Movies
Alyx’s Favorite Movies of the Decade
Another list! But this list is sharing what I considered to be my favorite movies of the decade. They may not necessarily be “the best” but they are the ones that I still think about years later, or maybe they were “the best” lol. I decided to go by year. I’m not going to go through each movie, but I will choose my favorite from that year (if applicable) and give a quick reason why.
Alyx’s Best Movies of 2019
Alyx’s Worst Movies of 2019
Alyx’s Favorite Movies of the Decade
2010
Top Film: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
I friggin love this movie. I don’t think it’s the “best” movie of the year but it’s my favorite. The use of music, the comedy, the acting is all so much fun that I watch this movie whenever it came on television. I’ve read the graphic novel series (the film is a great adaptation of that by the way). This movie is a gem. If you’ve never seen it then you should watch it. If I come across it and I don’t have something in mind I’m about to watch, I’ll watch this lol.
Black Swan, Kick Ass, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, How to Train Your Dragon, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, The Karate Kid, Easy A
2011
Top Film: We Need to Talk About Kevin
If you haven’t seen this film, just know it’s a very strange film lol. But I remember watching it and being like WTF is this movie and it’s amazingly good. The acting is fantastic, particularly from Ezra Miller as Kevin. Each version of this kid is literally evil lol. I just… it’s dark but it’s so good.
Bridesmaids, Chronicle, Drive, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, X-men: First Class, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Captain America: The First Avenger, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
2012
Top Films: Avengers & Perks of Being a Wallflower
Avengers is such a monumental film for superhero movies in general. It brought together characters we watched come to life and grow in other films and now we have them working together! It was great! It was so much fun, and it was clear that the MCU had a hit on their hands and it made me excited for what they were going to do next.
Perks of Being a Wallflower is a movie I wanted to see when it first came out, I ended up seeing it much later, but I loved it. The book is also phenomenal. It’s a coming of age story, set in the 90s and it’s beautifully acted by Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller (the movie I fell in love with him). The musical choices were great and to take a book written in letters and create a film that feels so raw and real, was so good. I really do love this movie. It’s emotional and I think anyone can find something in common with one of the main characters.
Beasts of the Southern Wild, ParaNorman, Rise of the Guardians, Django Unchained
2013
Top Film: Fruitvale Station
I saw this movie years after it came out. It had such a heavy topic and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it and I wasn’t but it’s amazing. It was ignored during Awards season which is ridiculous. Michael B. Jordan was amazing as Oscar Grant, even if the movie takes liberties with the story, the heart of what was happening was there. This young man was taken from his family and this is still relevant to this day. Ryan Coogler created a beautiful film and it also launched the friendship/movie partnership between Coogler and Jordan, which I’m excited to see what else they do.
12 Years a Slave, Frozen, Inside Llewyn Davis, The Croods, Mud, The Spectacular Now, Short Term 12, Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf of Wall Street
2014
2014 was a great year for movies!
Top Film: Captain America: Winter Soldier
Anyone who knows me knows that I love this movie and it’s my favorite and, in my opinion, the best MCU movie. It feels so different from the films that came before it. It was a spy movie wrapped in a super hero movie. There were major stakes. I always enjoyed Cap from the previous movies, but this movie is when I decided he was my favorite Avenger. His arc over the course of the movies really take a turn here even if his morals were never shaken. The action was amazing. Sebastian Stan as Bucky/Winter Soldier was delightfully tragic (also made me love Bucky to pieces, he’s not a villain and I understand Steve’s reasons in Civil War) I haven’t reviewed this movie but when I do my MCU marathon, I shall.
Birdman, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Guardians of the Galaxy, John Wick, Nightcrawler, Whiplash, Selma, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Edge of Tomorrow, Snowpiercer, Kingsman: The Secret Service
2015
Top Film: Creed
This was hard because there wasn’t a lot of movies I loved, or that stuck with me this year. It came down to Room and Creed, but I chose Creed because I remember all the work, I put in just to watch it. I did a Rocky marathon, I managed to get pre-screening tickets to see it, I did some magazine contest or something. Then I saw it in the movies like three more times lol. I love this movie. I love Michael B. Jordan, I still feel like this movie got ignored a lot during awards season. Annoying. But I liked the journey that both Rocky and Donny go on in this film. I root for the relationship blooming with Donny and Bianca. I like the music choices. The fight scenes were both fantastic and I loved that Donny didn’t win at the end. Yes, I know it’s very much like Rocky in that it’s formulaic but when I watch it, I’m not thinking of the similarities, I’m thinking of the possibilities of what they could continue to do.
Ex Machina, Inside Out, Room
2016
This was a good year for movies as well!
Top Film: Moonlight & Zootopia
I believe my favorite film of this year at the time was La La Land and I don’t care, I loved it. But now that it’s been a little while, I recognize that I would much rather watch Zootopia (which was my number two film) and that Moonlight holds so much more weight.
Moonlight is a beautifully subtle film that goes through the life of this one young man. As a child, a teenager and a young man and we see him go through different things that help shape who he might choose to be later. Not to mention, there is a love story that stretches over two parts of his life and that’s handled without feeling to “try hard”. It’s beautiful. My favorite section is the “Chiron” part when he’s a teenager.
Zootopia is one of Disney’s best. It’s a cute animated, mystery adventure but at its center is a lot of reference to social issues. I’ve seen it many times and every time I watch it, I manage to catch something different each time. The voice cast is great, it’s funny, it’s colorful, kids can enjoy it and so can adults.
La La Land, Deadpool, Kubo and the Two Strings, Captain America: Civil War, Kicks, Moana, The Boy and the Beast, Don’t Breathe, The Jungle Book
2017
Another great year for movies!
Top Film: Lady Bird
This was my favorite movie of the year even when I did my Top Movies list. I really loved this movie. I really felt like I was watching someone’s life instead of a movie. As always, Saoirse Ronan was great and her tumultuous relationship with her mother was hilarious and tragic at the same time. For a debut film, Greta Gerwig had a gem.
Call Me by Your Name, Baby Driver, Coco, Get Out, IT, Thor: Ragnarök, Logan, Split, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Wonder Woman, Your Name, John Wick: Chapter 2, Beauty and the Beast, Sleight, Girl’s Trip, My Friend Dahmer
2018
Top Films: Black Panther & Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Black Panther- I mean, what can I say? It was amazing. It was my number 2 for 2018 but it’s still a monumental film. I mean, I felt every bit of this movie. The acting is amazing with the standout being Michael B. Jordan’s villainous Killmonger and Dain Gurira’s Okoye. The music, the costumes, the emotional story… this movie is amazing and for the ages!
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse- This is THE best Spider-Man film. The animation was unique and amazing. The characters were well written, well-acted and the message behind the story can touch anyone. It’s a bit of a coming of age story as well because Miles must really come into his own as a superhero, as someone who can trust himself be confident enough to embrace his new role. Not to mention, little kids can see themselves in Miles but especially little black and brown boys.
A Quiet Place, Avengers: Infinity War, Sorry to Bother You, The Hate U Give, Love Simon, Incredibles 2, Mission Impossible Fallout, Bumblebee,
2019
Top Film: Aladdin
Obviously, this wasn’t my “best of the year” but it’s probably my favorite. I saw it fives time in the theaters, no shame, and I love it. I don’t care about any negative things about. I loved it lol. It’s a remake but I thought it had a lot of heart, the costumes were great, I loved the music, even the changes to some of the classic songs and Jasmine’s new song. I think it’s an easy movie to watch and have a good time.
Knives Out, Booksmart, Aladdin, Queen & Slim, Little Women, Shazam! Spider-Man: Far from Home
So! That’s my movie decade in review! Of course, these are my opinions and I just had to share the movies that made an impression in the last decade.
Please share your favorite movies from the decade in the comments below! I would love to read your choices!
Thanks for reading and thank you to all my followers. I really appreciate you guys and welcome to all the new followers! I hope I can give you a little something to look forward to.
Alyx’s Worst Movies of 2019
You’ve seen Alyx’s Best of the Year list so now it’s time for Alyx’s Worst of the Year list. This year has been pretty good with the good movies outweighing the bad ones, at least that I saw but I still wanted to share the movies I saw that I either didn’t like, or I liked/enjoyed but recognized it wasn’t good.
In my opinion these are “Alyx’s Worst” Films of 2019.
Dishonorable Mentions: Anna, Don’t Let Go, Captive State, Ma, The Upside, Godzilla: King of Monsters, Shaft, Five Feet Apart, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, Tolkien
10. The Sun Is Also a Star
This movie is very disappointing to me to the point it hurts. I was really looking forward to it even when I was skeptical about the casting. But I loved this book, I even reviewed it because I loved it so much. The movie was boring, while I thought the two leads were okay, I still feel like they were miscast. It felt too long, and it felt like nothing was happening. The characters would go place to place and then talk. Rinse repeat.
9. The Lion King
I wasn’t going to have this on my list at first but then I thought about it and I remembered that while there was stuff, I enjoyed, there was a lot that was wrong. It’s a beautiful movie, don’t get me wrong but this is basically a shot for shot remake of the animated film which is already a great film. The cast had a lot of promise and for the most part, they delivered but there were some moments where the delivery was terrible. Sometimes the music also didn’t always make sense, like why is “Spirit” in the middle of the movie instead of in the credits? Why are they singing a love song about “love tonight” but it’s during the day? Why make Nala say a line like “lionesses attack!” when the delivery is laughable? I just can’t lol.
8. Dumbo
I love Disney and most times they can do no wrong, but this was wrong. I love the animated film and I am always optimistic about the remakes because I’m interested in seeing what they do. But outside of Dumbo being super cute, I really disliked that they focused on the humans. I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE HUMANS. Some movies just don’t work in live action because y’all want to make the people important and I didn’t come for them! I came for the cute elephant.
7. Brightburn
This is a movie where I was really interested in the premise because that’s an interesting premise. The idea of someone with great abilities turn evil instead of good? That’s awesome. But the acting was over the top, the story was rushed, and it just seemed like they wanted to get as many “scary/horror” moments as possible instead of giving me a well written story. There was a lot of potential here as well but alas, it was squandered.
6. Glass
So, I loved Split and I loved James McAvoy’s character and I was into seeing what they would do with it going forward, especially once it was revealed it was part of the Unbreakable universe. This movie was going to bring together three interesting characters annnnddd… nothing. The best part of this movie was any scene with James McAvoy. Don’t get me wrong, Samuel L. Jackson and Sarah Paulson are both great but SLJ sits quietly the entire film. It was so underwhelming, and I cannot imagine what it was like for people who have been fans of Unbreakable since it came out. I mean, I cannot believe that ending and it was so lackluster. Ugh. However, that gif of The Beast running was fantastic.
5. Escape Room
These people make stupid decisions. Again, interesting premise, especially considering escape rooms are popular. Most of the characters are extremely unlikable and the acting is also not good. It’s just bad. Some of them manage to do well but overall, it’s bad. It’s cliché. Then you have the last act of this film… WOW! This movie is not good. If you want a horror movie based on a phenomenon… don’t choose this one lol.
4. Dark Phoenix
I normally like the X-men films. I mean, some are way better than others but for some reason, they keep attempting this story without giving it the proper attention it deserves. It felt like nothing was happening except Jean running from place to place crying. What was the point of having that alien race? That felt like it was thrown in at the last minute. Why couldn’t Chastain’s character be like a human embodiment of the phoenix force? I don’t like how they villainized Charles! What was the point of even having Erik in this movie if he effed off to some peaceful colony? People still feel useless, but they keep putting them in these films! I just! I don’t get it! This movie was soulless! The potential is there and that’s why it’s so high! Because it makes me mad!
3. The Intruder
This is a movie we’ve seen 50 million times and it’s just not good! I hated these characters, especially Megan Goode’s character, she is the reason a lot of the stupid stuff happens in this movie. Girl, your husband said he didn’t like or trust this man, stop letting him come in your house! I wanted to smack the taste out of her mouth. Ugh! Then the music would assault to let me know something was about to happen instead of just letting it happen. If you’re a thriller, THRILL me, don’t ASSAULT me. Man, I want to fight this movie lol. I’m getting mad just thinking about it.
2. Gemini Man
I did not like this movie and I think it sucks because there’s a ton of potential in it. The acting is fine and most times the CGI is good for young Will but the CGI on other stuff doesn’t work for me. The story also isn’t that interesting, and the movie feels like it was made in the wrong time. It feels dated. I didn’t like it lol.
1. Men in Black: International
I didn’t really expect much from this movie to be honest but literally no one cared about this movie. Hemsworth and Thompson were great because they are and they have great chemistry but the story, was so bad. I can’t even tell you what happened in it because I literally did not care. This is the worst movie of the year to me because it just felt like them trying to “reboot” this franchise, but they had no idea how to accomplish that.
That’s it! That’s my list! I hope you all have enjoyed spending the movies of 2019 with me! Please in the comments share your WORST movies of 2019.
Happy New Year!
Alyx’s Best Movies of 2019
Of course, everyone usually puts these kinds of lists out before the year is out BUT I wanted to give myself a chance to watch a few more movies I had in my queue, but I probably won’t be able to watch them and get this list out before its been too long. So, without further ado…
In my opinion these are “Alyx’s Best” or better yet “My favorite” Films of 2019. I saw a lot of movies, some I never managed to get to, but I saw most of the ones I was looking forward to.
Honorable Mentions: Frozen II, Abominable, John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, Good Boys, Captain Marvel, It Chapter Two, Avengers: Endgame, Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Joker, Fighting with My Family, Toy Story 4, The Kid Who Would Be King, Us
Alyx’s Top Movies of 2019
12. Spider-Man: Far from Home
I loved this movie. As I said in my review, it’s probably now my favorite live action Spider-Man film. It’s my opinion of course and that could change when I finally do my “Spider-Man” marathon but I loved what it did. It connected to the previous stories in the MCU, but I liked what they did on their own. Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man is so relatable. Zendaya’s MJ was given more life and we got to know and like her more. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio was a great villain and the story is emotional but contained. I really loved it.
11. Aladdin
This movie is here because I loved it. It’s also second to last because I don’t think it’s the best movie out of my choices, but I loved it so much. So much. The music was great, the costumes were amazing. I loved the chemistry between Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott, plus the friendship between Aladdin and Genie (Will Smith) was fantastic. I loved the new life they breathed into the story. It didn’t replace the animated classic, but it just added to my love for Aladdin in general.
10. How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World
I went over the animated films I’d seen this year and I think this is the best one. I’m sure it will once again not get the Oscar is deserves, but this is a great finale to an equally great trilogy. The animation is amazing and clearly has gotten better since the first film. The emotional weight in this story between Hiccup and Toothless is handled well. I’m pretty sure I cried. If you want a wonderfully animated and written story, this trilogy is where to go, and this final film wraps it up beautifully.
9. Booksmart
My friend and I saw this movie and we had a great time. The friendship between the two leads worked well, their chemistry was amazing. It’s a funny adventure of two high school graduates trying to rectify their high school career of not having fun. They want all the fun now and it leads to a ton of shenanigans. For Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut, it was a great and hilarious film!
8. Fast Color
I was going to put this in my honorable mentions but considering how different and fresh this film felt, I had to put it here. I spent most of this movie in awe because of how beautiful it is. There is a sadness to it because of the estranged relationship between mother and daughter on both ends. But a movie about generations of black women having powers? Not to mention, how the film portrays those powers using color, this film is so beautiful and subtle that I really want a sequel.
7. Shazam!
This is the only DCEU film so far, that I really liked all the way through. It’s funny! It’s fun and I loved the chemistry between Billy (both versions) and Freddy. The superhero stuff is great too. While the villain was one dimensional, I liked Mark Strong in the role. I also liked the mythology behind the shazam powers. I like the idea of them being passed on to others who are worthy and that they look for kids because there is a chance they haven’t been “corrupted” by the world yet. That’s a very nice idea. This is a movie I would come back to often.
6. Ready or Not
A movie I watched recently, I had no idea what I would expect but I really liked it! The characters are fun, and the actors clearly had a great time in the film. The story is unique in that the characters aren’t quite into doing what they’re doing but they do it because of… weird reasons lol. It gives a new meaning to the phrase “final girl” lol.
5. Rocketman
I LOVED this movie. I mean I really did. I was surprised at how much I loved it. I am by no means an “Elton John fan” pass me knowing some of his music and I like it. The music is amazing, and Taron Egerton was so good as Elton! It’s emotional and being based on a true story, I like how they incorporated reality with music to allow us to understand the times in Elton’s life. I love musicals and this is very much one, but the music helps tell the story instead of just happening.
4.Luce
I recently watched this movie and it’s amazing. The story leaves a lot of room for viewers to interpret differently. I think that’s important for a film like this. The acting is fantastic, led by Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Luce. His character is enigmatic and you’re probably going to go back and forth between what you believe in this. It’s a quiet film in a lot of ways and worth watching for different understandings each time you watch.
3. Knives Out
I really liked this! The cast in this movie is AMAZING. Everyone really does a great job. The mystery is intriguing and mysterious and very well written. Plus, the cinematography and costuming give it this old-fashioned look and feel which works for the world these people are living in. I find that mysteries like this aren’t always handled well when it comes to films, they try too hard to make it “mysterious” or they don’t allow the audience to figure it out as well but this film doesn’t try too hard but allows the story to unfold and allows the audience to figure it out as well.
2. Queen & Slim
It took me a moment to decide where this movie would fall in my lineup. I was a little unsure of how I feel about it when I finally saw it but the black romance that develops in this film is written really well. I found the two main characters well written and well acted, particularly Daniel Kaluuya who I love. The story is important, relevant and emotional. It think everyone will get a little something different out of it and perhaps discover something new each time they watch it. I hope for more well written black stories in the future.
1. Little Women
I LOVED THIS MOVIE. I’ve always loved Little Women and it truly is a timeless story because watching it in a different storyteller’s hands as an adult, gives me the chance to completely connect way more than I ever did. It feels new. The acting is amazing, especially Florence Pugh, who plays a character I never quite liked, but she made me like her. She made me be okay with the romantic choices that I was never okay with. Saoirse Ronan was also amazing as Jo March and I connected so much with her. It’s an emotional story that I loved and I will watch again and again.
That’s it! That’s my list! I hope you all have enjoyed spending the movies of 2019 with me! Please in the comments share your favorite movies of 2019.
Happy New Year!
My Thoughts: Aladdin (2019) Sequel
So, anyone who has talked to me in the last two months or so knows I have been obsessed with this movie since I saw it when it came out. I’ve seen it five times. The last time being on Father’s Day with my parents and youngest sisters. I know there has been negative commentary about it and that’s fine, I don’t care, I think it’s crazy, but I LOVE THIS MOVIE.
There are mild spoilers ahead so if you haven’t seen the movie yet then I would exercise caution in reading this piece. You can read my Movie Review: Aladdin.
Anyway, the film ends with a great open ending in terms of the story. Yes, Aladdin and Jasmine marry, and Genie and Dalia go off and have kids which is beautiful.
Side Note: I have to say, I thought the romance between Genie and Dalia was cute, innocent and pure. I’ve seen people (mostly on Tumblr) say that it’s a “forced relationship” among other words and I completely disagree. I thought Genie and Dalia were sweet and awkward and Will Smith and Nasim Pedrad had nice chemistry. I mean, why shouldn’t Jasmine’s best friend and Aladdin’s best friend have some interest in each other? Neither one of them gets out that much and plus, the way that Aladdin and Jasmine supports the romance between Dalia and Genie is super cute.
Idea 1: Return of Jafar
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Return of Jafar, it’s the lesser of the two sequels I think, but it would make for a great live action sequel. At the end of this Aladdin (and in the animation) they get Jafar to turn himself into a Genie and he gets trapped in a lamp. Our Genie tosses him back into the Cave of Wonders. Now here is where things would pick up. It’s been a year since they defeated him. Aladdin and Jasmine are married, she is Sultana and doing a bang-up job at it and Aladdin is at her side as King, or Sultan or whatever his title would be. But I would imagine he’s a little restless considering his life of movement before.
But, I don’t necessarily want to follow the exact plot of the animated film. But somehow Jafar needs to be freed from the lamp. In the animated film, a different kind of thief comes across the lamp after Iago somehow manages to get himself and the lamp out of the cave and leaves the lamp in a well after being sick of Jafar’s bossiness. Now, I’ve never really liked Iago like that so he doesn’t have to have such a large role that he has in the animated sequel, but unless the Cave of Wonders resets itself every time someone failed to get inside or someone failed to get the lamp, or even that the Cave’s purpose is over since the lamp was already taken then it could just be a pile of rubble and our Genie’s magic never actually made it through whatever rubble the cave is in now, which would allow for some thief to get it, it was Abis Mal in the animated, we can keep him I guess but make him more competent. That was a run-on sentence, I know. OR, since it’s Jafar’s lamp now and he’s a terrible person, perhaps the Cave’s magic doesn’t work the same since this Genie is a massive jerk?
But regardless, I want to see Jafar get his revenge and I want to see him win for longer than a few hours. He threatened Aladdin before he got sucked into the lamp, so I would imagine he would be pissed and go after the princess who thwarted and defied him and the street thief who made him look like a fool. BRING IT ON. I might just write this sequel lol.
Idea 2: King of Thieves
So, obviously we need to explore Aladdin’s history, his parents and all that. In the movie he says he lost both of his parents when he was young, but I don’t think he ever said how. Perhaps his mother died but he’s not sure what happened to his father, so he just assumes he’s dead… WHICH HE ISN’T!! He’s the King of Thieves… Cassim, hot dad lol. Choose a brown actor and make sure he at least resembles Mena Massoud because I’ll forever be mad at Stellan Skarsgard’s casting as Orlando Bloom’s father in the POTC movies. They kept saying Will was Bill’s spitting image and they looked NOTHING ALIKE. Anyway, I would love to explore how Aladdin and his father are so similar and any other shenanigans. They don’t have to be looking for the Hand of Midas or pull exactly from the animated film, but I think it would be great to see Aladdin have a whole person enter his life who is into some dark and bad stuff. It would be a different kind of personal story since it’s his father and he never really knew what happened to the man. Oh, that would be so great!
Idea 3: Another Country
Let’s see some other countries in this world. We can go to Shirabad sure, but I’m thinking more along the line of, Jasmine and Aladdin visit another country on the Silk Road for something and perhaps the royal family, a rival young King maybe, is a super jerk? Or perhaps another kingdom wants to invade Agrabah and/or conquer all the desert kingdoms… let’s go to war! This is the lesser of my ideas.
Idea 4: Married Life
I wouldn’t mind having a romcom like film with Aladdin and Jasmine getting used to married life and all the shenanigans that happens with that, like what is Aladdin’s actual title now? I really like the idea of him having a difficult time being in a ruler, especially since he’s made a name for himself as a thief. I would assume the guards who were on Jafar’s side were punished so none of them would be a problem exactly, but maybe some people in the kingdom? I don’t know but I would be interested in seeing how they handle being married. It seemed like Genie and Dalia were returning to Agrabah at the beginning of the film, so are they there to stay? They already have kids and stuff, so Aladdin and Jasmine must have been married for a while or there is some pocket of magic that allowed time to move differently for Dalia and the Genie?? Let me just also say, I think Will Smith’s Genie should also retain some of his magic. Maybe not like phenomenal cosmic powers but some of it should be left if he’s had magic for 10,000 years. It can’t just be gone. Anyway, let’s get it.
Idea 5: Mozenrath
Do y’all remember him from the animated show?
He’s a dark sorcerer, similar in ways to Jafar and I would quite enjoy seeing him on the big screen. So, I know he’s really pale because of where he lives, but just hire a light skinned POC as it’s not an excuse to cast a non POC actor. Anyways, he and Aladdin often butted heads and I remember reading that they wanted to introduce him as Aladdin’s older brother he didn’t know about in the third movie, but they decided to explore Aladdin’s dad instead. Now, I’m not against the idea of him being Aladdin’s older brother, perhaps from another woman, but we’ve seen that many times, so I would rather that not be the case. I’m even hesitant on him being a friend Aladdin knew from the city. Sooo, perhaps he was “friends” with Jafar, perhaps he knew Jafar from Shirabad since Jafar is clearly from Shirabad and not Agrabah.
There are a few episodes in the show that have good plots they could adapt. “Two to Tangle” is about Mozenrath dying because of his dark magic gauntlet or whatever, so he wants to transfer his body into a younger, stronger, healthier one and he chooses Aladdin. That could be interesting. There are a few others but this one is a little less cheesy lol.
This is My Thoughts on an Aladdin sequel with my Top Five ideas. I really think this movie deserves one, way more than Maleficent does, don’t even get me started on that, and there is a ton of material to pull from with the animated show, or even creating a new and interesting story. Plus, I want to visit this world again with Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott leading the charge. Shoot give me a television show on Disney Plus! Something!
Thanks for reading! And thanks to everyone who has liked and followed this blog! I am so grateful for my readers! Also, to everyone who has followed me, thank you so much!
Please feel free to comment, I love feedback. Let me know what you think of these ideas AND what would you like to see in a sequel. Tell me something good!
My Thoughts: Live Action The Little Mermaid
So, anyone who knows me knows that my favorite Disney movie is The Little Mermaid. Ever since I was a kid, I have wanted to be a mermaid and Ariel has always been my favorite Disney princess. I know this movie pretty much word for word.
Back when Disney announced their slate for the live action remakes, I remember seeing The Little Mermaid being part of that list but it didn’t seem to be finalized like the others were. If read any of my other pieces about the live action, you know that I’m okay with these remakes. They don’t bother me the way they seem to bother other people. I loved LOVED Aladdin, I loved The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast.
You can also check out My Thoughts: Disney Remakes. I’ll probably do another post similar to this now that we have more of these.
I think TLM would be a nice big challenge to do live action and to do well. We’ve seen mermaids in other mediums but they never really show them having an entire kingdom and conversations under water. It’s always above water and what not but then after watching Aquaman, which I thought was just okay, it’s clear that it can be done. Now, I would imagine that with the resources and funds that Disney has, their effects would look a lot better than they did in Aquaman.
The Cast
So, we have a few confirmed actors for the characters.
Halle Bailey as Ariel
Ariel has always been my favorite Disney princess and I’ve always related to her curiosity and wonderment. Sure, everyone likes to pick on her because she gave up her life to be with a guy, and while I’m not saying that’s not true, she wanted to go to the surface BEFORE she even saw Eric. She sings “Part of Your World” before she even sees him. So, let’s not act like she saw him and it was a wrap. ANYWAYS, I like this casting.
I know a good majority of people wanted Zendaya and don’t get me wrong, I was up for that as well, especially when the picture below surfaced. It’s lovely fanart and I like Zendaya, I know she can act, I like her singing voice (they would just have to make the music in a lower range since Zendaya’s voice is just a tad deeper) but I’m not surprised as she’s doing her thing in her new HBO show AND she’s Michelle “MJ” Jones in Spider-Man.
But I’m not mad at Halle Bailey’s choice because I think she’s cute, she’s young (19) and has a wistful look about her AND she can SING. I am always impressed when she and her sister perform because they both have beautiful voices. I also really like her look and I love the fact that she has locs and I REALLY hope they keep that look and if they want to keep the red, which I am partial too, then just dye her locs a lovely red color.
I have not seen her act, I know she’s on Grown-Ish but I don’t watch that show right now, so I’m not familiar with her acting, but Ariel spends a majority of the movie silent. So, a lot of her acting will be emotional/dramatic and physical. It was cute to see her try to fit in with the humans and it’s funny. They also gave Ariel some great emotional and dramatic moments in the animated film and she’s animated beautifully whenever she’s surprised, sad or anything of the like. So, I really hope that Halle Bailey can do all of that and more. It would really give her the chance to show what’s she got. I have faith in her.
Prince Eric
*swoons* He was one of my first movie crushes. Him and Aladdin lol. We do not have a Prince Eric just yet BUT I have some thoughts on this. So, I wouldn’t necessarily be mad if they kept Eric, Caucasian or if they race bended him to Asian, Hispanic whatever, but I would assume that his Kingdom would be just about located in/around the Caribbean so it makes more sense for him to also be black, plus, it would probably just sit better with people that Ariel didn’t leave her black family behind, or gave up her voice because she fell for a white guy. Just saying. I had a few ideas come to mind for him.
If they didn’t make Eric black then I would pick Shawn Mendes because I like him. I think he’s the right age, he’s cute and he can sing, they can give Eric a song in the movie lol and he’s biracial… his father is Portuguese.
My top choice right now is Jordan Fisher.
I actually thought of Kelvin Harrison Jr. first, well his face not his name lol, I think he is super cute but I saw Jordan Fisher mentioned in an article about it and I was like OMG! Why didn’t I think of him sooner? I love Jordan Fisher. He has a great voice, singing and speaking, he is super charming and I think with his personality, they would give Eric way more to do (at least I hope so). He’s 25, which I think should be the cutoff age in terms of casting someone now that wouldn’t be too much older than Halle Bailey. I would assume when they start filming will be 2020 so she’ll be 20 and he’ll be 26 which keeps a healthy gap. Anyone older would be too weird.
This is Kelvin Harrison Jr. He’s also super cute, he’s 24. Now, I don’t know about his acting just yet (He’s in the movie adaption of Walter Dean Myers’ book Monster, called All Rise which I’ve been waiting to see). I also think he’d look great with Halle Bailey.
Also also, my coworker just mentioned this, Avan Jogia could be a possible contender for Prince Eric. I still prefer Jordan Fisher but I wouldn’t be mad at making Jogia a Disney Prince.
King Triton
My instant thought when I saw Halle Bailey’s casting was Idris Elba or Morris Chesnutt lol, which people are agreeing with me hahaha.
I think he’ll be amazing, plus with his great voice, whether he keeps his accent or not, I think he’d be great! He has that majestic feeling about him. I think he’d be great. Also give him locs like he has in Thor, make them nice of course, but give him silver hair instead of white hair.
Ursula
I don’t like this casting at all. I enjoy Melissa McCarthy for the most part but the funniest I ever found her was Bridesmaids and Spy. Ursula is humorous yes, but she is also devious, she is cunning, a little sexy and she’s scary. Right now, I cannot see McCarthy pulling this off, in fact, in my mind, she’s doing her same old shtick. I have not seen the movie she was recently nominated for but this is a Disney movie, and I feel like she’ll go overboard. I don’t like it.
Queen Latifah
Some years ago, Annie Leibowitz, the photographer, does a series of photos where celebrities are Disney characters and they had Queen Latifah pose as Ursula. I think this is inspired casting because Queen is regal like Ursula, I think she can pull off the sexy and the terrifying!
LIZZO
I was introduced to Lizzo from RuPaul’s Drag Race, she was a guest judge and I loved her energy and humor. I heard that she expressed her want to play Ursula and I even saw her Twitter video of her singing a bit of “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, which of course needs to be SLAYED by whoever plays Ursula and I want an anthem, not some kind of talk/jokey hybrid. I enjoyed what I saw. I’m not super familiar with her music just yet, but I do plan on checking on her because I have liked what I heard so far. I’m down for it. She would be a younger Ursula but why not as Jafar was younger lol.
Sebastian
Obviously, he wouldn’t be an actual person but I wonder what he’s gonna look like because I mean, he’s a crab lol who looks a bit like a lobster. It shall be interesting. I heard someone mention Lin-Manuel Miranda for the part, but I think he should just stick to doing the music as the music was a nice highlight for Moanaso he should just do that and let someone else play Sebastian.
Tituss Burgess played Sebastian in The Little Mermaid on Broadway and he was excellent. I saw it on YouTube years ago and it was great quality lol. He can totally reprise the role again here, he just won’t be on stage this time, but he has great energy, he’s sassy and he can SING. Let’s get it.
Jacob Tremblay as Flounder and Awkwafina as Scuttle
These two are together because they were the first cast announcements.
I adore Jacob Tremblay ever since I saw him in Room, he was fantastic. He’s done well in everything I saw him in even if I don’t particularly like the movie lol but I think he’s a perfect choice for Flounder.
As for Awkwafina, she annoys me, her voice, she’s not that funny and I get this try-hard vibe from her so I’m like…
but I guess I’m okay with it in the end because Scuttle is also annoying so I guess it works out in the end.
Ariel’s Sisters/Atlantica/Eric’s Kingdom
Atlantica should just be a very diverse place as should Prince Eric’s kingdom. I’ve seen a lot of push for Eric to be Asian, so regardless if he’s Black or Asian, just make sure his kingdom has a bit of everyone in there, especially living on the water. Perhaps his Kingdom is a bit of a port city, a lot of immigrants I would think.
As for Ariel’s sisters, there are a lot of jokes out there right now, but I do think they should have Chloe Bailey be one of her sisters, perhaps the second to youngest, and maybe Ariel is really close to her. I’ve seen a lot of “King Triton should be white and some of her sisters should be” and I’m like “No, give me a black family.” So, they can clearly have different colored hair if you want to be funky, just make sure it doesn’t look ridiculous when doing it, but I do believe her sisters were all blondes and brunettes, so it could also just simple hair colors and have Ariel stand out with her having red locs. I think it would be pretty cool.
The Music
We know that they are bringing back the classic songs, which is great, and Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda are working together and I think there might be some new songs, which is cool. I think Eric needs a song lol. I just hope we keep the same feeling of the music, particularly in ‘Part of Your World’ but update it to fit the new world and Halle Bailey’s lovely voice. I really liked what they did to the music in Aladdinso it can be done in a contemporary way.
The Story
The story is well-known if you’ve seen the animated feature. It is very different from the original story by Hans Christian Anderson, thank goodness because that story is dark lol. But mermaid wants to go to the surface world as she has collected so many trinkets, one day she sees actual humans, including a human prince who catches her eye and now she really wants to go in order to meet him. She saves his life which allows him to have some idea of the woman who saved him and then shenanigans ensue.
I think in order to update this story line more, so it’s not just this girl giving up her life to be with some guy, but perhaps give her more opportunity to see him, or maybe even talk to him. Something so we see her have the chance to fall for him more. I’m thinking, we see the opening as usual, so skip forward to when she sings “Part of Your World” and of course the fireworks and the boat and all that. So, she manages to climb up high enough to watch the men on the boat, I would even say throw some women on there, women can be sailors, and they’re having a party, dancing, singing some song, sharing food and laughter. It would be a grand sight and she’s intrigued by all of this. Of course she sees Max, something she’s never seen before, but then maybe they break out into some sailor’s song or something and Ariel hears Eric sing (which leads into Jordan Fisher singing his song), something quick and she’s enamored by his voice, which I feel like it would be a nice connection because she loves music, she’s supposed to have this beautiful voice compared to her sisters and Eric also has a nice voice. She watches him as he dances, mingles and sings with his people and she likes his energy and charm.
So of course, she saves him as usual, she sings her song and then swims off. I WANT THEM TO MEET AGAIN as it would make more sense. This movie will probably be two hours long as it’s not animated and has the chance for more meat on its bones.
Hear me out.
After she runs off the first time, she comes back maybe a few more times. Eric walks the beach often with Max, maybe with the hope of seeing the mysterious girl again. Maybe Eric has a solo song? Something about his duty and freedom, lol I don’t know. Then later, Ariel goes a bit early, hiding in the same place among the rocky area and hums the song she sang or “Part of Your World” which she sang the reprise to him. He comes right on time and recognizes the song and she’s hiding in the rocky part of the beach and he’s like “It’s you isn’t it?” and then they have this awkward conversation, where she refuses to show herself to him. I feel like they could do this a few times to give them a chance to talk and for her to fall for him more which would attribute to her growing want/need to be on the surface.
When her father finds out she’s gone multiple times, talked to a human AND has fallen in love with him, it gives him way more of a reason to destroy her grotto and more of a reason to go into Ursula’s arms. Also, I feel like Triton should mention something about her mother, perhaps Ariel looks just like her and she was killed, like in the prequel movie. This is all good stuff. When Ariel finally shows up on land, of course she can’t talk so Eric doesn’t recognize her voice or her singing voice which means she just has to go off of her personality which is charming too as she is literally a fish out of water.
I think that they should give Ariel and Eric more interactions so she doesn’t just leave her family behind like others like to point out so often. Then the rest can follow as normal, just throw in more meat to fill in that runtime.
I think it’s important for their relationship to feel organic and not just rushed. I think it can be done if done correctly. I’m a little wary of Rob Marshall as the director but hopefully everyone surrounding him helps create a lovely story that is the one, we know and love but also updated.
Overall
I’m excited for the movie and to see what becomes of it. I am a bit nervous just because it is my favorite Disney movie and Ariel is my favorite Disney princess, so I definitely hold this one really close to my heart, but I’m not going to hate it before I even see anything. I always try to be open-minded so I can’t wait. Film production begins in 2020 and I think 2021 would be too soon so I anticipate May 2022 for release. We’ll see though lol.
Thanks for reading!
Trailer Reaction: Aladdin (2019)
You guys! The official trailer for Aladdin dropped and I think it’s glorious!
As I said in “My Thoughts: Live Action Aladdin“, I’ve been hopeful and optimistic for this movie ever since it was announced. I love Aladdin, it’s always been one of my favorite Disney movies, favorite movie of all time. I think it lends itself to live action really well, it just depends on the people involved and how it’s handled. The teaser trailer made me smile but I was like “okay, this is cute” but THIS trailer has me rejuvenated and I’m so excited to see it. Now May is a tricky month, usually a lot of big blockbusters come out but I think Aladdin has some nice cushion that it won’t be dogged out by other larger movies. Plus, it’s Disney, plus it’s a live action reimagining so… I think it’ll be fine.
Now, I’ve only done this one other time and it was when Beauty and the Beast came out, you can look at that reaction here. I won’t do it all the time, but maybe just for the Disney ones, I don’t know. But I knew I wanted to do it for this.
So here is Agrabah, at least the lower levels and I think it really gives this world some depth and I like how not only does it remind me of the animated film, but it kind of makes its own way.
Here is our resident street rat doing awesome parkour stuff, which he should be able to do considering he knows the marketplace like the back of his hand and he must be able to escape from the palace guards whenever he can. It makes sense that he can do these cool awesome things. Plus, Guy Ritchie does action scenes well, so I’m hoping that the beginning with him running through the marketplace coupled with “One Jump” that it will be a fun opening, not to mention all the action that happens at the end when Aladdin returns to save the day!
So I’ve always liked the foreshadowing in the animated film when Aladdin takes that rug and uses it to escape at the beginning only for him to find a living rug in the Cave of Wonders and it helps him escape then. So, I think it’s rather cool that they have him holding it like he’s going to use it but then he doesn’t, maybe it was a diversion?? lol I don’t know but it made me laugh when I rewatched the trailer. Not to mention, the rope he’s using also holds up the scaffolding the guards are standing on, so two birds one stone.
The guards fall into a big thing of flowers, instead of cow dung lol and the flowers fly and slowly fall around Jasmine and I think it’s a really beautiful moment. Naomi Scott looks great in that scene and I love her slow turn with the flowers and then Aladdin’s “Whoa” moment upon seeing her. I know, she pretty lol.
THEN DISNEY LOGO. Side note, does anyone remember the old Disney intro with Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey Mouse using magic to make the Disney logo appear? If I find it while writing this, I’ll add it to the final edit.
FOUND IT!
So then we see Jafar walking towards a barred door with Iago flying in the background. Probably his secret lair where he finds out who the diamond in the rough is and he’s talking in the background to Aladdin. He’s appealing to Aladdin’s desires, which is of course super smart because you get someone to do the dirty work for you who is willing to do whatever.
As he’s talking to Aladdin in the desert but the big difference I see here, is that Jafar is talking to him as himself. Which in the Broadway play, he doesn’t disguise himself as that old man, he just saves him from being killed by the guards and sweet talks him into helping him. So perhaps they’re going that route with this which I think is interesting because then when he sees him later, will he be quick on his feet about recognizing him and thinking he’s no good? I’m curious.
Gosh her outfit is beautiful. Now we have Aladdin on the camel following Jafar and his people out into the desert to the Cave of Wonders and it looks really cool! I mean it’s built right into the side of the mountain and I wonder if it’s always there or if they have to summon it. I like the fact that it’s always there, just maybe not awake?
But he gets in there and the inside looks really cool! He’s climbing on giant rocks to the lamp and we get the shot we got at the end of that very first teaser.
I like the way he’s looking at the lamp. It’s like wonder and awe but at the same time he’s really careful. He’s lived on the street all of his life, he’s surrounded by treasure and I’m sure he was told not to touch anything else and he’s probably like “Okay… nice and easy… don’t do anything crazy” because that’s exactly what I would be thinking while trying to pick that up. Plus… is it heavy? Aladdin is looking at the lamp and the details on it is very beautiful. He rubs it and here comes the blue smoke!
He looks so good coming out of that smoke! So he’s putting on this booming voice and talking about working for the master and the wishes three and all that normal genie stuff… you know I have to say, I think since Robin Williams was pretty much Robin Williams while portraying the genie and it was iconic, it makes sense for them to allow Will Smith to do the same and I think he’ll do a great job at it. But he was kidding and then “Friend Like Me” plays and I wonder if it’ll be more like a rap. I mean the beat sounded the same but it had a bit of extra spice in it and I loved it. I can’t wait to see the animation and CGI in this scene. It has to be better than the “Be Our Guest” in Beauty and the Beast because while I liked it, it was a little lackluster.
Definitely has some of that Fresh Prince flair to it doesn’t it? I’m actually here for it more than I was before.
Aladdin and Genie are overlooking the desert and carpet looks awesome! Genie snaps them back into a little shelter and he’s now looking like a regular Will Smith human. I really do like the costuming on his human form. Aladdin asks Genie if he can make him a prince and the Genie tells him there is a lot of grey area in “make” instead of “wishing” because make could mean… make a prince and he makes a prince lol.
See the prince in the background? lol he just made him appear instead of “creating a prince persona” for Aladdin. I like this kind of personality he seems to have. I like that while he seems to be fun-loving, he also doesn’t use a joke for everything he needs to say. Not saying that it wasn’t great in the animation to see that Genie do that, but it’s nice that he’s already appearing like his own character. I also loved Aladdin’s reaction to seeing Genie magically appear in a different place than he was before. It was cute.
He’s turning him into a Prince! I think this is such a great clip to show us. We get to see Will Smith more in the blue and it’s a lot less jarring than it was before, it fits and I like it. Not to mention, we get to see both Abu and Carpet hanging out and we get a nice little glimpse of his Prince Ali outfit which I wondered how it would look because it’s an iconic Aladdin look. AND LET ME TELL YOU….
I AM EXCITED FOR THIS ENTIRE SEQUENCE. YA’LL BETTER DELIVER! I mean the colors! It looks fantastic and the Prince Ali outfit is amazing. I’m really curious about Jafar in this though since he’s a much younger guy. Like I said in “My Thoughts”, he’s a younger guy so is he just a young upstart who moved up in the ranks too fast? Will Aladdin be even more competition because they’re not to far apart in age? I’m really interested to see this version of him and to see the rivalry they have.
So this looks like there is a party instead of a one on one kind of thing for Jasmine’s hand. Like a Cinderella like ball which is cool and I like this look from both men. Aladdin looks all clean and cute and I like the colors on Will Smith. The costumes are truly beautiful. HAVE IT COSPLAYERS! The Genie tells Aladdin that while he changed what he looks like on the outside, he didn’t change anything on the inside which is an important message. You can make yourself look beautiful but if you are nasty on the inside you’ll always be nasty and vice versa. Aladdin’s lesson to learn is that his outward appearance doesn’t matter because he’s a good person regardless of his circumstance. Not to mention, Jasmine falls for him because of what he shows her not because his clothes or standing. He just so happened to also be a “prince”, a fake one but still lol you get my point.
SO BEAUTIFUL! LOOK AT THE OUTFIT!! ANYWAYS, Genie tells Aladdin it’s time to do his thing, he’s all like “No, I’m in charge, I say when I go” probably being a scaredy cat so the Genie uses magic to send him Jasmine’s way and its super cute. They talk, he’s shocked that she’s not allowed to go wherever she wants.
Ya’ll it’s getting real out here! He asked her if she trusts him and she slowly slides her hand in his and the music is swelling and I’m smiling like an idiot because I’m so excited. I mean, I think I’m a little more excited than I was when the official trailer for Beauty and the Beast came out lol. I’m not sure but I was stupid excited for that too and I can’t even! She climbs up on the carpet and the music is swelling and
A WHOLE NEW WORLD!! I think they sound really good together. I’m really interested in this scene too, so iconic. I keep saying that but it’s so true! The carpet looks great, she looks great, he looks great. *sighs* I need this movie now.
So while this song is playing, we see a couple of other clips. One of Aladdin and Jasmine dancing and I love her peacock shawl thing, y’all I’m drooling over the costumes.
We have them throwing Aladdin over the cliff, looks like he’s tied to a chair. Word lol. Clips of Genie during the “Prince Ali” sequence. Aladdin running atop the buildings in the marketplace, most likely from “One Jump”. There’s a scene of him climbing and being awesome on some icy mountains which I wondered if that’s from when Jafar sends him away to die from the cold.
Here is Abu trying to catch the lamp which makes me think it’s the part at the end where they’re fighting Jafar for the lamp and he gets turned into a toy. Probably won’t happen the exact same way but I’m hoping for a large action sequence at the end. MAKE IT BIG AND AWESOME because I had this chance to see an awesome live action fight between Aladdin and Jafar and Once Upon a Time had that opportunity and messed it up!
Dunno what’s happening in the picture above but perhaps it’s the climax when he takes the lamp. I love the red though and his staff looks red here as well. Maybe it’s during the final battle. There are some clips of Raja maybe protecting Jasmine? The Genie dancing during “Prince Ali” and we get this shot with even more beautiful clothes.
I think that’s Iago in the background as a giant bird and he’s chasing down Abu and Aladdin. I do wonder if Iago will talk, I would prefer if he didn’t because I don’t think he needs to, if anything Jafar talking to his bird makes him even more crazy. It’s better than having the bird actually talk back to him. But Run Boy Run! Iago is chasing them on carpet and then a shot from inside the Cave of Wonders again before we get the awesome logo where it looks like the hilt of a dagger.
Ya’ll let me tell y’all how excited I am. I mean, I think it’ll be good. I’m not sure how good but I think it will be worth the watch because this trailer was everything. I like the casting, I LOVE the costumes and from what we hear of the music I really like that as well.
No matter what you think of the whole reimagining into live action, there are some things to be added and newly experienced for these new movies. Also the official poster is dope.
So that’s my “reaction” to the official trailer. I’ve seen a lot of people saying that they’re more interested in it now because of this trailer and I think that’s great news because I think it deserves a chance.
What are your thoughts on the Aladdin trailer? Let me know your thoughts down below!
Thanks for reading!
