Aladdin Review: 4 Ups & 5 Downs
1. The Modern Feminist Revisions
Though Ritchie's film clings pretty closely to the animated source material, it does include one welcome tonal update for contemporary audiences.
The character of Jasmine has been afforded far more opportunities to assert her independence throughout, frequently expressing exasperation with the attention paid to her beauty rather than her intellect.
She also has more multi-faceted goals than in the animation, keen to succeed her father (Navid Negahban) as the new Sultan, a role which tradition dictates cannot be assumed by a woman.
This pays off predictably but satisfyingly at the film's climax, providing a neat, modern addendum to a near-30-year-old story.
Between these moments and Jasmine's aforementioned new solo tune - which sees her passionately pleading for her voice to be heard - the film does a fitting job of revising the character's journey for a new generation.