D Couples: Aladdin and Jasmine

First thoughts right after watching the Movie

My thoughts right after watching the film is that they are one of the most lustful animated couples I have ever seen, though they do share a lot of similarities. There is some deception from both sides, but they make it clear that they excel when they are honest and themselves. I still think that they are one of the best and well-executed couples in animation, though I do have a bit more issues with them than I thought.

Summary

Jasmine escapes her palace to roam the streets of Agrabah, and we see that she could not get enough. She is rumbling through the streets, and Aladdin stops what he’s doing to look at her, saying “Wow”. I am shocked that no one is noticing how he is hovering over the rack he’s on, and she doesn’t even notice. Abu tries to get his attention, but it’s not happening. Jasmine almost gets her hand amputated by a merchant, and Aladdin rushes to help her out, by claiming she’s crazy. Before this moment, Jasmine did not know of his existence, and is told to play along with what he’s doing. This could be interpreted in countless ways, and they work well together to get out of the jam she put herself in.

After they escape from the merchant, he takes her to his “house”, and the two are already sharing looks at one another. It’s even worse that they are often holding one another’s hands, or she is clutching to his body. She thanks him, he tells her no big deal, he mentions if it’s her first time in the market, with her muttering about it being that obvious. He claims that it’s because she stands out, and another shared glance takes place. A board to cross the rooftops was placed, and he was more than impressed when she jumped over herself, claiming she’s a fast learner.

He takes her to his room (which is in an abandoned shelter), and claims that he likes it due to the view of the palace, and their faces in the picture explains it all. She hates her life without explicitly stating what it is, he hates him, and they both claim that they’re trapped, while giving yet ANOTHER longing look towards one another. I have to say that I don’t know an animated pair that looks at and touches one another as much as these two do. It’s just something little to reaffirm the attraction without outright stating it.
NOW he decides to ask her where she’s from (while giving Abu’s apple to her), and she outright refuses to tell him, saying that she NEVER intends to go back. What’s interesting is that when her hand was about to be cut off, she was willing to go back to the palace to get money.
He sits down beside her, she tells him about the arranged marriage her father is setting up, he tries to make a move on her, they move closer to one another, and they are about to make out. I am assuming that she was going to stay with him, even though she never asked him to, and he only drew himself closer to her the more he learned the truth.

I have to say that this is kind of conventional for theatrical animated film; two young people who are unmarried are planning to stay with one another to do who knows what. The guards show up, he sticks out his hand for trust, which she takes, and he ends up getting arrested. Jasmine reveals herself to be the princess to let him go, which he is shocked with. They don’t listen to him. We see that there’s a lot of emotional and physical intimacy just by this first interaction, and that they feel trapped, while both are kind fo cunning and resourceful.

Jasmine marches herself to the palace to demand Jafar to let the boy go, only for him to tell her that he was already killed. This causes her to run crying, and her mood changes for the majority of the film. She continues to cry to her tiger, whining about how she never even knew his name, as she was too busy trying to make out with him to ask the essential questions. Aladdin is in the prison in the castle, stunned about her being a princess, whining about how he sounded stupid to her….. Yeah, she was about to live with you, and to make out with you….. right. Abu helps him escape, and lectures him, only for the lad to tell him she was worth it.

He meets Genie, a few songs take place, and Aladdin’s main motivation is to impress Jasmine, so he wants Genie to turn him into a prince. Jasmine told her father about what happened, causing Jafar to get lectured, and to try and reunite the two, only for Jasmine getting rid of Jafar when she is married to be the only good thing to come from it. Prince Ali happens, and I just realize that even AFTER realizing that she’s a princess, he kind of ignored everything she said to make himself seem more secure. She feels trapped, hates being told what to do, so on and so forth.

After refusing to listen to Genie’s advice, Aladdin decides to fly up to her room, knowing that the musical performance blew it. He calls for her in her normal voice, which takes her out from her depressed mood, and to go on her balcony. He fakes a voice, which turns her off. Rajah chases after him, and his voice returns to normal, and he takes off his hat, revealing his hair. Jasmine reappears, recognizing him, and claiming that he is familiar to the boy in the marketplace. He denies it, and comes up with a bunch of ridiculous stories, which causes her to tell him to jump off a balcony. He speaks in his normal voice, disappointed and knowing that she should have the option of choice. She then turns around, and starts to warm up to him. The carpet is seen, and Aladdin asks if he trusts her, sticking out his hand, and Jasmine at this point knows he is the same person.

“A Whole New World” takes place, which is pretty much about having an adventure with one another. This song captures everything that she wants; adventure and choice, while he has a whole new world from his poverty. Honestly, this song says more about Jasmine as a character instead of Aladdin, as the song in context to him could be seen as kind of shady. After passing Hercules, they end up in China after Mulan saved them from Shan Yu, chilling on the rooftop.

She instantly and cunningly causes him to expose himself by mentioning Abu, and he buries himself by saying Abu hates fireworks. Jasmine removes his hat, and demands answers. He lies about how he dresses as a commoner to escape palace life. Okay…….. why would you dress as a commoner to escape palace life in another kingdom? I guess it would be easier to escape being identified, but you have a place in another kingdom? Anyways, Jasmine believes him, and it makes sense for her to believe him. She did the same thing, and had ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION of telling him about her being a princess, so she started their relationship with a lie too, but no one really calls it out. Lying is wrong, but she cannot be too mad, since she did the same thing, with the SAME INTENTIONS as he did. They are forced to kiss by carpet before they go their separate ways.

It is the next day, and Jasmine escapes her depression, as she is humming and love-struck, which shocks her father. He tells her that she is going to be married to Jafar, which disgusts her, telling him that she will never marry Jafar, and that she will marry Prince Ali. Aladdin shows up, and sees that the Sultan is hypnotized, so he breaks Jafar’s staff. After Jafar escapes, the two rushes into one another’s arms, and are about to kiss before her father unknowingly splits them up. He realizes that her daughter chose a suitor, and they announce it to Agrabah.

Jafar returns to expose Aladdin as a fraud, and being nothing more than a poor street rat. She doesn’t get to react, as Aladdin is soon sent off to who knows where. He was going to tell her the truth before she forced him to stand in front of Agrabah.

She sees Aladdin return, and does what they did when they first met’ work together to deceive and trick. It fails this time, as she is put in a time capsule. Maybe it’s because of the severity of the situation, but she literally does not care about what just happened. Of course Jafar is defeated, and they whine about the stupid law. Al tells her that he wants to be with her, but he has to be himself, and she tells him that she loves him. People complain about him intending to lie to her forever, and ignore that she was intending the same thing, so it kind of would be hypocritical of her to hold this over his head forever. They both want to be able to be themselves, and when they are themselves, they are at their best.

The Sultan of course vetoes the law, and she chooses to hook up with him. At the epilogue, I am assuming that it is her birthday, because the both of them are wearing purple outfits, singing their song before flying with Carpet. They did not get married in this because they were not in wedding attire, so I am assuming that they were celebrating her 16th birthday.

Final Thoughts

Overall, they have a lot of discussions, which is shockingly rare for animated couples. They have easily one of the greatest introduction scenes that I have ever seen, though things get a bit too muddy for my liking with all of the deception. Overall, you can tell that nothing comes from a bad place, and you want them to do well. I like them a lot.

The next couple is yet another Disney couple that is in the 21st century.

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