I really liked the humour aspect to the story. I think they did a good job making it a movie for kids as well, as the story is pretty dark. I also loved the songs, listening to the songs was very nostalgic and I was singing along to the lyrics in my head. The story was also concise, and it wasn’t dragged out. I found myself following It easily, and I never felt like it was difficult to pay attention to it or that it was boring. Another part that I enjoyed was the dynamic between Abu and the magic carpet. I liked their little ‘frenemies’ relationship, and how they were fighting all the time but also had moments of friendship and trust in each other.
I felt like the director and producers did a good job of making this authentic and enjoyable for the viewer. I liked how they did not Americanise it much, and portrayed Arabian culture properly with the music, the atmosphere and the accents.
Something I found problematic was the sudden switch up of the king when he allowed Jasmine to marry Aladdin. It felt weird that at one moment he was extremely against his daughter marrying a commoner, and then he immediately changed the law.
I also thought the age of jasmine when she was being given off to marriage was extremely young. She was 14, and Aladdin probably the same age, so it’s so awkward and disturbing to see a father want to give off his 14 year old daughter to marry some prince who could be of any age. Jafar wanting to marry jasmine was also extremely uncomfortable to watch. Another thing that was odd was the whitewashing of Aladdin. He didn’t seem like an Arabian anymore, and more like someone from a modern western country. These were mostly the things I found problematic in the movie. Overall I think they did a good job, and apart from a few things many of the details seem to be flaws of the story itself.
In conclusion, Aladdin is a good movie, and entertaining for kids. But it’s probably advisable for parents to be with their children during the movie.
