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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

Aladdin
Starring: Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Mena Massoud, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, and Nasim Pedrad
Synopsis: In 1992, the Disney animated machine offered the film "Aladdin," which featured an iconic performance from Robin Williams as the genie. For the past few years, Disney has been breathing new life into these classics by turning its animated films into live-action adventures. Already this year we've gotten "Dumbo," and in July we'll get a new version of "The Lion King." But for Memorial Day Weekend, it was "Aladdin's" turn. This version, a full on musical, comes from director Guy Ritchie and features Will Smith in the role of the Genie. It was met with middling reviews, currently sitting at 57 percent, and plenty of skepticism. But it also made more than $100 million over the holiday weekend and has a 94 percent audience score. So it's a film that didn't sit well with critics, but seems to have made a splash with audiences. I saw the film on Saturday in a premium format, and I was curious to see how it would translate. What I saw was a fun, colorful and an entertaining ride. Smith is a different kind of performer than Williams, and he makes his take on the Genie uniquely his own. The songs and plot beats are largely the same, but he puts a new spin on the character that works. I thought Kenzari was good as the menacing Jafar, and I liked the addition of Pedrad as a character not in the cartoon. But this movie ultimately sinks or swims on the backs of Aladdin (Massoud) and Jasmine (Scott), and I thought both were good in their roles. I enjoyed the musical performances and even though this isn't the kind of film you'd expect from Ritchie, I thought he did a good job bringing it all together. This is the kind of fun spectacle that you expect to see during the summer, and it delivered on its promise.
Rating: PG for some action/peril.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Brightburn
Starring: Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, and Jackson Dunn
Synopsis: We have been flooded with superhero movies the last 20 years, and by now we know most of the origin stories by heart. But the new film "Brightburn" seeks to turn that familiarity on its head, posing the question of what would happen if one of these heroes wasn't so heroic. In this case, it's Superman. In the new film "Brightburn," a child falls from the skies via a ship in Brightburn, Kansas. He's adopted by a loving couple (Banks and Denman) who have struggled to conceive. Skip ahead a couple years and that son (Dunn) begins manifesting some super powers, but he's not here for truth, justice and the American way, he's here to rule to world. And everyone who stands in his becomes a threat. This film, from writers Brian and Mark Gunn and director David Yarovesky does a nice job laying out the concept. And at 91 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome. It's as a dark and uncomfortable as you'd expect, and that's thanks to a chilling performance from Dunn. I liked the work of Banks and Denman, too, and I thought there were a couple interesting set pieces here. The closing montage also works pretty well. For those looking for something different, this was an entertaining alternate reality.
Rating: R for horror violence/bloody images, and language.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, May 31: "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," "Ma," "Rocketman"