Aladin * *

In the league of hatke Bollywood movies, comes yet another brave but rather disappointing attempt.Aladin is a fantasy movie with some cute romance and gentle comedy.But the plot moves at an awful pace.Based on the Arabian nights,its an Indian adaptation of Alladin and the Genie.Ritesh Deshmukh(Aladin) suits the character but Jacquellin Fernandes(Jasmine) isn't looking cute enough to pull a Jasmine.AB delivers a marvelous portrayal of the legendary Genie and is the highlight of the movie throughout.The way he brings out the character is sure to impress masses.His dramatization and one-liners keep the spirit of the movie alive.

The place where this extravaganza takes shape reminds you of the beautiful city Agrabah in the epic with the palace,drums and carpets.Aladin looses his parents in an accident at a very small age when they go lamp-hunting over mountains.Aladin somehow survives the ordeal.His grandfather supports him through school and college.From his childhood days,he becomes the target of his friends teasing him on his name.They always make him rub a lamp and then make fun of him when no genie results out.But one fine day he finds the thing he's destined to have.The Lamp.And with it comes the Genie and three wishes.Power comes with responsibilities.Yes it's also true for Aladin and not just spider-man.Aladin is the chosen one.The one who can stop the evil genie,the Ringmaster(Sanjay Dutt) who himself was a genie once but lost his powers as he tried to use them for his own good.Sanjay Dutt just sleep-walks over his lines totally matchless to AB's performance.The Ringmaster has some strange assets in his circus.The hot-scar-face damsel,a pseudo wolverine,a joker and a few etc which justifies the fantasy tag the movie carries.The Ringmaster with his weirdo's tries to regain his powers courtesy some comet crossing over the earth and eventually loses the battle to the Aladin.


The cinematography is superb and most of the scenes are beautifully shot.The music of the movie is different than the average run-throughs in most commercial flicks.The Genie-Rap which introduces AB's character is full of energy and charm.And the song you-may-be is so damn romantic that you see roses all around.Overall the movie is entertaining for child audiences and is a bit slow and not at all griping for the grown ups.So if you have some little ones in your family,take them for this cute joy-ride.