Disney’s Cinderella

March 11th, 2015 by justJENN

Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, her sad, tragic tale of mistreatment by an evil stepmother and step-sisters. Stepmothers really need better PR. Disney’s all new live-action Cinderella closely follows the animated plot and brings the characters to life, complete with helpful mice and a dashing Prince.

Lily James does a wonderful job as the kind-hearted Ella and it’s nice to see two Downton Abbey stars (Sophie McShera aka Daisy, plays Drisella) as well as a Game of Thrones alum take on big screen roles. Speaking of, Richard Madden truly embodies the heart and soul of the Prince, who is believably kind and sincere throughout. Meanwhile Cate Blanchett plays an very convincing evil stepmother, though I will say as mean as she was, the animated Lady Tremaine seemed even more cruel.

The costumes and set design are stunning, with beautiful detail work and fabrics stealing every scene. The images of the Royal Ball will take your breath away and make you wish you had your own glass slippers so you could attend.

For younger children, the film does run slightly long at 112 minutes with a build up of necessary back story. Some kids will undoubtedly just want to get straight to the Fairy Godmother part. After all, the magic scenes are the most fun. Another issue to consider for younger kids is that there are a few major scenes dealing with death, which can be a little heartbreaking.

I also must mention that the opening short Frozen Fever, is beyond adorable and definitely leaves Frozen fans longing for more.

In the end per the story they all do live happily ever after, but you don’t feel that Ella has been saved, more that both she and the Prince remain unchanged in their hearts and come together for each other. Throughout, Ella remains strong keeps to her belief that one must “have courage, and be kind.”

Cinderella opens in theaters everywhere, March 13.

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Full disclosure: I was shown an advanced screening of Cinderella, with no monetary compensation. The thoughts and opinions in this article are my own.

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