<span>The new version of </span><span><em>Aladdin</em></span><span> had a few things to get right to remain relevant to today's audience. However, more pressing than the use of innovative technology for </span><span>the Genie</span><span> was the need to erase some of the outlandish Arabic stereotypes that littered the original 1992 animated feature.</span> <span>In that regard, the live-action reboot did a solid job. While there is no mistaking the heavy whiff of exoticism that flows throughout the film – </span><span>it is a fantasy tale after all – there is no doubt a great deal of care was </span><span>taken to ensure the </span><span>movie's regional flavour</span><span> was as authentic as </span><span>it could have possibl</span><span>y been. Here are five examples:</span> <span>One </span><span>sobering aspect</span><span> of the much-loved 1992 version of </span><span><em>Aladdin </em></span><span>was the subtle racism that infused the film. The bad guys, often the minions of the film's ultimate villain grand vizier Jaf</span><span>ar, had mostly thick and ugly Arabic accents, while Aladdin and Princess Jasmine had clear dulcet American tones, not to mention the fact they looked inherently western.</span> <span>The new version restores that balance through an eclectic cast with backgrounds ranging from Egypt (</span><span>Mena Massoud), India (Naomi Scott), Tunisia (Marwan Kenzari), Turkey (Numan Acar) and Iran (Navid Negahban and Nasim Pedrad).</span> <span>The Middle Eastern-inflected accents here were not primarily used to denote violence</span><span>. Instead, it was the vehicle for many sage words on forgiveness from </span><span>the Sultan and justice by the kingdom's chief defender, the soldier Hakim.</span> <span>Complaints that Princess Jasmine should have been portrayed by an Arab do</span><span>n't hold up, </span><span>either. Agrabah is meant to be a rich cosmopolitan city. Scott</span><span>, who herself is bi-racial, fits </span><span>her character, as Jasmine's mother hails from another region.</span> <span>Those of a certain age w</span><span>ill remember watching </span><span><em>Aladdin</em></span><span> 27 years ago and being outraged at some of the lyrics included in the opening number </span><span><em>Arabian Nights,</em></span><span> which described Agrabah as a land "where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face" and "It's barbaric, but hey, it's home."</span> <span>Fortunately, such problematic descriptors </span><span>have been jettisoned in the new version. </span> <span>The lyrics of the song in the remake include "You can smell every spice / While you haggle the price / Of the silks and the satin shawls" in </span><span><em>Arabian Nights</em></span><span> to playful hat-tips such as the mention of Ali Baba and </span><span>the Genie being the </span><span>"answer to your midday prayers</span><span>" in </span><span><em>Friend Like Me. </em></span><span>In the reprise version of the song in the final credits, Smith's Genie</span><span> gets more boisterous by declaring himself</span><span> </span><span>"Ali Baba /the big papa.</span><span>" It is as hilarious as it sounds.</span> <span><em>Aladdin</em></span><span>'s sincerity to represent the region accurately was also shown in the finer details. As well as the finely rendered minarets that punctured the night sky of Agrabah, the character</span><span>s' us</span><span>e of various written documents also feature</span><span> accurate Arabic</span><span>. When Jafar consults the map for The Cave of Wonders, the Arabic translation – Kahaf Al A'jaab – </span><span>is spot on. And when </span><span>the Genie offer</span><span>s to change the governing laws of Agrabah to allow Aladdin to marry the princess, the legal scroll he magically unfurl</span><span>s </span><span>is a genuine Arab legal document spelling out the kingdom's marital laws. These are small, but meaningful details.</span> <span>While Agrabah may initially seem like a sea of turbans, look deeper and you</span><span>'ll see some thought has been put into</span><span> the film's fashion choices. With the fantastical city a rich melting point of cultures and a major business hub, the citizens all wore various styles ranging from Afghan </span><span>payraans (over shirts) and Indian </span><span>sarees to Omani daggers </span><span>and various turbans </span><span>in styles ranging from the Gulf to the wider Levant.</span> <span>Where the first </span><span><em>Aladdin</em></span><span> was lambasted by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee for some of its portrayals of the region, the producers of the new version </span><span>sought </span><span>the advice of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (a Los Angeles </span><span>advocacy and public policy organisation) to</span><span> steer them away from such choppy waters. The result is a film that goes some way </span><span>to changing Hollywood's perception</span><span> of </span><span>the </span><span>Arab world.</span>