as an upgrade, but as a retelling. Disney is only doing what it knows best: retelling old stories in a new and interesting way. Before “The Lion King” was “The Lion King,” it was Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
Before Ariel attempted to win over Prince Eric in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” she was dissolving into seafoam in Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid.” Even the 1992 “Aladdin” is a retelling of an Arabic folktale in the collection “One Thousand and One Nights.”
I expect Disney will incorporate new elements in “Aladdin,” just as they have with other live action remakes. In “Maleficent,” a new side of a classic Disney villain is shown.
The new film opens opportunities for new, more detailed and visually exciting scenes. The teaser trailer alone promises stunning scenes of bright colors. One in particular is when Prince Ali is making his way into Jasmine’s castle, a scene I personally cannot wait to see fully unfold onscreen.
I trust Disney. This is neither their first live action remake, nor is it their first expansion of “Aladdin.” The ’90s were filled with “Aladdin.” Both “The Return of Jafar” and “Aladdin and the King of Thieves” were released during the decade, along with the “Aladdin” TV series. It was even adapted into a live musical, premiering in 2011.
This film might not turn out to be perfect. There have been moments in past live-action remakes that have left me less than satisfied. For instance, Gaston’s neck was not as incredibly thick as I expected, but I have been pleased overall with Disney’s remakes.
Ultimately, no one has seen the film yet, and it is too early to judge.