Unlike the rest of the world, we have decided not to compare Rocketman to Bohemian Rhapsody. Because literally everyone has already done it. To be perfectly honest, we found Rocketman to be a much better movie than Bohemian Rhapsody because it attempts to use the medium of film to its fullest. If you want true to life, make a documentary. Films are by definition fiction. Both Aladdin and Rocketman are musicals and we find it more enjoyable to compare within a genre. In addition, we went to see Aladdin and Rocketman in the same week.
Aladdin
Pros: The cast had potential, they seemed to have good chemistry. With a better script and direction the cast alone could have made it work. Some of the comedy bits were actually functional. The costume design was eye-catching.
Cons: Musicals are really not Guy Ritchie's forte, or epic storytelling for that matter (see the disaster that is King Arthur). He's much better at the tongue-in-cheek comedy. Talking of musicals, why did it have to be a musical? Repeating something that has already been done is not inspiring. It's exactly the same complaint we have of the Beauty & the Beast remake. The beginning immediately threw us off. There are no character introductions. If you're making a stand-alone film, it doesn't matter if it's a re-telling or based on previously known source material, you need character introductions. You cannot go in with the assumption that the audience already knows these people. It's a cardinal sin in storytelling. That is unforgivably lazy writing/directing. The film is quite cluttered. Pretty much every frame is full of something, even when it needn't be. So your eyes never get a moment of rest and that makes it difficult for you to tell what to focus in on the screen. Oh, and good job making Jafar incredibly boring. The animated Jafar is one of Disney's most enjoyable villains.
The original narrative theme (of being trapped) wasn't there and they hadn't bothered to replace it with something else. The scene where Aladdin was even more of an asshole than in the animation (the one where he fights with Genie), and then suddenly without any internal or external prompting changes his mind is just lazy. That scene epitomizes the languidness of this film. Furthermore, we're not big on the arrangements of the songs. A Whole New World in particular was quite dreadful. All in all, the movie's pretty lackluster and unremarkable. And that in itself is a disadvantage. This remake is a basic example of current film trends. Everything needs to be explained and the message must be hammered in, because obviously the audience would never get it otherwise. Why bother using visual means, when you can simply say it?
Rocketman
Disclaimer: We might be a bit biased, because we fucking love Elton John.
Pros: Casting was even better than we imagined. We forgive Bryce Dallas Howard's accent since she at least plays the character convincingly. Storytelling happens mainly through visual means. They have given new meanings to the songs by presenting a different context, hence the songs actually function as musical pieces that further the story or tell you something about the characters. The story's not all over the place, it focuses on the few themes chosen for the movie. We do love an unreliable narrator, which Elton basically is. The costume design is downright divinely inspired. They made surprisingly good and competent arrangements of the songs.
Visually much more balanced than Aladdin. When the frames were cluttered, that was purposeful to express something storytelling wise. Even when the frame was full, you knew where your focus should be drawn.We didn't want a documentary, so we were happy to see a film that used the medium as intended and created a fantasy that might as well be an Elton John song itself. We like personal, intimate and character driven stories. So obviously that's a pro for us.
Cons: A few cheesy moments here and there. Between the climax and I'm Still Standing the ending felt a little drawn out. On a couple occasions it might sound like someone singing Elton John in a karaoke (when it's not the lead actor).
General: It's pretty obvious that we think there is no contest on which was a better movie. Essentially, Aladdin feels like the Disney cash grab and is perfectly mediocre to boot. Rocketman is super accessible and commercial (despite the useless R rating, it was rated 12 in Finland). Yet it has passion for the craft, a little artistic flair and creativity that is now almost extinct in commercial mainstream films.
Aladdin
Pros: The cast had potential, they seemed to have good chemistry. With a better script and direction the cast alone could have made it work. Some of the comedy bits were actually functional. The costume design was eye-catching.
Cons: Musicals are really not Guy Ritchie's forte, or epic storytelling for that matter (see the disaster that is King Arthur). He's much better at the tongue-in-cheek comedy. Talking of musicals, why did it have to be a musical? Repeating something that has already been done is not inspiring. It's exactly the same complaint we have of the Beauty & the Beast remake. The beginning immediately threw us off. There are no character introductions. If you're making a stand-alone film, it doesn't matter if it's a re-telling or based on previously known source material, you need character introductions. You cannot go in with the assumption that the audience already knows these people. It's a cardinal sin in storytelling. That is unforgivably lazy writing/directing. The film is quite cluttered. Pretty much every frame is full of something, even when it needn't be. So your eyes never get a moment of rest and that makes it difficult for you to tell what to focus in on the screen. Oh, and good job making Jafar incredibly boring. The animated Jafar is one of Disney's most enjoyable villains.
The original narrative theme (of being trapped) wasn't there and they hadn't bothered to replace it with something else. The scene where Aladdin was even more of an asshole than in the animation (the one where he fights with Genie), and then suddenly without any internal or external prompting changes his mind is just lazy. That scene epitomizes the languidness of this film. Furthermore, we're not big on the arrangements of the songs. A Whole New World in particular was quite dreadful. All in all, the movie's pretty lackluster and unremarkable. And that in itself is a disadvantage. This remake is a basic example of current film trends. Everything needs to be explained and the message must be hammered in, because obviously the audience would never get it otherwise. Why bother using visual means, when you can simply say it?
Rocketman
Disclaimer: We might be a bit biased, because we fucking love Elton John.
Pros: Casting was even better than we imagined. We forgive Bryce Dallas Howard's accent since she at least plays the character convincingly. Storytelling happens mainly through visual means. They have given new meanings to the songs by presenting a different context, hence the songs actually function as musical pieces that further the story or tell you something about the characters. The story's not all over the place, it focuses on the few themes chosen for the movie. We do love an unreliable narrator, which Elton basically is. The costume design is downright divinely inspired. They made surprisingly good and competent arrangements of the songs.
Visually much more balanced than Aladdin. When the frames were cluttered, that was purposeful to express something storytelling wise. Even when the frame was full, you knew where your focus should be drawn.We didn't want a documentary, so we were happy to see a film that used the medium as intended and created a fantasy that might as well be an Elton John song itself. We like personal, intimate and character driven stories. So obviously that's a pro for us.
Cons: A few cheesy moments here and there. Between the climax and I'm Still Standing the ending felt a little drawn out. On a couple occasions it might sound like someone singing Elton John in a karaoke (when it's not the lead actor).
General: It's pretty obvious that we think there is no contest on which was a better movie. Essentially, Aladdin feels like the Disney cash grab and is perfectly mediocre to boot. Rocketman is super accessible and commercial (despite the useless R rating, it was rated 12 in Finland). Yet it has passion for the craft, a little artistic flair and creativity that is now almost extinct in commercial mainstream films.
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