USU movie night brings nostalgia with Aladdin
Students gather on the terrace of the USU amphitheatre to watch Aladdin at Cougar Cinema on August 28.
Movie nights are a fun and often free way for students to make new friends at the be-ginning of the semester.
The USU hosted the first monthly Cougar Cinema event of the year on Aug. 28 in the amphitheater, screening the 2019 remake of Disney’s Aladdin. The film stars Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Jasmine and Will Smith as Genie.
The film followed the same plot as the original animated version: Aladdin was a young man living on the streets and dreaming of a better and brighter future. Princess Jasmine longed for a life outside of the castle walls she grew up in her entire life.
Aladdin convinced Genie to help him out of his unfortunate circumstances and was transformed into the charming Prince Ali, captivating the whole kingdom, including Princess Jasmine.
The two met and fell in love in true Disney fashion. Things soon fell apart as the sultan’s evil assistant, Jafar, wanted control of the kingdom.
But of course, in the end, all conflicts were resolved and everyone lived happily ever after.
However, this version of Aladdin contained a slightly different ending as well as a new original song.
Despite a late sunset and a screen that was difficult to see, the attendees still seemed to enjoy the movie.
Many laughed and sang along, especially during the famous love duet “A Whole New World” as cheers broke out when the pair shared their first kiss.
The reimagined Disney classic seemed to bring back feelings of nostalgia for some.
Third-year student Veronica Villar explained what the movie meant to her. “I would watch this movie a lot with my family as a kid. We all bonded over watching it and laughing together. It brought me back to my childhood for a bit which was nice,” she said.
For others, it showed them a new view on the movie itself as well as the Disney universe as a whole.
“This was a profound look into the Disney experience. It was nice to see a different version of the movie that still had the funny parts I used to laugh at when I was little. Also, there was a good variety of snacks here, even though the line was a bit too long, ” sophomore Sara Culp said.
Cougar Cinema allowed students a chance to bond with each other and soak up the last moments of freedom before they became too busy with academics.
While revisiting their childhood, they got to become closer with friends and reconnect with people they may not have seen over the summer break.
The next monthly Cougar Cinema event is from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the USU Amphitheater.
For more information, visit csusm.edu/usu/index.html.