10 Acting Performances Way Better Than You Thought They'd Be

Most people probably had the same thought upon viewing the full trailer for Guy Ritchie's Aladdin that revealed Will Smith in all of his CGI-enhanced glory as the Genie: 'what the actual f**k is that?!?!?'

Its a fair reaction. Even in the finished product, there is something deeply off-putting and frequently unsettling about seeing the actor's instantly-recognizable and hugely-marketable face haphazardly pasted onto a distracting blue body. What did come as a surprise after being subjected to trailer clips that made his Genie seem like the stuff of LSD-induced nightmares, is that the former Fresh Prince is the best thing in the movie. By quite some distance.

Stepping into the shoes of Robin Williams is a daunting and frankly impossible task, one Smith admits he was incredibly apprehensive about, especially when Williams' role in the classic original is arguably the single greatest and most iconic voice performance in the history of animation.

Sure, the songs are virtually word-for-word and there are callbacks to some of Williams' more memorable lines, but Smith is wise enough to try and put his own personal stamp on the Genie. Avoiding the manic stylings of the original Genie in favor of a more naturally cool and charismatic take on the big blue wish-maker, Smith brings bags of charm and comic timing to the role, and the quality of the movie noticeably suffers whenever he's absent from the screen for long stretches.

We could have just done with less of the blue Will Smith. That will never not be distracting.