I really need to stop seeing family movies on opening weekends. SpongeBob, Into the Woods, and Penguins of Madagascar all had at least one thing in common; theaters packing with screeching munchkins and their world weary parents.

               

After seven months of writing these reviews, it was a showing of Cinderella where I received my first battle scar, delivered viva Sketcher clad foot to the head. The moderate bruise and spilled Dr.Pepper were worth it however, because this fairy tale is a delight. The perfect story told in an excellent fashion, Cinderella will enthrall the younger fans, and enchant the older ones in a movie that shines as bright as a glass slipper.

               

With so much iconic imagery, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t know the story of Cinderella. The glass slipper, the ball gown, the sparkles in the fairy god mothers wand; all are staples of Disney lore, represented beautifully here. The screen is brought to life with some of the most stunning scenes the company has ever produced.

               

Cinderella follows the same beats as the original tale, telling the story of lonely farm girl Ella and the abuse she suffers from her cruel step family. But with the help of a fairy godmother and a little bit of magic… rada-rada-rada, you guys all know the story. Cinderella doesn’t take a lot of risks or make any drastic changes, but it didn’t need to. The story was perfect to begin with.

               

 One small change I did welcome was the humanization of Ella’s evil stepmother Lady Tremaine. She’s still despicable, awful towards her unfortunate stepdaughter, and vain beyond belief, but she’s no longer cruel for the sake of malice alone.  Rather, she is a twice-widowed mother of two with significant debt and no real experience with real world problems.

               

This doesn’t excuse abuse, but it paints Tremaine as a character that many children unfortunately face; a parental figure who simply isn’t equipped to give out the guidance a child needs, and in his/her frustration resorts to verbal and sometimes physical violence. It’s a small touch, but a notable development of a character that has typically been portrayed as a cardboard cut-out of a villain.

               

If any magic is missing from Cinderella, it’s the lack of music. Sadly, the Oscar winning soundtrack of the cartoon original has been left in the dust. Disney songs are so iconic at this point, that they’ve basically formed their own genre. We get a new version of Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo over the end credits, but that’s hardly enough to really satisfy. It’s not a big knock on the film, but some catchy tunes could’ve raised Cinderella to an even higher level.

               

A delightful interpretation of a classic tale, Cinderella lights up the screen, and is sure to be a favorite of mini-van DVD players for years to come. If Disney can turn their cartoons to live-action with this much success every time, consider me sold. At the least, this is one heck of a start.

 

4 out of 5 Stars