Does anyone else remember the Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland video game soundtrack with the emo band covers of classic punk rock songs or was that a fever dream?

Album Review: 'So Much (For) Stardust' - Fall Out Boy

No one liked M A N I A. Not even Joe Trohman, it turns out… 

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the Fall Out Boy guitarist spoke about his frustrations with the band’s 2018 record, with a more rock-oriented album being scrapped early in the process. 

‘I’d say, ‘I’m gonna extricate myself from this. This is not what I want to do,'” he recalls. “‘When you have some stuff together, give it to me. If you want me to throw some ideas on there or whatever, I’ll do it in my recording studio.’ And I did that a little bit, but overall, I stayed pretty much out of it, more or less.  

‘Mania has some cool ideas and interesting stuff in there. But it didn’t work as well, and I can’t say I love it. That’s what leads me, hopefully, to go back to making a record… with guitars, bass, drums, vocal. I love synthesizers, synthesizers that we play. We can play music; let’s play the music. Let’s not go for samples. Let’s not try to reach for singles. At this point, we’ve had so many hit singles. Do we really even need to reach for singles anymore? I think we should just make a cool record.’ 

And he’s right: Fall Out Boy don’t need hit singles. As elder statesmen of the emo-rock scene, they’ve got nothing else left to prove. And were they ever a singles band? 

So, let’s cut to the chase: Fall Out Boy’s latest album, So Much (For) Stardust is nowhere near as bad as its predecessor. Probably because it’s super tame in comparison, mostly returning to the chart-friendly rock roots of Save Rock and Roll and 2015’s American Beauty/American Psycho.  

‘Hold Me Like a Grudge,’ easily the album’s best track, goes full ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ with its tense, bass-fuelled groove, along with some MJ-style vocal inflections from Patrick Stump. 

So Much (For) Stardust is at its best when it’s delivering straight-up rock bangers. ‘Love From The Other Side’ has a belter of a chorus, along with moody strings to help heighten the intensity, while ‘Heartbreak Feels So Good’ harks back to the urgent, pacey riffs of the past, proving why Trohman is such a key ingredient to the band’s sound. 

But then, after such a promising build-up, the record takes a sharp nosedive in quality. 

‘Fake Out’ is pure corn, sounding like a rejected JoBros cut from 2008. ‘Heaven, Iowa’ and ‘I Am My Own Muse’ embody the same blustery melodrama found on M A N I A. ‘What a Time to be Alive’ is the obligatory COVID track that already feels pretty dated (‘Sometimes, you wonder if we're ever lookin’ back/At a picture of 2019/And sayin', "That's the way, the world, it used to be/Before our dreams started burstin’ at the seams"/We're out here and we're ready, we're here and we're ready/To livestream the apocalypse’).  

‘So Good Right Now,’ meanwhile, veers dangerously close into Viva Las Vengeance territory with its brassy horns and chintzy strings, bursting with that insufferable theatre kid energy. ‘And all of our wildest dreams, they just end up with a-you and me,’ goes the track, ‘So, let's drive until thе engine just gives out.’ Lyrics-wise, it’s basically just ‘Don’t Let the Light Go Out,’ Part 2. 

I grow more and more weary of Pete’s lyrics with each album, at his pseudo-intellectual worst on the pointless interlude ‘Baby Annihilation,’ the bassist reciting teenage-level verse over spooky keys and gloomy synths (’The first time I took the mask off, just had another one on underneath/I'm just melted wax on a birthday cake, another year fades away/Charcoal crushed, pixie fever, angel dust/Stuck in a wasteland we covered in glitter and broadcast just for a little serotonin’). The album’s other interlude, ‘The Pink Seashell,’ takes a snippet from the 1995 Gen X classic, Reality Bites, starring Maya Hawke’s dad, yet adds no real value.  

I kinda struggle to grasp what the overall theme of So Much (For) Stardust is supposed to be. At the beginning of the album’s promo cycle, the band sent out postcards to a select group of fans, hinting at a beach resort-style dystopia – something that actually left me rather intrigued. But other than the ‘The Pink Seashell’ interlude, it’s never referenced again on the record.  

Look, I get you gotta get fans’ attention somehow. But why bother coming up with a gimmick if you’re not gonna expand on it? The beach resort-style dystopia doesn’t even appear on the album cover!  

Despite a promising start, So Much (For) Stardust musters a ‘meh’ at best. It’s pleasant enough, but not all that memorable an effort.  

It was probably for the best, though, that the Fall Out Boy went back to safe and familiar territory after the complete shitshow that was M A N I A. That they can deliver such a body of work this far into their career is an achievement, and admittedly does feature some decently tight drumwork, blistering riffs and some of Stump’s strongest vocals yet. 

I’m no doubt going to be dismissed by some as just longing for the past and gleefully told to ‘stay mad.’ But as a longtime FOB fan, I’m tired. I just want more reliable and straight-up rock bangers like ‘Hold Me Like a Grunge.’ For fuck’s sake, I’d do anything for more of that chaotic Pax-Am Days-style punk. No more goofy experiments, no more cynical shots at mainstream appeal. We don’t need another Panic! on our hands… 

It doesn’t quite sparkle as bright as I hoped, but So Much (For) Stardust could’ve been a hell of a lot worse.  

– Bianca B. 

Coup De Main Magazine Interview: Dylan O'Brien on 'Love and Monsters'.

Dylan O'Brien really, really, really loves dogs. Fondly referring to his adorable co-star as "completely the star" of his new Oscar-nominated film, 'Love and Monsters, O'Brien's face lights up like a Christmas tree when reminiscing about the two Australian Kelpies, Hero and Dodge, who together portray his onscreen best friend, Boy (a.k.a. the best dog in the world).

At the heart of 'Love and Monsters' is this dynamic duo, with O'Brien as Joel Dawson, who in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by giant monsters decides to set off on a dangerous journey to reconnect with his high school sweetheart (played by Jessica Henwick), seven years after the Monsterpocalypse forced all of humanity into hiding underground.

An endearing tale of a wide-eyed boy and his loyal dog, we caught up with Dylan O'Brien to discuss 'Love and Monsters' which was filmed in Queensland, Australia...

COUP DE MAIN: Congrats on the Best Visual Effects Oscars nomination for 'Love and Monsters'! You're in the film, so for the purposes of this interview, I think you can own that.

DYLAN O'BRIEN: Thank you! Oh absolutely, I am nominated. I've been telling everybody: I'm an Oscar nominated actor now.

CDM: You did it!

DYLAN: Thanks! <laughs> It really is amazing.

CDM: It's funny that you filmed this movie back in March to May of 2019, but the whole situation of Joel finding himself separated from Aimee probably feels very familiar to anyone who started a relationship pre-pandemic that doesn't live with their partner.

DYLAN: Yeah, it's really weird. It's really weird how what we ended up going through when this movie was due to come out, how much it related to these themes that we're exploring in this movie. It's a very crazy coincidence.

CDM: Also, the sort of aversion to venturing out again into the outside world, that feels very relatable.

DYLAN: I know. Like when he first comes out of that hatch, he's breathing in the fresh air like it's strange. It's really strange.

CDM: I also thought of the current mask-wearing situation when Clyde says: "You can always tell in their eyes, just look at their eyes." People have had to do a lot of eye-reading this past year?

DYLAN: Right?! Oh, wow wow wow. I hadn't thought about that one.

CDM: One of my favourite things you've ever done is the 'Life Of A Hollywood Actor' video. What do you think the 2021 version of 'Life Of A Hollywood Actor' would look like?

DYLAN: <laughs> Thank you so much, first of all.

CDM: I rewatched it yesterday in preparation for this interview.

DYLAN: No way, thanks! That's really cool. Yeah, I love that character. I want to do something with him. What would the 2021 version be? I think he would definitely be taking the Oscar nom for himself, very seriously - like, the visual effects Oscar nom he would apply as being his, basically, and I think he'd try to bring that up and try to really ride that to get some work. He thinks this is gonna be a big career thing for him, and then he somehow fucks it up by being too overzealous.

CDM: Joel clings on to his memories of Aimee for seven years, replaying them in his mind so he can continue to relive them. Why is it that it's in human nature to mentally retreat into the past for comfort? And to look for a home in other people instead of building a solid home within ourselves?

DYLAN: That's really interesting... I feel like that's something instinctive, especially if you're going through a hard time or especially if something's shifted in your world negatively. I think there's uncertainty about the future and I always find in those situations a common link to wanting to find comfort in the past. I've gone through things, like times like that in my own life, and I've always found that when I've gone through a time like that, there's this level of uncertainty. I think it's human instinct and sort of this instinct to protect ourselves in a way. We're a wild species, aren't we? We're very emotional creatures. I think that's part of what makes humans so special. And instincts like that, to preserve and protect our heart and mind, and to hold on to things like that. And the way we're attached to memories like that and nostalgia. There's a reason these things are a part of our fabric. We're very emotional creatures.

CDM: Do you think that love or fear is a stronger emotion?

DYLAN: Whoah, that's pretty wild. I would say love - only because I feel like it has this sustainable power to endure over time. Whereas fears can be fleeting, and even if it comes quick, it's gone. But then also... yeah, I don't know. <laughs> We're getting deep. Real deep!

CDM: Is love an action or a feeling?

DYLAN: WHOAH. <cracks up>

CDM: I'm putting you on the spot, sorry.

DYLAN: No, no, I'm good! I love it! They're very interesting questions. I'm cracking up at you choosing me to answer these. Fuck. I mean, I think it's a feeling. I believe that, at least. I'm trying to think of ways it could be an action, obviously, but that's not love. I feel like if it's an action, it's something else. There are actions that come from love, but the love, it's a feeling. That's what I believe.

CDM: I always think about how in the TV show, 'Fleabag', The Priest says, "Being a romantic takes a hell of a lot of hope. I think what they mean is, when you find somebody that you love, it feels like hope," which I feel like Joel would also relate to.

DYLAN: Yeah! I love 'Fleabag'.

CDM: It's so good.

DYLAN: It's SO good.

CDM: Clyde says to Joel: "Good instincts are earned by making mistakes." Do you agree or disagree with Clyde's life lesson?

DYLAN: Yeah, I think there's a lot of truth to that, for sure. I think that mistakes absolutely help us grow, in many ways, in terms of instincts and stuff. Yeah, I think that's a wise and sensible perspective to have, especially in an apocalyptic wasteland.

CDM: Do you have any cooking specialities like Joel's talent for minestrone?

DYLAN: Yeah, I've got some go-to's. They're all my mom's, like the things that are nostalgic for me that I grew up with that my mom cooks, like her chicken soup. It's the first thing I do if I go on a job or somewhere where I'm going to be for a little while, just to feel like I'm at home, the first thing I'll do is I'll make a soup and then I'll have it in the fridge for the first week that I'm there. I'll make my mom's chicken soup and it's a really nice comforting sort of a feeling. And chicken cutlets. Two very chicken-y things!

CDM: There's a line I love from the TV show, 'The Good Place', in which one of the characters says: "Sometimes, when you're feeling helpless, the secret is to help someone else. Get out of your own head." I was reminded of it in the scene where Joel is forced to take action against a monster to help save not himself, but his dog. Excluding the life or death element, have you ever felt similarly that it's been easier to help someone else first in order to help yourself?

DYLAN: Yeah, sometimes to a fault. I think that that's something that's been a bit of a learning curve for me, interestingly enough, pretty recently as well in the last year or two, to sort of realise that I need to try to help myself sometimes a little more. I think I have an instinct to help the people that I love and want to be there for them, or even a stranger sometimes, over myself, which can definitely be an interesting quality, but yeah, I think that's helping yourself. Taking care of yourself is extremely important and I think that we all sort of go through our own path of learning the importance of that, and ultimately, too, if you want to be helping others and helping your loved ones, you actually need to be taking care of yourself, first and foremost. Everyone comes to their own kind of realisation over it. It takes time. It takes your 20s, sometimes more.

CDM: Do you miss your dog co-stars Hero and Dodge?

DYLAN: Yes! Yes!! I do. Yeah, I really, really do. And Zelie [Bullen] as well. Their mom and trainer.

CDM: Do you have a dog yourself?

DYLAN: I've got little dogs, yeah. I've got little babies. You?

CDM: I don't sadly, but it's my life goal to adopt a dog one day.

DYLAN: You should. Do you want one? You should get one!

CDM: I'm gonna just tell everyone: Dylan O'Brien told me to get a dog, so I'm getting a dog now.

DYLAN: <laughs> I'm just part of this major life decision for you, forever now.

CDM: Social media can be such a vanity project, but I love that you only have Twitter, and use it mostly just for helping give a platform to important human right issues and sharing your love for Taylor Swift and Harry Styles. What are your favourite Taylor Swift and Harry Styles songs?

DYLAN: Oh my goodness. Like ever? For Harry, from Harry's last album, 'Watermelon Sugar', obviously. I think my my favourite one of his though is... What's it called? I can hear it in my head. They sing it on 'American Idol' all the time.Falling'! That's a huge one for me. T Swift, I mean, it's amazing - give any of the rest of us like six months in quarantine and we look back on it and we're like, 'Shit, I should have done more,' but give Taylor six months in quarantine and she writes fifty hit songs. It's incredible. Off 'Folklore', I think 'Mirrorball' doesn't get enough credit. I'm a big 'Mirrorball' fan. I love 'My Tears Ricochet', and 'Mad Woman', 'Epiphany', 'The 1'.

CDM: Basically the whole album.

DYLAN: Yeah, I really liked that one. There's so many more, but those are my highlights.

CDM: You used to be in a band, Slow Kids At Play, right? Would you ever want to get back into music professionally again?

DYLAN: I still play all the time, and I still play with friends who play as well. Even those guys. They're all still my good friends. We actually had a reunion show in 2019 and it was really cool. We jammed in our friend's garage for our hometown friends. Music will always be a part of my life. I always try to not let it be one of those things that you lose in life. I think that's important to do. If it's not your primary thing, it's sometimes easy to. Often years pile up and then you're like, 'Oh, man, I haven't done this thing that I love in so long, like, I should build that into my routine.' So yeah, I'll always play drums and always jam with friends and play. And yeah, it'd be cool to be in a band again. Maybe someday. Or even just to play a show again, like even just to sit in for someone would be awesome.

CDM: Then maybe you can come to New Zealand on tour.

DYLAN: On tour?! I don't think I'd get to that level, but I like that you have aspirations for me.

CDM: Why is it important to you to use your platform for good?

DYLAN: I think that's influenced by the time that we're in. Also coinciding with a time that I went through in my life and just sort of getting older. And for me, it just feels right in terms of the things that I want to use it for, or try to support, or bring to life, or amplify, or bring a light to, and I guess it's influenced by my own learning and growing and trying to be more involved in this stuff and educate myself on it. It sort of just mirrors that a little bit, and I do think it's important.

CDM: Thank you for your time today. And thanks for telling me to get a dog.

DYLAN: Go do it! Send me a pic when you get them. It was such a pleasure talking to you, thanks so much.

American Founder and second U.S. president John Adams once extolled his era. Some called it The Age of Reason. It was a time in which people were beginning to know more about their world than they ever had before. Knowledge was increasing at an exponential rate, and this filled the air with excitement. The Old World – Christendom, led by the Catholic Church – was on its way out. The Enlightenment was well underway to shape the West forever. Adams, a Unitarian, was greatly pleased that men would be able to lead their lives and their own society on the basis of their own conscience.

He then less than halfway joked that, just maybe, something bad might arise from the movement of his day:

“The world grows more enlightened. Knowledge is more equally diffused. Newspapers, magazines, and circulating libraries have made mankind wiser. Titles and distinctions, ranks and orders, parade and ceremony, are all going out of fashion. This is roundly and frequently asserted in the streets, and sometimes on theatres of higher rank. Some truth there is in it; and if the opportunity were temperately improved, to the reformation of abuses, the rectification of errors, and the dissipation of pernicious prejudices, a great advantage it might be. But, on the other hand, false inferences may be drawn from it, which may make mankind wish for the age of dragons, giants, and fairies.”

Indeed, a great many false inferences were drawn from the Enlightenment. This period in history, which shaped America herself, started a downward spiral for the West that appears to have no end. Adams was right. In spite of himself and everything he achieved for the United States, times have definitely grown darker, and the cause for our empire’s downfall can be traced to its own blueprints.

As a result, the people in our day have a great need for escape. Over two centuries later, men find themselves at odds in a hateful world ruled by principalities and powers that are insurmountable. The people have been force-fed “the progress of civilization.” So now there are vast entertainment industries that produce escapist literature, film, music, and games to help people flee from the madness of their overlords. Over the centuries, they’ve carried the label of Romantics, Decadents, Symbolists, Counter-Culturists – they all run from the oppressive boot that shoves them onward to a destiny they didn’t ask for. They seek to escape from forced rationalism into something mystical.

Our Imaginations Must Be Free, Not Trapped

The mind can tolerate a wasteland for only so long. Men require a pilgrimage and retreat. Otherwise, one settles for vice and debasement. Experiencing wonder is necessary for a mature mind. It is not enough to be raised in a plain fashion, learning good moral habits to live by as if it’s all a simple matter of hygiene. Becoming a lawyer for “what’s good and what’s bad” does not securely instill the Faith in children, who, above all, are in the business of make-believe. No, we must leave the districts and subdivisions gerrymandered in our brains. We must fly above the rooftops from our suburban bobo communities. We’ve got to run for our lives into something fresh, new, and perhaps even dangerous:

“At first they had passed through hobbit-lands, a wide respectable country inhabited by decent folk, with good roads, an inn or two, and now and then a dwarf or a farmer ambling by on business. Then they came to lands where people spoke strangely, and sang songs Bilbo had never heard before. Now they had gone on far into the Lone-lands, where there were no people left, no inns, and the roads grew steadily worse. Not far ahead were dreary hills, rising higher and higher, dark with trees. On some of them were old castles with an evil look, as if they had been built by wicked people. Everything seemed gloomy, for the weather that day had taken a nasty turn. Mostly it had been as good as May can be, can be, even in merry tales, but now it was cold and wet. In the Lone-lands they had been obliged to camp when they could, but at least it had been dry.”

–From The Hobbit

Perhaps it is true that people are considered respectable when they “never have adventures or do anything unexpected.” Maybe it is true that the majority of people value someone who never breaks a taboo and can be counted on to be consistent and predictable. And, after all, even Puritan-loving John Adams will tell you that obscure men are hardly ever honored. Conformity and monotony are what the world tells you it wants. But this mode of dry, uninspiring, Dudley-Do-Right, unimaginative thinking is like planting seeds in depleted soil:

“[T]he seminal ideas of Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, St. Thomas, only properly grow in an imaginative ground saturated with fables, fairy tales, stories, rhymes, romances, adventures–the thousand good books of Grimm, Andersen, Stevenson, Dickens, Scott, Dumas and the rest. Western tradition, taking all that was the best of the Greco-Roman world into itself, has given us a culture in which the Faith properly grows; and since the conversion of Constantine that culture has become Christian. It is the seedbed of intelligence and will, the ground for all studies in the arts and sciences, including theology, without which they are inhumane and destructive. The brutal athlete and the aesthetic fop suffer vices opposed to the virtues of what Newman called the “gentleman.” Anyone working in any art or science, whether “pure” or “practical,” will discover he has made a quantum leap when he gets even a small amount of cultural ground under him; he will grow like an undernourished plant suddenly fertilized and watered.”

–Ryan Topping, Renewing the Mind

There has been a war against fantasy, a war against wonder. And yet, those who wonder and philosophize are superior to those who despair cluelessly. And only someone who does not know everything has the capability to wonder. Therefore, what better place is there to explore than fantasy? The realm of fantasy is a place accessible to all, and as it is ever changing, we can never hope to know everything about it. The Land of Faerie, as Tolkien called it, transports and uplifts us. It renews us. It waters the soil of our minds, and it serves as a much needed respite from the godless demands of the world.

Fantasy’s Ultimate Effect

John Adams ridiculed imagination. He joked that Shakespeare could have been an electioneering agent. In his view, “superstition, prejudices, passions, fancies, and senses” were weaknesses to be manipulated, preventing you from ever having what he considered liberty. Adams believed that fantastical thinking was forced upon the West in order to control the people. This is all a grievous error. “For God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

It is the imagination that enables us to survive in today’s wicked world. We have a sense of wonder that rationalists like Adams cannot understand. This sense of wonder is what prepares us for understanding the wider world and what it means. The vast majority of people who fall away from the Faith or refuse to consider it lack wonder. As a result, you have a large portion of people in the West who fall into hedonism. They try to numb their own senses as they struggle to follow the crowd – as though they were swimming among a school of fish.

“Fantasy, horror, and science fiction, apart from allowing an author to comment on things in a way he normally could not in mainstream writing (so much of which is garbage anyway) – it breeds a sense of wonder. And ladies and gentlemen, if you do not have a sense of wonder, you cannot really understand the Catholic faith. You’ll just be ‘Oh well, the bread and wine turn into the body and blood of Christ.’ You may actually believe that, but if you don’t have a sense of wonder?

“Listen, ladies and gentlemen, what is more amazing? The idea that with a wand I could wave, everything would start dancing around the room? Or that Christ Himself comes down onto the altar and becomes bread and wine that we are able to receive into ourselves? Which is more wondrous?

“If I already have a sense of wonder, then I can look at this incredible gift that God has given us. And the fact [is] that every single Mass that has ever been, or ever will be, or is being said at this moment across the globe is one with every other – and with the Crucifixion, and with the Last Supper. That’s astonishing. That’s absolutely amazing. And I have a sense of wonder that prepared me for that – to make it go from a mere set of things I learned in school and home to being a living reality that dominates my life. …

“[U]nless we approach our faith with that wondrous quality, it will grow old and tired. That is not a fault of the Faith. That’s our fault.”

–Charles Coulombe, “Off the Menu,” July 16, 2018

Being good “to be good” is not enough. John Adams thought so, but his Puritanical sensibility was mistaken. Man lives his life on a quest. He is not meant to run from his imagination and all that is mystical. He is meant to explore with awe and curiosity. His heart is meant to be lifted, not shackled.

A strange and exciting land lies before man when it comes to fantasy. We go to that place because it presages the Land Beyond we all hope to emigrate to, Heaven itself. “And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them, and said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:2-3).

Aladdin  Aladdin is a 2019 American musical fantasy film directed by Guy Ritchie, who co-wrote the screenplay with John August. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, it is a live action adaptation of Disney's 1992 animated film of the same name, which is based on the eponymous Middle Eastern folktale from One Thousand and One Nights.[1][a] The film stars Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, and Billy Magnussen. The plot follows Aladdin, a street urchin, as he falls in love with Princess Jasmine, befriends a wish-granting Genie, and battles the wicked Jafar. In October 2016, Disney announced Ritchie would direct a live action Aladdin remake. Smith was the first member of the cast to join, signing on to portray Genie in July 2017, and Massoud and Scott were confirmed for the two lead roles later that month. Principal photography began that September at Longcross Studios in Surrey, England, also filming in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan, and lasted until January 2018. Aladdin was theatrically released in the United States on May 24, 2019, and has grossed $449 million worldwide. The film received mixed reviews from critics: while the performances of Massoud, Smith, and Scott, music, humor, and costumes were praised, it was criticized for Ritchie's direction, Kenzari's portrayal of Jafar, pacing, and the CGI effects.[7] It received a positive response from audiences.Plot Aladdin, a kind-hearted young street rat living in the desert kingdom of Agrabah, along with his pet monkey Abu, rescues and befriends Princess Jasmine, who has snuck out of the palace, growing tired of her sheltered life. She hides her true identity, allowing Aladdin to believe that she is the princess's handmaiden. However, Jasmine rushes home after seeing Prince Anders has come to court the princess. Meanwhile, the Grand Vizier Jafar grows tired of being "second best". He and his parrot Iago thus seek a magic lamp hidden within the Cave of Wonders to become Sultan. Only one person is worthy to enter: "the diamond in the rough", whom Jafar later identifies as Aladdin. Aladdin is captured by the palace guards on Jafar's orders. Jafar reveals Jasmine's true identity to Aladdin and persuades him to retrieve the lamp after telling him that he can be made rich enough to impress Jasmine. Inside the cave, Aladdin finds a magic carpet and obtains the lamp. Defying Aladdin's instruction to touch nothing but the lamp, Abu grabs a ruby. Aladdin, Abu, and the carpet rush to escape the cave as it collapses. Aladdin gives the lamp to Jafar, but Jafar double-crosses them and throws Aladdin back into the cave, but not before Abu steals the lamp back. Trapped, Aladdin rubs the lamp and meets the Genie, an incredibly powerful nigh-omnipotent being, who lives inside it. The Genie explains that he has the power to grant Aladdin three wishes, with the exception of murder, romance, resurrection of the dead, and wishing for more wishes. Aladdin wishes to be out of the cave and Genie takes him to the outskirts of Agrabah only to realize that Aladdin gave the lamp to Abu when making the wish, therefore making the wish invalid and getting Aladdin out of the cave without using one. Aladdin then uses his first wish to become a prince to impress Jasmine after promising to use his third wish to free the Genie from servitude. Back in Agrabah, Aladdin, as "Prince Ali of Ababwa", arrives in a large spectacle, but Jasmine is unimpressed. Later, Aladdin takes Jasmine on a ride on the magic carpet while the Genie goes out with her handmaiden Dalia. When Jasmine deduces Aladdin's true identity, Aladdin convinces Jasmine that he only dresses as a peasant to escape the stresses of royal life. However, Jafar also discovers Aladdin's identity and threatens him to reveal where the lamp is hidden. Aladdin refuses and Jafar throws him out of a tower into the sea. Abu and the carpet arrive with the lamp and Aladdin rubs it just before fainting. At the cost of his second wish, Genie rescues Aladdin. After speaking with Jasmine, they help expose Jafar's evil plan and the Sultan has Jafar arrested. After being offered the position as heir to the Sultan, Aladdin, fearing that he will lose Jasmine if the truth is revealed, reluctantly breaks his promise and refuses to free the Genie, upsetting him. Meanwhile, Iago steals the dungeon keys and frees Jafar, who steals the lamp from Aladdin with his own street smarts and becomes the Genie's new master. He uses his first wish to become Sultan. When Jasmine convinces the palace guards to rebel against Jafar, he uses his second wish to become the world's most powerful sorcerer, sending the guards and Rajah to the dungeon. He then exiles Aladdin and Abu to a frozen wasteland on the other side of the Earth and threatens to kill Dalia and the Sultan unless Jasmine agrees to marry him. However, the Genie has the carpet go to retrieve Aladdin and Abu. As they proceed with the wedding ceremony, Aladdin returns and Jasmine helps him get the lamp back. Jafar transforms Iago into a roc and steals the lamp back after a brief chase. He overpowers the heroes, destroying the carpet in the process. However, Aladdin taunts Jafar for being "second best" to the Genie, tricking him into using his last wish to become the most powerful being in the universe. Genie turns Jafar into a genie himself, but since genies cannot live their own lives without being wished free, Jafar is now bound to a lamp. Jafar ends up trapped inside it, taking Iago with him. With Agrabah returned to normal, the Genie banishes Jafar's lamp to the Cave of Wonders and fixes the carpet. He then advises Aladdin to use his third wish so he can marry Jasmine. Instead, Aladdin decides to keep his promise and frees the Genie, turning him human. The Sultan declares that Jasmine will be the next ruler and tells her she may change the law to marry Aladdin. Genie leaves to explore the world with Dalia, now his wife, and their two children, while Aladdin and Jasmine get married and start their new life together. Cast Main article: List of Disney's Aladdin characters Mena Massoud as Aladdin: An impoverished Agrabah thief and "street rat" who is smitten with the Sultan's daughter. With the Genie's help, he masquerades as Prince Ali Ababwa. Massoud said that Aladdin "sees a future for himself that's greater than what's been set out for him at the present moment. He doesn't know exactly what it is or how he's going to get there, but he knows it is out there", and felt the character "[i]s very selfless and usually does things for other people, but as he falls in love he loses himself a little bit and starts to become someone that he's not. But he's a good person with good intentions and has good people surrounding him who lead him back to where he's supposed to be".[1] Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine: The Sultan's daughter and the feisty princess of Agrabah who wants to have a say in how she lives her life. Scott said that the character "will be strong and have fun, but also get it wrong and be emotional. She's a multidimensional woman, and she does not have to just be one thing. So in this movie, you see her go on such a roller coaster, as opposed to her one goal being to fall in love or get married". She further stated that Jasmine will try to find "the courage to speak out for her people",[8] and said that "Jasmine wants to know what goes on in her kingdom and reconcile the distance that has been created, and Aladdin gives her the courage to do just that".[1] Will Smith as Genie: A comedically eccentric and kindly jinn who has the power to grant three wishes to whoever possesses his magic lamp. Smith said that he was "terrified" while playing the character, but that "[he] found a lane that pays homage" to Robin Williams' performance in the original film, while still making the role "[his] own thing".[9] Smith described the character as "both a trickster and a mentor" who tries "to guide Aladdin to the truth of the greatness that's already within him".[1] Smith physically portrays the character when he is in the guise of a human, while his blue genie form is CGI, portrayed through motion-capture performance.[10][11] Marwan Kenzari as Jafar: A nefarious and deceptive sorcerer, the Grand Vizier of Agrabah and the Sultan's chief advisor who, frustrated with the Sultan's ways of ruling, devises a plot to overthrow the Sultan as the ruler of Agrabah by acquiring the Genie's lamp. Jafar's backstory is explored in the film, which producer Jonathan Eirich felt would make the audience "understand why he's so bad, and [he thinks] that's what makes him such a good villain".[1] Navid Negahban as The Sultan: The wise and noble ruler of Agrabah who is eager to find a capable husband for his daughter Jasmine. Nasim Pedrad as Dalia: Jasmine's loyal handmaiden and confidante. Pedrad said that Dalia "[has] been by Jasmine's side for years and really looks out for her".[1] Smith said that the character was "a nice, delicate addition to the story that more humanized the Genie".[1] Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders: A suitor and potential husband for Jasmine from the kingdom of Skånland.[11][12] Numan Acar as Hakim: The head of the palace guards who is loyal to the Sultan of Agrabah since his father worked for the Sultan. Robby Haynes as Razoul: The royal captain of the Guard of Agrabah. Jordan A. Nash as Omar: The Genie and Dalia's son. Taliyah Blair as Lian: The Genie and Dalia's daughter. Aubrey Lin as Omi Amir Boutrous as Jamal: A bread vendor who Aladdin tricks to keep him from cutting off a disguised Jasmine's hand. Voices Alan Tudyk as Iago: Jafar's sardonic and intelligent scarlet macaw companion.[13] The film marks the first time the character is voiced by somebody besides Gilbert Gottfried (On December 20, 2018, Gottfried said he was not asked to reprise the role). Frank Welker reprises his voice roles from the original film as: Abu: Aladdin's kleptomaniac but loyal pet capuchin monkey with a falsetto voice.[14][15][16] Rajah: Jasmine's protective pet Bengal tiger and best friend, who communicates through growling, roaring and grunting. Cave of Wonders: A sand guardian that resembles the giant head of a lion (in contrast with being a tiger in the original) who has been tasked to protect the magic lamp from intruders and give it to those who are worthy like a "diamond in the rough."[14][15][16] Production Development and casting On October 10, 2016, it was announced that Guy Ritchie would direct a live-action Aladdin film with John August penning the screenplay for Walt Disney Pictures and Dan Lin attached as producer. The studio said that the film would be "an ambitious and nontraditional" take on the tale of Aladdin that would keep much of the musical elements of the original film. On the non-traditional aspect, the studio planned for the film to be told in a nonlinear format.[17][18] In February 2017, Lin said that they were looking for a diverse cast and that they would not try "to make Prince of Persia".[19] A worldwide casting call for the lead roles of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine commenced in March 2017, with principal production set to begin in the UK in July 2017 until January 2018.[20] On April 19, 2017, it was reported that either Gabriel Iglesias[21] or Will Smith was in talks for the role of Genie, for which the latter was confirmed in July.[22][23][24] In May 2017, Jade Thirlwall was in talks for the part of Princess Jasmine.[25] On July 11, 2017, it was announced that principal production on Aladdin had been pushed back by a month, to August 2017, due to struggles in finding the right actor to portray the titular role. Over 2,000 actors and actresses had auditioned for the roles of Aladdin and Jasmine but that finding a male lead of Middle-Eastern or Indian descent in his 20s who could act and sing had proven difficult. Naomi Scott and Tara Sutaria were the final two actresses in the running for the role of Jasmine, but neither could be cast until a chemistry test was done with whomever was cast as Aladdin. The studio was initially interested in casting Dev Patel or Riz Ahmed for the lead role of Aladdin, but later decided to cast a relative newcomer. In what became the final rounds of screen testing, actors Achraf Koutet, Mena Massoud, and George Kosturos were still in the running for the role of Aladdin. However, the studio had begun perusing old audition tapes for the role, having not been satisfied by the latest round of screen tests.[23] At the 2017 D23 Expo, on July 15, it was announced that Massoud had been cast as Aladdin and Scott had been cast as Jasmine, ending a four month long open casting call.[26][24] On July 17, 2017, it was announced that Disney had hired Vanessa Taylor to polish the original screenplay by August, specifically to do some "character work" and what is called "script doctoring".[27] Meanwhile, Richie and the studio focused on casting the other main roles with filming slated to start in August in London.[28] In August 2017, Marwan Kenzari joined the cast as Jafar with Nasim Pedrad cast in a newly created role as "a hand maid and friend of Jasmine" who will serve as a "comic relief" and Numan Acar as Hakim.[29][30] The following month, Billy Magnussen joined the cast in a newly created role as Prince Anders alongside Navid Negahban as the Sultan.[31][32] The decision of casting Magnussen as a new original white character into the film has drawn criticism with fans and critics deeming it "unnecessary" and "offensive", sparking accusations of whitewashing to the film while pointing out the irony regarding the worldwide search for actors and actresses to play the leads in connection to the controversy.[33][34][35] The trailer confirmed that Frank Welker would reprise his role as the Cave of Wonders. In November 2017, Robby Haynes was cast as Razoul, while Welker was announced to also reprise his role as Abu the monkey.[36] The decision to hire Scott, who has Ugandan-Indian heritage on her mother’s side, to play the lead of Princess Jasmine has also drawn criticism as well as accusations of colorism, as some expected the role to go to an Arab or Middle Eastern actress.[37] In December 2018, Julie Ann Crommett, Disney's Vice President of Multicultural Engagement, said the decision to cast Scott as Jasmine reflected a mixing or association of different cultures in a broad region that consists of the Middle East, South Asia and China by extension, which all make up the Silk Road.[38] The real intention for Agrabah was for it to be the center of the Silk Road and added that Jasmine's mother would be from a land that was not Agrabah.[38] When asked about Ritchie's take on the film, Pasek & Paul described it as "very muscular and action-packed".[39] Despite initial reports, the animal characters Abu, Iago, and Rajah from the original film do appear in some capacity.[40][41] On December 20, 2018, Gilbert Gottfried said he was not asked to reprise his role as Iago.[42] In March 2019, it was announced that Alan Tudyk would be voicing the character instead.[13] In May 2019, Welker was announced to reprise his role as Rajah, Jasmine's pet tiger. Filming Principal photography began on September 6, 2017, at Longcross Studios in Surrey, England, and wrapped on January 24, 2018.[43][44][45][46] Part of the film was shot in Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan.[47][48] The Royal Film Commission provided support to the production during filming and assisted in facilitating logistics. Reshoots took place during August 2018.[49] The film's production sets were designed by Game of Thrones production designer Gemma Jackson.[50] In January 2018, it was reported that the white extras were being applied brown make-up during filming in order to "blend in", which caused an outcry and condemnation among fans and critics, branding the practice as "an insult to the whole industry" while accusing the producers of not recruiting people with Middle-Eastern or North African heritage. Disney responded to the controversy, saying, "Diversity of our cast and background performers was a requirement and only in a handful of instances when it was a matter of specialty skills, safety and control (special effects rigs, stunt performers and handling of animals) were crew made up to blend in."[51][52] The "Prince Ali" musical sequence features 1000 dancers and extras.[53] Post-production The visual effects were provided by Industrial Light & Magic and supervised by Michael Mullholland, Daniele Bigi and David Seager with the help of Hybride Technologies, DNEG, Nzviage and Proof.[54] Music See also: Aladdin (2019 soundtrack) Alan Menken was brought in to compose the score for the film after previously doing so in the original animated film, while Pasek & Paul wrote a new song with Menken, and several songs from the original film, by Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice, were featured in the remake. Release Aladdin held its world premiere at the Grand Rex in Paris, France on May 8, 2019.[55][56] It was released in 3D, Dolby Cinema and IMAX by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on May 24, 2019, replacing the original date set for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.[57][58] Aladdin's first regional premiere was in Jordan on May 13, 2019,[59] in the presence of Prince Ali bin Hussein and Princess Rym Ali. Marketing Will Smith debuted the first official poster on October 10, 2018.[60] The teaser trailer was released the following day.[61] In December 2018, Entertainment Weekly offered a first official look at the cast in costume on the cover of their issue for the most anticipated films of 2019.[62] On February 10, 2019, Disney debuted a special sneak peek of the film during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards which was met with largely negative feedback from audiences, primarily due to the quality of the CGI Genie in his blue design, created via motion capture effects.[63][64][65] The negative reception sparked a large amount of memes and Photoshop edits mocking Will Smith's appearance in the sneak peek, several of which humorously comparing it with Tobias Fünke (from Arrested Development) painted in blue in an attempt to join the Blue Man Group.[66][67] On March 12, 2019, Disney debuted a second trailer on Good Morning America. This trailer was met with a much more positive reception than the previous one, as it featured several songs from the original film and more of Smith not entirely in motion-capture, but also having his CGI aspects scenes being quite suitable.[68][69] Home media In regard to streaming, Aladdin will be released exclusively on Disney+, Disney's upcoming streaming service.[70] The film will be available during the service's first year of launch.[70] Reception Box office As of June 2, 2019, Aladdin has grossed $185.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $264.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $449.9 million, against a production budget of $183 million.[6] In the United States and Canada, Aladdin was released alongside Booksmart and Brightburn, and was projected to gross around $80 million from 4,476 theaters over its four-day opening weekend. While Disney was projecting a $75–85 million debut, some independent trackers had the film opening to as low as $65 million or as high as $100 million.[71][72] The film made $31 million on its first day, including $7 million from Thursday night previews, the second-best total of the Disney live-action remakes.[73] Opening day audiences were 59% female and 41% male, and ethnically 42% Caucasian, 27% Hispanic, 15% African American and 11% Asian. The film ended up overperforming, grossing $91.5 million in its opening weekend,[74][75][76] and $116.8 million over four days during the extended Memorial Day weekend.[77][78][79] It was the third biggest opening of 2019 (behind Avengers: Endgame and Captain Marvel),[80] and the fifth-highest Memorial Day launch ever, as well as the best debut of Ritchie's career and second best of Smith's.[77][81] It then grossed $11.9 million on its fifth day, the biggest post-Memorial Day Tuesday ever.[82] In its second weekend the film made $42.3 million, finishing second behind newcomer Godzilla: King of the Monsters.[83] Worldwide, the film was expected to gross an additional $100–120 million, including $10–20 million in China.[84] It went on to gross $123.2 million from foreign territories in its opening weekend, for a global debut of $214.7 million. It was the number one film in every Latin American and Asian territory where it released. Its biggest international openings were in China ($18.7 million), Mexico ($9.2 million), the United Kingdom ($8.4 million), Italy ($6.6 million), and South Korea ($6.5 million).[85] In the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, it had the best Ramadan opening of all time.[85] It also scored the second best opening of 2019 in Italy, Spain,[85] Indonesia, and Vietnam.[86] In India, it debuted with ₹220.3 million (US$3.2 million),[87] the year's second best opening for a foreign film.[86] By Monday, the film had a global four-day launch of $255 million.[82] In its second weekend of international release the film made $78.3 million from 54 countries (remaining number one in 32 of them).[88] Critical response On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 56% based on 304 reviews with an average rating of 5.82/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Aladdin retells its classic source material's story with sufficient spectacle and skill, even if it never approaches the dazzling splendor of the animated original."[89] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 53 out of 100 based on 49 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[90] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 90% (with an average 4.5 out of 5 stars) and a 70% "definite recommend".[77] Writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, praising Smith, Scott, and Massoud's performances and calling it a "shining, shimmering live-action update".[91] Variety's Peter Debruge summarized his review with: "Will Smith steps into Robin Williams's shoes, bringing fresh attitude to the role of the Genie in Guy Ritchie's high-risk, mostly rewarding live-action remake."[92] A Mir Fantastiki review by Yevgeniy Peklo gave the film a score of 8/10, saying it was "probably the best Disney live-action remake up to date".[93] Despite praising the cast, William Bibbiani of the TheWrap said of the film: "If you don't think about it very hard (although you probably should), the remake of Aladdin might entertain you. But you'd be a heck of a lot more entertained by watching the original film again. Or by going to a real-life parade. Or by doing some light gardening. Or by doing a crossword puzzle."[94] Mark Kennedy of the Associated Press wrote that "Guy Ritchie... was always an odd choice to helm a big Disney romantic musical and proves utterly the wrong guy here. Aladdin, in his hands, is more like The Mummy than Frozen. This is an Aladdin with a torture scene and pointlessly artful fast