REVIEW: Modern Aladdin, modern twists

By Aleena Yarovaya,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

If I had three wishes, I would watch the Aladdin movie three more times. The spin on a classic Disney cartoon Aladdin has come to life in the new motion picture featuring Will Smith and Naomi Scott.

The movie is directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie, and it has great cinematography. The scenes are vibrant and keep the watcher drawn in.

The film’s plot line was filled with new twists, leaving the audience entertained.

Although the movie followed the basic idea of the original, many new elements were thrown in. The movie is also significantly longer than the original, and adds lots of new layers to the plot.

The movie adds more to Aladdin and Jasmine’s relationship, portraying Jasmine in a more feminist light as she doesn’t need Aladdin to save her throughout the movie. Ritche integrates a complex character arc for the heroine, choosing to dismiss her portrayal as a helpless girl.

Adding on, Will Smith made the role of the genie his own while still maintaining the integrity of the character. He also added more modern, hip hop elements with his beatboxing and dance moves.

The villain Jafar is portrayed in a new, and in my opinion, better way. In this remake, he is no longer an older man trying to force himself onto Jasmine, but rather a sexist man who thinks that Jasmine should be “seen and not heard.”

The ending is also changed up, and instead of Aladdin rescuing Jasmine from Jafar, the movie focuses more on letting Jafar seal his own fate.