2019 "Top 10" (Categories) - #8

8. Not as Bad as You May Have Heard 

Both of those had people bracing themselves for terribleness, and a lot of those same people fell prey to their own confirmation bias. But I dug both of these movies, despite the negative hype. 

Aladdin

The 1992 Aladdin is one of my favorite Disney movies — definitely my favorite of the “new Disney renaissance” that began with The Little Mermaid — and I really loved this as a companion piece to it. I thought all the musical numbers were great, I thought Genie looked much better in the context of the movie than he did in the trailers and still images, and it was nice to have the characters played by ethnically appropriate actors. I did miss Iago and some of the more comedic elements of the animated version, but this wasn’t nearly the horror show everyone thought it was going to be. (Available on Disney+.) 

Dumbo

Tim Burton has had a mixed output since his (arguable) heyday in the late 80s / early 90s. But I really liked this. I like the recent, more family-friendly era of Colin Farrell’s career and he’s very good in this. I’m always bracing myself for saccharine, cloying child performances, but the kids in this movie are lovely. Dumbo himself looks a bit cartoonish but I still found myself charmed by him. Eva Green, as always, is the MVP as the supposedly villainous character who actually has a heart. And I’m very much here for the Batman Returns reunion of Burton, Keaton and DeVito. (Available on Disney+.)