The movie for the most part sticks closely to the original 1992 animated Disney classic which raises the question, why remake it? I think we all know the answer to that query:
Aladdin 2019 occasionally diverges slightly from its predecessor and that's generally a good thing, except when it's not. For example, it was wise to not have Will Smith try to emulate Robin Williams' genie, because frankly, no one could. But Smith is a charming and funny guy, and his genie is best when this is allowed to shine through. The film really picks up after Aladdin meets the genie in the Cave of Wonders.
Also, the Sultan in this film is a big disappointment. In the original, he's childish and charming. In this version, he's just a sad sack, moping about. Part of the problem is that, in its bid to make Jasmine a strong leader, the film portrays her father as being weak and ineffectual. The worst is when Jaffar is staging his coup and instead of even protesting verbally, the Sultan stands meekly silent, staring at the ground, while Jasmine delivers a fiery speech. I can't tell you how annoying this is. Women in movies can be strong without making the men in their lives utter weaklings.
The 3-D, as expected, was for the most part unneccessary and distracting, though I could see the point of it in a couple scenes with the flying carpet. If I had a choice however, I'd pass on the 3-D. In addition, somewhere during all the spectacle, I started reflecting on how tired I am of CGI. Perhaps it's because I watch so many classic films, but it seems now that any modern movies I view are wall-to-wall CGI. Amazing things can be done with it, sure, but... I'm just tired of it.
Oh, and during the dance sequence in the Cave of Wonders- "Never Had A Friend Like Me"- there's a very brief tribute to the Nicholas brothers' dance routine in the 1943 movie Stormy Weather which delighted me. Come to think of it, that's about when I decided that the movie wasn't so bad. Kudos to whoever sneaked that in there- I hope it was on purpose.