*This writing is unedited*
Something I thought was well done:
Something in the movie that I thought was done well was the music. I think that all the songs in the movie helped move the plot along while also enhancing the viewers’ experience. I think that music is a very powerful tool in movies. I know that I just wanted to sing along and that made me more engaged in the movie as a whole. Additionally, the music is now stuck in my head and so I keep thinking back to the movie. Using music is a very good tool to ensure people remember a movie. One thing that could have been added is if there were a few more songs at the end of the movie. I think there needed to be one when Jafar was taking over and one at the end of the movie as a Grand Finale. I felt that the end of the movie was abrupt and one final song could have pulled it all together. Overall the music in Disney’s Aladdin was well done.
Something I thought was problematic:
Something that I found problematic in Aladdin was how Jasmine was portrayed. I think that Disney could have worked harder to make Jasmine a more developed character. I thought that Jasmine could have had a bigger impact on the story. Instead, Disney chose to portray her as a woman who needed to find a husband rather than following her own path. It was also problematic that a bunch of men were discussing and deciding what her future would be when she was not even present. While this may have been how things were done I do not think that it needed to be emphasized in the movie. Many little girls watch Aladdin and see Jasmine but she is unable to teach them any valuable lessons. To me, it felt like Disney just checked a box by putting Jasmine in the movie. If Disney had really wanted to put Jasmine in the movie for the right reasons they needed to put more effort in.
Should Aladin be a kid’s Movie?
I think it is important to remember that this is a made-up movie. It is not based on history and the whole plot line is written to be a children’s movie. With that said, I think that while this was intended as a kids movie there are aspects that are not appropriate for children. While there are aspects of the movie that are appropriate for kids I think that they are overlooked by the magic and excitement that Disney uses. I think parents need to be aware of what they are showing their kids and then it is up to the parents to decide.
