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A review by stormywolf
A Whole New World by Liz Braswell
Audiobook Read by James Patrick Cronin
Unabridged Length: 8.5 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
This audiobook probably had the most going against it of any that I've heard before, since the characters are all ones we've heard and loved for years. Still, I thought Mr. Cronin did fairly well. Admittedly, Jasmine was a bit rough, and Genie didn't sound like he was trying for a straight Robin Williams comparison (though that might have been due to the writing as well), which I appreciated. I particularly enjoyed Jafar, who while not as campy as Jonathan Freeman, did successfully portray both the sneering, scheming vizier and the gleeful partly-mad sultan. Aladdin basically shared the narration voice, though there was a good amount of emotion (particularly snark) embedded in the performance.
Overall, the production was fine. No glaring errors, but no amazing innovations either. The characters were distinct, the pacing was fine, and the text all matched up with the Kindle copy I was reading. If Disney wanted to, they could have provided a full voice cast (even with the animated series actors), which would have greatly enhanced the production (especially with Jasmine's voice), but Cronin did his best with what he had and made a serviceable performance. It'll get you through, but you won't be feeling much magic afterward.
Unabridged Length: 8.5 Hours
Listened at 2x Speed
This audiobook probably had the most going against it of any that I've heard before, since the characters are all ones we've heard and loved for years. Still, I thought Mr. Cronin did fairly well. Admittedly, Jasmine was a bit rough, and Genie didn't sound like he was trying for a straight Robin Williams comparison (though that might have been due to the writing as well), which I appreciated. I particularly enjoyed Jafar, who while not as campy as Jonathan Freeman, did successfully portray both the sneering, scheming vizier and the gleeful partly-mad sultan. Aladdin basically shared the narration voice, though there was a good amount of emotion (particularly snark) embedded in the performance.
Overall, the production was fine. No glaring errors, but no amazing innovations either. The characters were distinct, the pacing was fine, and the text all matched up with the Kindle copy I was reading. If Disney wanted to, they could have provided a full voice cast (even with the animated series actors), which would have greatly enhanced the production (especially with Jasmine's voice), but Cronin did his best with what he had and made a serviceable performance. It'll get you through, but you won't be feeling much magic afterward.