Today begins my traditional six-week focus on the previous year’s best movies. In a couple of weeks, I’ll name my personal picks for the top Oscar categories and count down my favorite movies of the year.
But first, I’ll spend two weeks honoring some of my favorite musical moments in the films of 2024. I stayed away from actual musicals, though four of my selections (including today’s) come from movies about musicians.
I expected to really dislike Aladdin, director Guy Ritchie’s remake of the 1992 Disney animated classic. Advance word was toxic, glimpses of Will Smith’s genie had been met with the wrong kind of laughter across the web, and the Rotten Tomatoes score settled in at a discouraging 56%.
On the other hand, the film opened to a surprising $113 million over Memorial Day weekend and enjoys a 94% Audience score in contrast to its rotten tomato. So the movie is reaching fans, critics be damned. Which doesn’t always bode well for quality, but can make for interesting viewing.
Meet Me In Montauk 