Disney’s Cinderella

Incredible gowns, glass slippers, mice that understand, a cruel step mother, two wicked step sisters, and of course Cinderella and her Prince. It is all there everything that is loved, and cherished in the original. You will find it all in this live-action re-telling of the classic fairy tale. I was invited to attend the advance screening of the movie last night.

As soon as the trailers were released for Cinderella I knew it was one I wanted to see. I have adored this story since I first saw the original 1950’s movie. I will always remember dreaming of having friends in little mice who understood me, and wearing the most gorgeous dress. Every little girl started dreaming of her Prince after watching it. The idea of it being brought back, and given a new life with live-action made me both nervous, and very anxious to see it. Would it hold up to my childhood memories?

Where there is kindness there is goodness,
and where there is goodness, there is magic.
– Ella’s Mother

The movie keeps kindness, and compassion at the middle of its story and characters.

Ella’s (Lilly James) life changes forever after her Father (Ben Chaplin) remarries following the death of her loved Mother (Hayley Atwell). Ella welcomes her step-mother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters, Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophia McShera), into the family home. Sadly they are faced with the terrible news of Ella’s father passing away unexpectedly. Ella find’s herself becoming treated like a servant, and not an equal. It is from here that her cruel step-sisters give her the new name of Cinderella.

Cinderella takes to the woods where she meets a gentleman who she comes to know as Kit, who is really the Prince (Richard Madden). The Prince of course feels he has found his one true love, and summons all maidens in the kingdom to come and attend a royal ball at the palace. Cinderella hopes to get to attend to ball with her step-sisters and step-mother, but she finds herself forbidden from attending. Even after her best efforts, and help from some mice friends in making a dress for the ball. 

Don’t worry, Cinderella will attend the ball. Her fairy godmother (Helena Bonham Carter) is there to help. Soon Cinderella’s world is filled with a magical pumpkin coach, lizards for footmen, and of course gorgeous glass slippers with a stunning blue dress. She was warned that at midnight the magic would all run out. 

There is of course more to this story but I’m sure you all know how it ends. I really appreciated how the remake of this movie brought much more depth to all of the characters. They all had so much more personality. Lilly James did a beautiful job portraying Cinderella, and Richard Madden was the perfect Prince to take part in this story. Cate Blanchett was the perfect actress to be cast as the step-mother, I cannot imagine anyone else as Lady Tremaine. The story was also developed a bit further and gave details that were missing in the original.

I was hoping that some things would remain in this movie that were present in the original. One being the mice helping make Cinderella’s dress. While they may not have broken out in song, this is not a musical, there was a nod to them helping. Don’t worry the mice do remain dear friend’s to Cinderella in the whole movie.

I definitely fell in love with this movie. It is absolutely wonderful. Everything from the costumes and sets, to the special effects will have you captivated. Cinderella will definitely be joining my movie collection as soon as it becomes available, and I will probably see it again when it is officially open in theatres. Oh, and be sure to keep an eye out for hidden Mickey’s throughout the film. There are a few to be seen.
A highlight for all of us was before the movie began we got to enjoy the new short, Frozen Fever. It will be playing before Cinderella playing in theatres starting March 13. Be sure to get to the theatre with plenty of time, you will not want to miss this. Trust me, it is adorable!