Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Cinderella (2015)

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-19-2015, 03:35 PM:

This is a movie with a controversy around it, and what a stupid controversy it is. I've read a few reviews slamming Disney for not "empowering" Cinderella more, or not making the Prince a "person of color," or other crap like that.

COME ON YOU IDIOTS, it is a fairy tale adaptation, not a sociological documentary. I don't know why Disney is now expected to be 100% diverse with every project they do. This is a movie that's supposed to take place in the 1600s, not contemporary America. Disney can't win on these kinds of things, apparently....if they screw with the story like they did in Maleficent, they get slammed for screwing with a classic; but if they stay true to the story, they get slammed for not being innovative.

Anyway, on to the movie. I was surprised by how much I liked it. The 1950 animated movie has never been one of my top 10 faves, EXCEPT for the sequence near the end with the mice having the impossible job of getting the key to Cinderella's tower up the stairs...and then running into Lucifer the cat at the top. That's gotta be one of the most harrowing scenes (for a kid) in any of the Disney classics, right up there with the forest chase in Snow White or the dragon scene in Sleeping Beauty or the wildebeest chase in The Lion King or the forest fire scene in Bambi.

In this movie, though, the mice are secondary players (thankfully) and the story focuses on the humans, where it belongs.

Along with most reviewers, my favorite part of the show was the production itself. Since they didn't use any superstar names in the cast, the budget is all on the screen in the form of very lavish production values. The palace/ballroom scene, in particular, is spectacular. The magical segments are handled with great humor and heart, too.

The costumes are pretty amazing, and this is from a guy who doesn't really get into analyzing costume design. Cinderella was everything you would expect Cinderella to look like, and her step-family was suitably ugly/ridiculous looking. (The prince's pants were too tight, although some people might find that appealing I guess!)

The story was pretty much the standard Cinderella story we are all familiar with, but it was handled in such a way that we actually understand a bit of the motivation behind why she was treated the way she was.

I also enjoyed the musical score, especially the songs at the end of the show. Very well done.

Bottom line, it was great to see Disney do one of these re-imaginings without trying to re-invent the wheel, for once.

The Frozen short at the beginning was exceptionally cute and very well done (and has a maddenly catchy song), but it's not a groundbreaker like we've come to expect from Disney's pre-feature shorts. It has been cool to stand in the back of the auditorium and hear kids saying the various characters' names as they appear on screen.

Cinderella: 4 out of 5
Frozen Fever: 3 out of 5

Posted by Stu Jamieson (Member # 4626) on 04-11-2015, 06:11 PM:

Cinderella is so "Disney" it almost hurts. (Cinder)Ella is so wholesome as to be almost beyond belief. Her step-mother and sisters are evil beyond redemption. And the prince is handsome and honourable beyond reproach. None of this is unexpected, of course - Disney is as Disney does and it's perfect little girl fodder, complete with doe-eyed innocence and glittery flouncy dresses. And it's all shot with an impossible beauty that can only be achieved on a perfectly lit studio set.

Nothing is a surprise - the goodies get their fairy tale ending and the baddies get their just desserts. It's just all so very......"nice". Without being remarkable in any way, it pushes all the right buttons and duly hits all the appropriate marks. No one will go home disappointed but neither will anyone go home completely wowed.

The standalone pinnacle of the film is Helena Bonham Carter's scene-stealing turn as the fairy godmother which is just fabulous in every way. The rest of the cast, which includes Cate Blanchett and Stellan Skarsgård, play strictly by the numbers - again, not disappointing just unremarkable.

Cinderella is completely harmless holiday fare which, at the very least, will be a welcome relief from endless rewatches of Barbie DVDs at home.

6 out of 10

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 04-11-2015, 09:12 PM:

as my sister noted: "it's pretty" ... "and?" I retorted ... "just pretty"

having seen the trailer - I think it covered and showed me the entire movie. [Wink]

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 04-17-2015, 03:00 AM:

This is another movie that I can honestly say, I enjoyed the hell out of it!

What a wonderful, feel-good movie. If you don't walk out of the theatre with a smile, you weren't paying attention.

The best scene is chase where the coach is turning back into a pumpkin. It's just downright exciting! I loved to see her sitting there surrounded by all of those seeds -- my first thought was, "I wonder how she's going to get out of the pumpkin." And boy, she did get out in the most spectacular fashion.

Dandy movie.

I agree with Mike, though -- the prince's pants were definitely too tight.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 04-17-2015, 04:33 AM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
COME ON YOU IDIOTS, it is a fairy tale adaptation, not a sociological documentary. I don't know why Disney is now expected to be 100% diverse with every project they do. This is a movie that's supposed to take place in the 1600s, not contemporary America. Disney can't win on these kinds of things, apparently....if they screw with the story like they did in Maleficent, they get slammed for screwing with a classic; but if they stay true to the story, they get slammed for not being innovative.

Next time Disney creates a new Cinderella adaptation I challenge them to make Cinderella a Latino lesbian. [Wink]

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 04-18-2015, 08:12 PM:

^ THAt I'd see ... [beer]

Posted by Connor Wilson (Member # 6088) on 04-19-2015, 05:00 PM:

Also, the Prince in this adaptation is Korean, and is gender fluid, which means he (or she, or xhe, or zhe) can shift his (or her) gender identity from one to the next. It just so happens on Tuesdays he is a lesbian princess.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 05-03-2015, 11:52 PM:

I once wrote an April fool on an email discussion list. It described an upcoming remake of Snow White, to be directed by Tarantino and with a script by Bruce LaBruce. Snow White was to be voiced by Paris Hilton, the wicked witch by Pam Greer and prince by Ving Rhames. The film was to have contained several gruesome and prolonged scenes of sado-massochism involving the dwarves, and a soundtrack featuring expletive-laden, violence-glorifying gangsta rap. I was staggered by how many people fell for it, and complained about the desecration of a classic, robbing children of their innocence, etc. etc.

quote: Mike Blakesley
...but it was handled in such a way that we actually understand a bit of the motivation behind why she was treated the way she was.

Agreed: furthermore, the "showdown" scene between Cinderella and Kate Blanchett was handled in a way that would probably enable older kids to get it, too.

My only slight reservation about the film was that there were virtually no jokes pitched mainly at adults in the audience, and for a show like this (there are likely to be lots of adults in the audience, because it's aimed at kids who are too young to go by themselves) you do need some of them.

Posted by Steve Wilson (Member # 2411) on 05-11-2015, 01:18 AM:

I thought Cinderella was as good as a Dinsey picture gets. Walt Disney himself would be so very proud of this film and we cannot say taht too much about what is left of Walts legacy these days. It had his touch because it was mainly a copy of the original.