Jada Pinkett Smith loved Aladdin, which was a saving grace for Will Smith amidst a number of underperforming projects in 2019. Despite the mixed reviews from critics, the movie was a billion-dollar worth hit among the audience. The success can be largely attributed to the anticipation surrounding the live-action adaptation of the largely successful 1992 animated film of the same name.

Will Smith and Mena Massoud in Aladdin
The music for the film was well received like the earlier version and the performances by the leading actors, Will Smith, Mena Massoud, and Naomi Scott, received praise. However, the overall direction by Guy Ritchie, the CGI quality, and the villain characterization received poor reviews.

Jada Pinkett Smith Was Displeased With Critics Bashing The Movie

Jada Pinkett Smith talks about Aladdin in Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Every ups and downs are shared as a family in the Smith household and the same was the case with Aladdin. Jada Pinkett Smith was elated by the box-office success of her husband’s film. During her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Smith shared that the family was having a good time after Aladdin’s success, especially following the critical backlash the movie had received.

Jimmy Kimmel expressed his disbelief upon learning that critics hadn’t been kind to the movie and he shared that his family had loved the movie. The host even revealed that it was one of the best movies he had watched as a family. After the host’s revelation, Smith also shared that it was her favorite role played by her husband. Further, the Girls Trip actress disclosed that the negative reviews did not bother Will Smith. Jada Pinkett Smith shared with Jimmy Kimmel:
“It doesn’t bother him at all. What’s so funny, all these years, it’s funny how tables will turn, you know, in partnerships. All these years I’m like, ‘You spend too much time worrying about your career and box office’. And for the first time, he didn’t care and I did. It was like, ‘I can’t believe these critics are behaving this way.’”
While the claims of both Kimmel and the Red Table Talk host may raise some eyebrows, the fact remains that the audience embraced the movie, despite its flaws.

Jada Pinkett Smith Regained Her Peace Of Mind After Watching The Movie In Theaters

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith sought some form of vindication for Aladdin‘s critical bashing in order to regain her peace of mind. She shared with Jimmy Kimmel that she took her family to the Saturday night preview of the movie, to witness the audience’s response firsthand. As the Hawthorne actress had expected, the audience loved the movie and were even thrilled to watch it alongside Will Smith in a Calabasas theater.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor was even kind enough to stay back to take pictures with all his fans at the theater. The Matrix Reloaded actress was happy with the whole experience, which validated her point. Interestingly, Will Smith’s other release of the year, Gemini Man, lost over $100 million for the producers.

Aladdin’s critical verdict and its box office performance certainly did not match, but the film is far from perfect. A planned sequel faced production challenges and never took off, and now appears highly unlikely.

Aladdin is now available for streaming on Disney+.