Friday, January 15, 2016

Cinderella 2015 ~Review


I've been meaning to review this movie for months, but have always hesitated on the grounds that I don't know how to write a review.  Also there have been so many good reviews of this movie already that I'm really not sure what to add, and I'm afraid I'll bore you with yet another opinion on it.   However, I have decided to take the plunge.  Having now seen this film a total of four times--three of those times being within the past week--I'm thinking I'd better review it now or never.
 

When I first heard about this movie I was told that it was to be a live-action remake of the original Disney cartoon, so when I first saw it I very naturally began to compare the two movies, noting the differences which the filmmakers chose to make in this newest adaption.  My review therefore, will probably include some comparisons.  Not because I necessarily consider one film to be better than the other, but simply because noting the differences between the two versions is what comes most easily for me.  I won't bother with a detailed synopsis of the story because I'm sure most people already have a general idea of it how it goes.  In brief, it's about a very good girl who loses her parents, becomes enslaved to her evil stepmother, is sent to the ball by the magic maneuverings of her fairy godmother, meets and dances with the prince, loses her shoe in a mad dash to get home before the spell breaks at midnight, and then, of course, marries the prince in the end 'cause that's the way of all good fairy tales. 

In this particular version we get to see Cinderella (or Ella, rather) as a young girl, growing up happily with her adoring parents.


I enjoyed that aspect of the film as it gave a greater realness to the characters, and a greater sense of what Ella has lost once her parents are no longer living.  (If you like emotional, tear-filled scenes, you're going to have a jolly good time with this movie.)  

Ella's relationship with her father was very sweet, I thought, both as a child and as a young woman.
 

Obviously it was hard for her to see her father remarry, but she was very supportive and encouraging.  I really like the scene of them together in the study where he reassures her that he still misses her mother.   I know I would want to have such an assurance if I were Ella. 


Speaking of relationships--sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to be jumping all over the place in this review--I also really liked the Prince's relationship with his father. 


In the cartoon the prince doesn't have much of a personality, so it was very nice to see him talking and joking with his father.  (And crying, too, of course...because emotional, tear-filled scenes are the thing in this movie.)

Okay, sorry, I think I just got ahead of myself.  We're not supposed to be talking about the prince yet.  (Bear with me, please. I've never written a review before. )

Going back to Ella...  
So her father remarries, as everyone knows he will because that's the only way to get Ella a stepmother.  And I assure you, her stepmother and stepsisters are every bit as cruel...and ridiculous...as they are in the cartoon movie.  

Anastasia to Cinderella: "You have lovely hair."
Drizella to Cinderella: "You should have it styled."'

Styled like yours, Drizella?  Oh, spare us!  PLEASE!

With stepsisters like these, one might assume that things couldn't get much worse for Ella, but...*ahem*...they can.  Oh yes!  Ella's father dies and her stepmother shows her true colors.  She's evil, cruel, and mean... 
 

...Not only that!  She's not even nice!  (And she has the most obnoxious laugh ever!)

Ella becomes nothing more than a servant girl.

Which is sad, of course.  But it does allow for some very adorable pictures, wouldn't you agree?
 
I apologize again.  I'm moving much too slow on this thing and I'm using far too many pictures.  Let's switch gears.  I'll just list for you some of the things that stood out to me.  The things I liked, disliked, or just had a random thought about.    [Warning: This is going to become a very rambling post.]  Here goes.
 
~I like how Ella meets the prince before the ball, because such a circumstance gives a lot more credibility to their romance in the end.  And plus that scene was highly entertaining.  "It's Kit!  Kit!  Kit!  I'm Kit."  Alright, your Highness, we get the idea.  You want to be called Kit. :)


~I liked the fairy godmother...much better than I thought I would.  In fact, I had been perfectly certain I would not like her because she did not fit my mental image of the fairy godmother...at all.  However, in the end I have to admit she was quite funny and I enjoyed her character very much.
 
 
~The scene with Ella and the Prince in the garden was cool.  The setting was beautiful. 
 
Plus I found a really pretty picture!  So!  Why not use it?

And when Cinderella loses her shoe while swinging on the swing and the prince offers to place it back on her foot!  Oh!  It was so much fun to ruin the romantic moment by saying to the prince, "If you can find her foot in all that skirt!"

~Cinderella's skirt really was impressively large.  It's a wonder the prince was able to dance with her without getting all tangled up in it. 
 
 
~I expected the mice to talk because that's what they do in the cartoon movie.  However, they didn't.  All they did was squeak.  At first I was disappointed by that, but I now see that, that was the best way to go.  The cartoon mice characters wouldn't have fit properly into this story at all.
 
~There was one line in the movie which stood out to me as being particularly good.  It was that scene up in the attic where Cinderella, crushed by her stepmother's harsh treatment, asks her why she treats her so,  and the stepmother replies, "Because you are young and innocent and good.  And I am..."  Yes well, it was pretty powerful, until my dad finished her sentence for her, "old, guilty, and bad."  Haha! 
 
~The stepsisters sense of style is horrendous!
 
 
Ugly, ridiculous, and...no, Drizella! Cinderella should never take hair-styling lessons from you!  (Oh!  It's painful!)
 
~When the stepmother is discussing plans with the Duke and he says "Are you threatening me?"  All I can think of is "You are threatening our friendship."  (Amazing Grace reference.  *wink*)
 
 
Okay, now I'm going to get a little nitpicky.  I hope you don't mind.  But this is the way my mind works.
 
~*Ahem*  Did the stepmother really think she could blackmail Cinderella into letting her rule the kingdom?  That's just silly.  Like the prince would really be such a fool as to let some strange woman tell him what to do.  Honestly!  That makes no sense at all.
 
Silly Stepmother.  I think you'd better think it out again.
 
~Umm...if the prince was going to ride along on the whole slipper-fitting trek anyway, why didn't they just ask him to go along in the first place and identify the girl when he saw her.  After all, he knows what she looks like.  Why even bother with the shoe?
 
~And, finally, I just have to say, I'm not at all nervous for Cinderella when she comes down the stairs at the end of the film, wondering whether the Prince--seeing her now as she really is--will still want to marry her.   Hello! 
 
 
This was their first meeting.  This is where he fell in love with her.  I really don't think there's any doubt about his marrying her.
 
 
Alright, let's see if I can wrap this up.  I feel like I haven't said anything worth saying in this post, so sorry about that.  At least you got to see some pictures (which, of course, you could have found for yourself...but never mind.)
 
Cinderella is a delightful, sparkling, family friendly film.  If you are a fan of  fairy tales and princess stories, then I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this movie.  (Okay. I think I just overused the letter "f.") 
 
 
Have you already seen this movie?
What was your opinion of it?


25 comments:

  1. Miss March, I LOVED this! ALL of it! For 'not knowing how to do a review' I think you did an excellent job!! It read very well indeed!

    "(If you like emotional, tear-filled scenes, you're going to have a jolly good time with this movie.)" How very true, but I love how you phrased it. :D

    "She's evil, cruel, and mean......Not only that! She's not even nice!" Hahaha, very funny!

    Loved your dad's added comment. That's hilarious. But, it is a powerful scene to be sure!

    OH, the stepsister's sense of style...do they have any? Sense of style that is? Or sense at all? ;)

    I agree with some of your points on the 'problems' of the movie. Like walking down to the prince and all that at the end. I wasn't worried for her either. But, I think they were trying to show the self-doubt that had been planted in Cinderella's mind by living with her stepfamily.

    All those lovely pictures + your comments = happiness!

    You, literally, had me laughing out loud in this review! Terrific job, my friend! You mustn't be so hard on yourself!! :D

    I also love your new look! (But, it's sad to see the cute little animal pictures go...*sigh*.) However, as I said, this new look is lovely!

    ~Cordy

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    1. Awww. Thank you so much, Cordy! That is so encouraging to hear. :)

      Haha! Actually, the "not only that! She's not even nice" is a quote from a movie, but I can't quite remember which one. So, yeah I have to admit it wasn't totally original. But it fit so perfectly I couldn't pass it up. :) Movie quotes are constantly finding their way into my writing. (By the way, would that be considered plagiarism? Because if that's the case, I'm in big trouble. *sheepish grin*)

      Haha! Your comment on the stepsisters' sense of style! :) Exactly. I'm puzzled to find the sense in it, too. ;)

      You're right, I'm sure there was a good reason for Cinderella's hesitation over meeting the prince at the end. :) Like I said, I was being nitpicky. I have a horrible habit of doing that and can sometimes drive my siblings crazy by making too many smart remarks while watching a movie. ;)

      *gulp* I know. I'm much too hard on myself sometimes. Honestly, I don't know how to stop it. :) But thank you, dear, for your tremendously kind and encouraging comment. That helps a lot! :)

      Oh, I know. I liked the cute animal pictures, too. :( Maybe I'll make another header sometime using animal pictures that are quite so Christmas-y. :)

      ~Miss March

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    2. I thought the line sounded familiar but I couldn't place it either. :) I often quote movies in my writing as well. I hope it's not plagiarism!?! I'd be in the same trouble!

      Haha, I have the same problem. My siblings will get on my case for overthinking things and making smart remarks. But as you said, it's a habit! But they'll get me back when I'm watching my shows so it all evens out. :D

      Well, if they help, then I will have to keep commenting! We have to build that self esteem somehow! :) Hahaha!

      ~Cordy

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    3. Really? I wonder if you've seen the movie that quote came from. Now it's going to bug me, because I really should know where it's from. :P

      You do it, too? Oh, then you understand how much fun it is! Haha! :D You're right, though! My siblings do it to me, too, so we're all even.

      Cordy, you are an absolute dear! I hope building my self esteem isn't too big of a job! Haha! (Seriously, though, I don't know why I doubt myself so much. It's really quite silly.)

      ~Miss March

      P.S. I saw I had one comment waiting moderation and I said to myself, "It's from Cordy." And it was! Score! :D

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    4. Sorry, I can't help with the line. I just can't place it!

      Oh, it's the best! It can be loads of fun!

      No trouble at all my dear Miss March, no trouble at all. Hahaha. :)

      ~Cordy

      P.S. Oh, I hope it was a good thing it was from Cordy. :)

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    5. Of course it was good thing!!! :) I always like getting comments from Cordy! :D

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  2. AHH. YOU REVIEWED IT. And your new header!!!!!! IT'S SO GORGEOUS. You are so good at doing 'one-picture' headers. I normally don't like those, but when you do them, I'm a fan. :-)

    " (And crying, too, of course...because emotional, tear-filled scenes are the thing in this movie.)" HAHA. :-D Very funny. :-)

    I KNOW right? DON'T TRUST DRISELLA OR ANASTASIA ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF HAIR. They really look like... I don't know, but it's not something pretty. :-P
    I know, the Stepmother's LAUGH. It's so EVIL. (I think it's quite funny, though. I'm not going to lie.)

    Haha, I bet they had to practice dancing - also for Lily James; It must have been very hard to keep balance with such huge skirts. They look soooo gorgeous, though. *I FAINT*

    Ah, I loved this review!! <3

    ~ Naomi

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    1. Awww. Thank you, Naomi! *blushes* Having you approve of my header makes me extremely happy. I guess because I sort of consider you to be an expert when it comes to making headers, so your opinion really means a lot to me. :)

      Haha! You're the second person who quoted that line. :)

      Oh, I agree. The stepmother's laugh is definitely funny! But so CREEPY, too! I certainly wouldn't want her laughing at me!! :P

      Okay, I'm beginning to get the idea that I may be capable of writing reviews, after all. If Naomi says she likes it then it really can't be all bad. :) Thank you so much, dear. You really have encouraged me greatly.

      ~Miss March

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  3. I liked your review, Miss March! I am going to watch the DVD of this movie very soon with my sister, and I can't wait. IT JUST LOOKS LIKE SUCH A SWEET MOVIE. And the colors are very very beautiful.

    One thing I don't understand is, why does the father remarry if he is still in love with his dead wife? Somehow that doesn't make sense. Hmmm.

    Oh, those stepsisters! Their styles are horrendous!! But I like them better than the Disney cartoon ones, because you can see in this version that they actually would be pretty girls, if they dressed modestly and did their hair nicely :P

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    1. Oh, I'm glad you're going to watch it! It really is an excellent movie. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

      Good question. I'm puzzled by the father's reasons for getting remarried, too. I guess he probably thought he was over his first wife's death more than he really was, and considered that being married would bring more happiness into his life, and perhaps help him to move on and LIVE again. If he'd chosen better everything would have been well, but marrying someone like the stepmother only made him miss his first wife all the more. That's all the sense I can make out of it. Personally, I think he should have gotten to know the stepmother a little better before marrying her, but unfortunately I wasn't there to advise him. ;)

      Yes, that's true. A little modesty in dress, and more attractive hairstyles, would do wonders for the stepsisters. :)

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    2. Yesssss!!!!

      Ah, that makes a lot more sense! Thanks for explaining it :) No, it doesn't sound like he made a very good choice. I suppose grief does that to some people, clouds their judgement. It is a pity that we can't advise movie/book characters, isn't it? ;)

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    3. Oh, you're welcome. Actually, I was sort of trying to explain it to myself at the same time. ;)

      Oh, dear yes. It's a great pity. They could benefit so much from our advice! ;) Haha!

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  4. This was your first review?! Whoa. IT WAS EXCELLENT, MISS MARCH!!!! :D

    Lovely, lovely! I think I've rather run out of things to say about this movie, but I WUVS IT. So much.

    "(If you like emotional, tear-filled scenes, you're going to have a jolly good time with this movie.)" I loved the way you put that. That is awesome :D

    And I loved the pictures you included! Especially that last picture of Lady Tremaine and Ella.

    Beautiful job :)

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    1. Awwww. Thank you, Olivia!!! :)

      Oh, I know! There have been so many things said about it, it's hard to come up with something new!

      Wow! You're the third person to quote me on that! I guess it must have been a good line. ;) Haha!

      Thank you, dear friend! Your comment made me very happy! :)

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  5. Ohh, you reviewed it too!! This is a GREAT review! Much much better than my first movie review (please don't go look in the archives of my blog now!) (I'm just kidding, you can if you want. ;)).

    Hahaha!! Your dad sounds like my dad. We all love to make sarcastic or funny comments while watching movies, but he definitely comes up with the best comments. When we watched LOTR for the first time, I finally had to ask him to stop because he was ruining the epic moments. hahaha ;)

    You like the in-the-garden-shoe scene too!!! I love it because it's foreshadowing the real shoe falling off moment, AND it's adorable. And sweet. Eeekk, so sweet!!

    Hmm. That's true. But maybe the prince decided to go undercover during the shoe ordeal in order to avoid being bothered and distracted by all those girls and their mothers. That's my take, anyways. :)

    I loved the all the pictures in this post!! Seriously. Never apologize for too many pictures. (Well, unless they're one after another in rows of ten or so. That could be annoying.)

    I could say so much more, but...you know. :) Now that we've read each other's reviews I think we both know that we pretty much agree with each other on most everything concerning this! :D

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    1. Thanks, Natalie. I really don't know what to say. You girls are way too encouraging! :) (Haha! Now what makes you think I would go and look in the archives of your blog? Okay, so I did. But you needn't worry. I think your first review was a very good one. You did an excellent job of summarizing the story. That's one of the things that makes me nervous about doing reviews, writing an overview of the story.)

      Haha! That sounds like my family! There are certain ones of us who love to make funny comments and smart remarks while watching movies. It's just so much fun! However, it is true that you can overdo it. Haha! Aren't dads the best, though? It's fun watching movies together as a family. My dad could probably find a lot of things to say about LOTR, too, only he doesn't usually watch it with us. (He prefers the book.) :)

      Yes, that scene really is beautiful! I love how this movie has more conversations between Cinderella and the Prince. I can get into their love story so much better because they actually know each other a little bit. :)

      Well, I must say. That is a very good point! Hadn't thought of it that way before. :) Those girls and their mothers certainly would have been a force to be reckoned with. And yeah, now that I think of it, that would have complicated matters in a whole new way to have the prince himself going around to all the houses. It would have created far too great of a stir, probably. Very good point, Natalie. :)

      Haha! I KNOW! There just isn't enough time to say all that we'd like to say, is there? ;)

      Thank you, Natalie! I enjoyed your comment immensely. :)

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    2. Aww, your welcome. :) But no, no, no. I don't like my first review. Yours is way better. :D haha! But thank you. :) I'm thinking that I may do a re-review of Roman Holiday because I just love it so much-and I don't think my first reviewed conveyed that love. So yeah. :) That's my thoughts.

      Ohh, yes, definitely. Watching movies without my dad just plain isn't as fun. :) I think watching movies as a family is one of the best things ever. :)

      I was actually able to pick up Cinderella from the library yesterday...I'm having so much fun re-watching it, especially after Cinderella week! I feel like I appreciate the movie so much more now. :)

      Haha, thank you! :D

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    3. That's a good point. Your first review of Roman Holiday was a bit too short to convey how much you really love that movie, so I definitely support you in doing a re-review sometime. I'd certainly be interested in hearing more details of the story, as well as more of your personal thoughts on it. :)

      You've been watching Cinderella again? How delightful! You know, I think I appreciated it a lot better because of the Cinderella week, too. :) It has definitely grown on me, and I liked it a lot better after seeing it a second time.

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    4. Thanks! I'll have to plan on it, then! (And add it to my ever growing and already ridiculously long "to blog" list haha)

      Exactly! I liked it the first time, but I LOVED it this time around!

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  6. I really liked your review, Miss March! :) And to answer your questions, YES, I have seen it, and I LOVED IT. Hehe. I could say more, but I'd basically be restating pretty much everything you said. Except the things you mentioned bugged you a little, didn't annoy me, because I was so swept up in the beautiful-ness of it all. :) I understand what you mean, though! It's such a simple, sweet, and scrumptious movie. :D
    ~Miss Meg

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    1. Scrumptious, yes! That's an excellent word to describe it. It really is a beautiful film.

      Thank you, Miss Meg. I'm so glad you liked the review. To be honest, I was a little nervous about it, so your comment was very encouraging. :)

      ~Miss March

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  7. You watched it 3 times in one week??
    Well, it is a wonderful movie, one of my new favourites.
    So many lovely pictures! Bu thow else can you show the beautifulness of the movie?
    I loved the scenes between Ella and her father. And Kit and his father *sniffles* it was so touching!
    I loved the fairy godmother. Quite a different take on her character but loved ti nonetheless.
    It's such a lovely dress, but yes, the skirt is twice the size of any of the other dresses. Were they that big to make sure young people kept a respectful distance while dancing?
    Great review! I love rambling posts!

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    1. Um...yeah. Instead of watching it with the entire family we sort of did it in shifts, so by the time everyone had seen it, I had watched it three times. I don't normally watch a movie that many times in a week, but it was fun! :)

      Oh yes! There are so many good parts in that movie! We could go on and on about it I'm sure. Kit and his father! Awww.

      Hmm...that's a thought. It certainly seems like that skirt would help to keep people at a distance. Why, Cinderella couldn't even put her arms straight down without smashing it! Haha! :)

      Thank you so much, Rose! :D I'm glad you liked it!

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  8. Oh I love this movie. SO. MUCH. Good for you for reviewing it, you did great.

    The stepmother's laugh, I actually rather like... :) It's a perfect villainous laugh. I wish I could laugh like that, my laugh is rather pathetic.

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    1. Thank you! :)

      Oh, I agree, the stepmother's laugh is a perfect villainous laugh. And it's just right for her. ;)

      May I ask, WHY you want to laugh like a villain? ;) Haha! Oh, I'm sure your laugh is not pathetic. Are you referring to your attempt at a villainous laugh, or your natural way of laughing? Because a natural laugh can't be pathetic, I'm sure. :)

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