Aladin

Flaws and entertainment are both equal. It is a fantasy movie made in Hindi, with a flavor of European gothicness. The gothic aesthetics is pretty well shown from settings, dresses to characters. The idea of "Kwaish" to saving the world from darkness deserves a little praise nevertheless. The story is average, good vs bad but in the realm of utopian world. The song "You Baby" is just heart-warming. Others are not so important, I feel. Amitabh Sir plays the role of an immatured genie who is wise as old and young adventurous just like Aladdin himself. He has shown both these characteristics reflecting the genie truly, the epitome of a funny wishmaster. Ringmaster is good though and his team is rather funny than fearful.

The film is made for entertainment, not a serious film. There are flaws, sometimes strong enough to make you uninterested. There are flaws in narrations, somewhere heavily dramatised, somewhere draggy, somewhere unnecessary scenes like Aladdin guitar scene. But Qasim Aladin scenes are really funny, needed more like that. It actually the bright point if the film. The story towards the end becomes heavy in plot, weighing heavy than the first. Genie's seriousness is not compatible with his previous nature. Finally the film ends with good at victory despite all these flaws.

The visuals are fine if you see the Bollywood development regarding effects in contemporary time. The story progresses in serene way and no restless environment is included in it. Had the duration of the movie been shortened by removing a few unnecessary scenes and songs it would have hit the mark. Still the director should be inspired for his effort in making a fantasy movie in Indian ground. Best of luck for his next project.

Watch it as an attempt for Bollywood in making a western fantasy film excluding the language.

If you have a child's mindset too also watch it and you feel the fun otherwise avoid it. A 50/100.

Hindi / Bollywood movies have come a long way, and I am impressed with this one! The above theme stands out, and I could find no fault with the way the story was written and portrayed. Everyone did well; perhaps though, I did find "Aladin's" acting somewhat 'wooden', and I felt he could've been more expressive. But I guess they wanted him to portray the image of negativity and a loser, and if so, then little more can be said. Definitely Jasmine and the Genie's parts, as well as the evil Ringmaster's, made up for any flaws. The special effects were fantastic! I liked it, and will watch again given the chance.

A must see for everyone!

Post "Jhankaar Beats" Sujoy Ghosh was the new whiz-kid on the block. One should give due credit to Mr. Ghosh for his product which was innovative ( a la "Dil Chahta Hain" in its own right). When he announced Aladin the expectations were riding sky-high on deliverables. Hailing from the land of "Harry Potter" one was expecting Alladin nothing short of Bollywood's answer to Harry Potter/ LOTR. And with due respect, Alladin does deserve brownie points for the look and feel of the fairy-tale neatly complimented with the CGI. And then... there ends the bag of goodies.

The plot/ storyline is lame and wafer-thin. Taking a classic and attempting to set it in the contemporary times, it takes a maverick to pull off the feat. Should have waited for Anurag's "Dev D" before kick-starting this project. Having said that, have you heard of Baz Lurhmann? Fiction/ non-fiction or fantasy/ reality, by either benchmarks the use-up of first two wishes was a plain day-light robbery. The ragging of Alladin is sooooo "Oh nooooo". The song in the climax was so very 1970/80's. Even the name of the town "Khwahish" gives away how ill-conceived the whole project was.

Mr. Ghosh, now I am pretty sure "Jhankaar Beats" was a fluke and goes to show the results of big decisions over a cuppa in a coffee shop!

Big B:: Brandish is perhaps the only word that comes to my mind. Well the stature Big B has reached, only he can afford to experiment with the roles. And in all honesty, at the cost of fulfilling the dream to work with their childhood matinée idol these newbies cannot justify/ utilise the opportunity of the goldmine.

Ritiesh:: Would not say perfect for role but unwise to say miscast too. So safe to comment that he was just OK. His blind-love for Jasmine was not fleshed out well.

Jacqualine Fernandes:: She was gorgeous and must improve on her acting skills to stay afloat in the industry.

Sanjay Dutt:: Well I was expecting a "Joker" performance and sad to say, he was a letdown. Kay Kay in Drona was much better. The background to his character was insufficient and there was no justification about the "Ring Master" miffing with the "Genie". And btw- his sidies were robbed from X-Men.

Ratna Pathak Shah:: Completely wasted.

Victor Banerjee: Again completely wasted.

Nonethleless, it is a golden opportunity gone amiss and why? Because my 5-year old dozed off to sleep mid-way and that speaks volumes, so least to speak.

Aladin directed by Sujoy Ghosh is disastrous.

The movie has superb VFX effects but the movie lacks in a good story which makes the film a huge disappointment.

Story:- Aladin Chatterjee (Ritesh Deshmukh) lives in the fictional city of Khwaish, an orphan who has been bullied by Kasim (Sahil Khan) and his gang members since his childhood. But his life changes when Jasmine (Jacqueline Fernandez) gives him a magic lamp - because it lets loose the genie Genius (Amitabh Bachchan). Desperate to grant him three wishes and to seek the end of his contract with the magic lamp, the rock-star Genius makes Aladin's life difficult until the real threat looms on the horizon - the ex-genie, Ringmaster (Sanjay Dutt).

With the help of Jasmine, Aladin and Tarnveer work together to defeat Ringmaster. In the end Aladin earns powers from the lamp.

The direction is poor.

The special effects are a feast to the eye.

The music is fine.

The dialogs are average.

Performances:- Amitabh Bachchan disappoints.He just screams and hams throughout the movie.Sanjay Dutt,too,overacts.Ritesh Deshmukh is the only saving grace.He is likable as Aladin.Jacqueline Fernandes is okay.Ratna Pathak Shah irritates.Ditto for Sahil Khan.

I am giving Aladin three out of ten only for its superb VFX effects and a convincing performance by Ritesh Deshmukh.Colossal disappointment!

Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, Aladin is set in the make-believe city of Khwaish in Northern India, where a puny boy named Aladin Chatterjee (played by Ritesh Deshmukh) has been bullied all his life and forced to rub lamps by his classmates because he shares his name with the character from that popular fairytale.On rubbing one such lamp, a genie does appear. This one's named Genius; he's played by Amitabh Bachchan in a gawdy wardrobe, and he wants to quickly grant Aladin his three wishes so he can retire in peace. Aladin's nursing a crush on the pretty new student in class, Jasmine (played by newcomer Jacqueline Fernandes), but knows it's unlikely she'll return his affections. Determined not to use the help of magic to win her over, Aladin urges Genie to help him woo her the old-fashioned way. In a parallel track, the film's villain, an ex-genie named Ringmaster(played by Sanjay Dutt) wants to get his hands on that lamp so he can take over the world. Ghosh uses superlative special effects to bring this fable to life, even if the narrative itself is occasionally choppy, leaving you befuddled over important plot-points like a comet whose reflection must be caught to gain genie powers. The film's often too-simplistic, going for light-hearted jokes and gags but it's still a welcome relief from the crude humor we've been subjected to in the name of entertainment lately. Aimed squarely at the kids, Aladin is a spectacle of sweeping sets, lavish dance numbers and never-before-seen visual effects including a stunning sequence in which Genius is raised to the skies, his chest ripped open and his powers snatched away. Not all is perfect, though. The editing is abrupt in places, with Ringmaster's scenes appearing almost forced into the narrative on more than occasion. The screenplay lacks smoothness, and leaves the audience to fill up the blanks themselves. Of the cast, Sanjay Dutt leaves a strong impression as Ringmaster, his look and his wardrobe contributing as much to his performance as his menacing delivery. Amitabh Bachchan is consistent, if a little OTT as Genius, but it's his scenes with Ritesh's Aladin that are the heart of this film. First-timer Jacqueline Fernandes is easy on the eye and appears confident, but has precious little to do. In the end, Aladin, belongs to Ritesh Deshmukh whose endearing performance pins you to your seat even when you're craving a loo-break after three back-to-back songs test your patience. It's a worthy watch, especially for the kids. It's also a rare reminder that you can have good, clean fun at the movies. Beneath all the special effects however, it's a noble story about standing up for what's right.