CINDERELLA is a Fairytale Masterpiece - Review
Out of all Disney's live-action fairytale adaptations that have been released in recent years, including Alice in Wonderland, Oz: The Great and Powerful, and Maleficent, Cinderella is by far the best one. In fact, this is easily one of the best films that I've seen this year.
I liked everything that I saw leading up to the film's release, and I expected it to be a decently good film, but the outcome ended up being so much better than I had hoped. This was a seriously great film, and I think Disney fans are going to be extremely happy with what it offers.
Thor director Kenneth Branagh is the talented individual that brought this vision of Cinderella to the big screen, and he did it in the most beautiful way possible. The movie was not only visually stunning, but the script was wonderfully written, and the acting from its cast was superb.
For those of you who are fans of the original animated film, you'll be happy to know that it follows that same story very closely, and even includes fan favorite characters such as the mouse Gus Gus and the stepmother's cat Lucifer. I liked how the animals in the story were handled. They weren't over-the-top, and half of the movie didn’t revolve around them like the animated movie did. The animals were used in a subtle way that worked really well for this film.
The third act of the story was changed up a bit to add a little more edge of your seat intensity. There was also an additional conflict that was added that helped lead to the climax of the film, but I didn’t have any issues with the changes because they fit perfectly in with the story.
The movie was surprisingly emotional, and it does an amazing job setting up Cinderella's character. You really feel for her as she is going through the tragic hardships in her life. You want this girl to find happiness because she's completely deserving of it, and it's frustrating at times watching her being treated like crap by her stepmother and stepsisters.
Speaking of the stepmother, Cate Blanchett was freakin' incredible and absolutely dark and heartless in her role. She was such a wonderfully unlikable character, and she was the perfect actress for this role. As for Lily James as Cinderella, she was absolutely delightful; she has the kind of charisma and likable charm that made her the superb choice for the title role. Every moment that she spent on screen was an absolute joy. This young actress has a great career ahead of her. The development of the characters in the movie was impeccable.
This is a must-watch movie for any fan of Disney, and anyone who just enjoys watching a good movie in general. Make sure to check it out this weekend - I think that you'll all enjoy it.