10. Tolkien

The life and legacy of one of literature’s greatest ever storytellers, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, was brought to the screen in a tale of beauty and magic in Tolkien and the partnership of director Dome Karukoski and stars Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins made for something very special. Shot with an enchanting eye for the lavish, Tolkien brought together gorgeous imagery with a powerful story of passion, friendship and love and explored how these themes and experiences shape our lives and make us into who we are as individuals. It was a tribute to the power of creativity and after watching this film you couldn’t help but be inspired to create something by it.

9. Aladdin

When it comes to live-action adaptations of classic Disney films, Guy Ritchie’s loud and action-packed rendition of Aladdin certainly takes poll position as being the best adaptation so far. Will Smith brought all of his considerable blockbuster star appeal to this cinematic work and absolutely shined in his performance as The Genie with plenty of light and energy. Newcomers Mena Moussad and Naomi Scott had undeniable chemistry as star-crossed lovers Aladdin and Jasmine, and their charming performance and magical vocals put the sparkle into this tale. Packed together with Ritchie’s trademark rock n’ roll flair and bursting with colour, Aladdin sprinkled plenty of magic for audiences and it was an absolute wish come true.

8. Ad Astra

Director James Gray journeyed to the very edge of our solar system and into the soul of one man in this introspective and breathtaking science fiction film that demanded to be seen on the biggest screen possible. A slow-burn tale of man’s quest for knowledge and his truest self, Ad Astra enchanted its viewers with the phenomenal cinematography of Hoyte van Hoytema, and Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt has never been better with a character that tested every part of himself as a performer. Ad Astra was a film in the grandest scheme of things and was bound together with innovative and thought-provoking ideas related to man’s search for meaning and a desire to explore the cosmos. It has been some time since I can remember seeing a science fiction film of such power, and Ad Astra certainly achieved its mission of delivering the extraordinary.

7. Ford v Ferrari

The adrenaline kicked in at over 7000 RPM here in Ford v Ferrari and all-star director James Mangold captured the passion, competitiveness and brotherhood of the track in a perfect tribute to the golden age of racing. Stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale were perfectly paired together as racing legends Carrol Shelby and Ken Miles, and their joint pursuit of glory on the track absolutely amped up audiences. The film’s racing scenes were wild and uncontrollable and literally put audiences in the driver’s seat and captured the essence of what it means to go fast.

6. Booksmart

When it came to cinematic originality this year it doesn’t get more impressive than actress turned director Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut Booksmart. Packed full of original ideas and some of the best comedy delivered all year, it was a riot of a watch from beginning to end and you were sure to rock out in your seat here. Starring the genius combination of Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever as over-achieving know it all’s Molly and Amy who realise that they’ve done high school all wrong and decide to go crazy for one night only, Booksmart delivered all the goods and then some, re-writing the teen comedy genre in the process. Every single frame of this incredible film was packed full of entertaining goodness and you most definitely found your groove with this one.

5. Hustlers

The hustle was on in this flashy, loud and outrageous true story of a group of women who decided to use their very unique talents to make their own version of the American Dream come true. Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu were super-fly in this one and whether they were strutting about the stage, or staging their own unique enrichment schemes you couldn’t look away. Fun, smart, clever, scandalous and incredibly sexy, Hustlers was a film that absolutely took its audience by surprise and made for one of this year’s most memorable film experiences. 

4. Avengers: Endgame

When it comes to blockbuster films that will define this last decade then it is easily Avengers: Endgame that will reign as the gold standard of what a blockbuster movie experience is. As the culminating event of just over a decade and 22 feature presentations from Marvel Studios films, Avengers: Endgame was the defining moment of one of modern cinema’s greatest ever sagas. Epic moment after epic moment was brought together in this incredible piece of cinema and when our heroes finally assembled, in one of the great moments of cinema history, we knew we had witnessed the extraordinary. They don’t get much bolder or grander than this and this was a film that tugged at all of your emotions and pulled every string of your heart. It was utterly marvellous in every sense of the word.

3. Long Shot

They say opposites attract and they certainly don’t get more different than Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen and these two phenomenal performers were an absolute hoot to watch in 2019’s standout romantic comedy Long Shot. Packed together with incredible laughs and plenty of flirtatious moments, Long Shot was a love story that had plenty to say about both attraction and what we should look for in the ones we love…along with that classic comedy that we’ve come to love from Rogen and director Jonathan Levine. Packed full of light and warmth, this one had me in a fit of uncontrollable laughter and I absolutely loved the journey that Charlotte and Fred underwent to find their own special kind of love. Long Shot was a hilarious and impactful watch from beginning to end and it was sure to leave a smile on your face.

2. Jojo Rabbit

Taika Waititi is a director of incredible spirit and warmth and his work on the sensational Jojo Rabbit proves that he is a filmmaker who rapidly deserves to take over Hollywood thanks to his incredible talents. While on the surface Jojo Rabbit presented itself as a light-hearted comedy, there was much more driving this cinematic feat and at its core was a film of amazing depth and power with a strong focus on themes of love, tolerance, acceptance and freedom. It presented a powerful and sincere message in our very turbulent era and is one of the most powerful statements to come from any working artist in Hollywood today. In my opinion, it was far and away the most important film of the year and its impactful story was sure to strike a chord with all who watched it.

1. Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood

But now, the moment that everyone has been waiting for, when it comes to the best film of 2019 there is only one answer…and that answer is of-course Quentin Tarantino’s ninth feature film, Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood. This tribute to the end of Hollywood’s Golden Age tracked the fortune of two fading stars in an age of rapid change and was packed full of swinging style and bound together by one incredible narrative. It was a piece of cinema that demanded to be seen on the biggest screen possible. In all, I saw this film four separate times at the cinema and it was a thrilling experience each and every time. Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood is a revelatory piece of cinema and Tarantino was working at the top of his game with this one. It’s as if every part of his career was pointing him in the direction of this masterwork and the revered filmmaker, along with his dynamic duo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt absolutely delivered with this incredible feat of filmmaking. They just don’t get much better than this.

Images: Sony Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Studio Canal, Roadshow Films

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A kind-hearted, thieving street urchin, Aladdin, is in love with Jasmine, the princess of Agrabah. To win her love, Aladdin is ordered by Jafar, the Grand Vizier to bring him a magical lamp, which wields the powerful Genie. Now it is upon Aladdin and Genie to stop Jafar and his evil intentions and marry the love of his life.

Beloved by many, Aladdin is a vital chapter of the Disney Renaissance and now director Guy Ritchie re-imagines it’s bold storytelling for the big screen in a magical and exotic fairy tale that really entertains. Known for his incredibly masculine sense of direction, Ritchie’s talents and narrative interests serve Aladdin well here, as he takes the story of a street kid named Aladdin and injects the film with his hard-charging sense of action cinema. This, mixed in with the fairy tale, fable magic that audiences expect from Disney, makes for a very thrilling adaptation. Aladdin represents both the familiar and the new for Ritchie, and he really invests himself in the project. As a father of five children himself you feel that he was making this film out of a desire to just entertain his kids, and in doing so the greater audience get a very fun treat.

Taking on the role of Aladdin is Canadian-Egyptian newcomer Mena Massoud, and this young actor really shines as the young street kid who wants to be more than he is. There’s an instant likeability to Massoud’s Aladdin, and he’s able to handle himself in the wide ranging role which stretches him in as a performer. Whether that’s as the happy-go-lucky street kid, daring parkour runner, smitten romantic or just being a straight up klutz after assuming his Prince Ali get up, Massoud has a great sense of himself as the character and you really buy into his journey as a good person who just wants to be more than he is  and who wants a shot at some kind of greater sense of happiness.

Standing next to Massoud is Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine and the young actress does a terrific job of channeling one of Disney’s most beloved princesses to the big screen. As Jasmine she is a very modern woman in a fairy tale world who is trying to find her place, just as Aladdin is, and navigate the stringent and complicated rules of her life. Caring and compassionate, Scott’s Jasmine is invested in the lives of the people of Agrabah, and desires for a way to help them from the high palace that she finds herself locked away in. Scott also has a great chemistry that she shares with Massoud, and as their romance grows together, you can feel the love in the air. She also unleashes a phenomenal voice as Jasmine and her musical performances hold the attention of the audience in awe.

But if Aladdin does have a scene stealer than it is quintessentially Will Smith as the one and only Genie of the Lamp. Strutting over the cinema canvas with plenty of fly style and exuberant confidence, Smith’s Genie is the ringmaster of this exotic fairy tale and he has a ball with the role. Spinning with rap-music energy, Smith really brings his animated personality to the role and his life as a performer really helps inform himself as the character. But alongside this joyful self is also a deeper analysis of the Genie and what he ultimately would wish for himself: freedom. And it’s this desire, and Smith’s expression of it that gives the character real depth and significance.

Smith also gets to put his rap game to amazing use with plenty of incredible musical performances including the likes of ‘Friend Like Me’ and ‘Prince Ali’ (which just happened to be my favourite), and his 90s flair as the Fresh Prince definitely shines through. Ultimately, Smith makes the Genie his own, while also honouring the late, great Robin Williams at the same time, and I think Robin would be smiling with what we get here.

In terms of it’s location and cinematic style, Aladdin is a picture filled with exotic colours and rich textures and Ritchie and his team make this Middle Eastern world come to life in such a believable way that you feel like you could run your hands through the sands. Taking influences from a broad range of Middle Eastern cultures, production designer Gemma Jackson, who was responsible for the world building of Game of Thrones, brings to life the amazing locales of Agrabah. Her focus is on building an environment that is bright, foreign and incredibly inviting and magical. And she absolutely succeeds with what the audience sees on screen.

Ritchie’s fantastical cinematography captures all of it here, and again he’s able to focus in on some amazing compositions of colour and energy. This is particularly true for the film’s buoyant musical numbers, while the film’s action set pieces really get amped up thanks to his directorial eye. Incorporating advanced parkour free-running see’s Aladdin and Jasmine traversing the city of Agrabah with vibrant energy and the Cave of Wonders provides an incredible mystical environment, which with the aid of Ritchie’s kinetic style, realises the epicness of the Arabian Nights.

Like it’s 1992 forebear, music and sound play a massive part in the realisation of Aladdin, and the grand score and fantastical songs of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman are joined by new music composed by the whizz-kid combination of the noted Pasek & Paul, and the resulting soundtrack is a wish truly granted. Again, the score uses a strong Middle Eastern and culturally diverse range of sounds and musical structure to bring this fairy tale to life, and with the addition of Will Smith’s hip hop stylings you get something very different and unique for Disney audiences. The songs here are vibrant and packed full of passion and you’ll definitely be grooving in your seat.

From beginning to end Aladdin is a joy to watch and it’s mix of love, action, music and acceptance will appeal to audiences of all ages. It’s the perfect family watch, and you’ll be truly transported to a far away fantastical adventure that is everything you could wish for and more.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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A brand new spot has just been released which highlights an amazing amount of new footage, and showcases the vocal talents of Mena Massoud’s Aladdin and Naomi Scott’s Jasmine as they offer up their own rendition of the classic ‘A Whole New World’.

When noble Agrabahan street thief Aladdin (Mena Massoud) stumbles upon a magic lamp and the Genie (Will Smith) who lives inside of it he suddenly finds himself swept up into the adventure of a lifetime.

Disney fans are really going to be in for a treat with Aladdin, and with everything we’ve seen in the previous trailers, along with this new footage, it looks like this is going to be one fantastical watch.

Get ready for plenty of magic when Aladdin arrives in cinemas on May 23.

The post Get ready for a whole new world with ‘Aladdin’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Watch the all-new trailer below:

Here’s the full synopsis:

When noble Agrabahan street thief Aladdin (Mena Massoud) stumbles upon a magic lamp and the Genie (Will Smith) who lives inside of it he suddenly finds himself swept up into the adventure of a lifetime.

Director Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes) has crafted something extraordinary here, and that sparkling Disney magic is alive and well in a film that will really entertain. Will Smith completely goes for all it with his full-on star power charisma and he really makes the Genie his own, while also throwing in his own tribute to the spirit of the late great Robin Williams.

Wrapped up with magnificent visuals, plenty of wonder and jiving music, including our first taste of reinterpreted classic songs including Never Had A Friend Like Me and A Whole New World, it’s very clear that this blockbuster take on Aladdin is going to be one incredible ride. Young stars Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott also have plenty of great chemistry as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine and their shared carpet ride is filled with that spot on Disney romance.

It doesn’t get much better than this all new trailer for Aladdin and brace yourselves for one fantastical cinematic experience when it arrives in cinemas on May 23.

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