In a successful attempt to revamp the original, Walt Disney Pictures took the timeless classic and brought it to life with a live-action retelling of “Cinderella.”
While the original 1950 cartoon set a high standard for fairy tales everywhere, there are a few pretty significant flaws and unanswered questions in the story. Why does the prince declare his undying love for someone, yet can’t remember her face? Why is Lady Tremaine so cruel to Cinderella for seemingly no reason? Why is Cinderella the only size six in the entire kingdom?
All of these questions and more are put to rest as the story follows Ella through her blissful childhood in the countryside, the death of both her parents and her journey of spreading love and kindness while struggling to find it in her own life.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed. Before watching the movie, I was pretty annoyed with the original Walt Disney classic. It depicts women as powerless beings who must sing pretty songs and wait for a man to come and solve all of their problems. It also teaches girls that the only way to get anyone to love you is by getting a makeover.
This retelling of “Cinderella” instead focuses on Ella’s kindness and her courage as she teaches the prince and the kingdom to accept one another for who they really are when the fancy clothes and grand titles are stripped away. The film weaved this new message into the story while still keeping the components that make it the famous fairy tale we are all familiar with.
I was also worried that the remake would fail to capture the essence of the story altogether. Movie remakes tend to be disappointing and cliché at best. They always seem to alter the storyline beyond repair and rarely bring anything fresh and interesting to the original plot.
This remake however, not only stays true to the original, but also adds special minor details, background information and subplots that bring depth to the original tale as well as the characters themselves.
While her daughters are every bit as dim-witted and shallow as their cartoon counterparts, the ever-scowling Lady Tremaine is revealed to be a woman who has suffered through her own trials and has resorted to becoming a conniving, manipulative aristocrat in order to ensure her daughters’ livelihood instead of the power-hungry ice queen she is depicted to be in the cartoon.
Disney’s costume department once again did a magnificent job in bringing the movie together. The beautiful blue ball gown adorned with hundreds of crystals really had me believing that it was made from magic.
Prince Charming, or Kit, as he is named in the 2015 version, maintains the stereotypical fairy tale prince persona but sets himself apart when he is forced to choose between marrying a commoner for love or marrying a princess from a powerful nation for the good of his small kingdom.
This new version of the old storyline, combined with the beautiful costume design and breathtaking scenery, deserves to be called a true Disney classic.