A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes...

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2016)

After having adapted Snow White for the screen in 1937, I don't think there was a better way for Disney to return to the fairy tale genre than with the world's second most famous tale that takes place once upon a time.
At the time of its' release, Cinderella was the company's first full-length feature film after a six-year hiatus due to all of the financial straits that were brought on by WWII. So, in crafting the film, Walt and his staff had to out all the stops and nearly bankrupted themselves in the process. Fortunately for them, Cinderella was a smash hit with audiences and critics alike, ensuring that Disney made enough money off of the film for them to produce many more animated films.
However, the question is: Does Cinderella still hold up to this day? Is it truly the masterpiece it was hailed as in 1950? The answer to both is definitely yes!
The film had many of Disney's top men working on it and it really does show. The backgrounds which were designed by the renowned female artist Mary Blair are not only beautiful to look at but are drawn in a way that gives them a breathtaking air of grandeur.
The musical numbers by Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston are endearing, catchy and will no doubt find their way into your head after you've watched the film.
Cinderella (gorgeously voiced by Ilene Woods) is a strong-willed, optimistic and independent young woman who you'll be rooting for the whole time as she manages to get all of the work her evil stepmother mercilessly piles on her without a complaint.
Her mouse friends (voiced by James MacDonald, who also voiced Mickey Mouse) unfortunately get a lot of hate as many say that they take up too much screen time. However, I think that they are given just enough so that they do not overshadow the main heroine. Plus, with all the ways that they help Cinderella, I'd say that they are more likable and much better integrated into the plot than some of the comic-relief in today's Disney films (e.g. Olaf from Frozen, the Gargoyles from Hunchback.)
The only thing that I would change about this film is the amount of screen time given to the Prince. Instead of having another scene where the King/Duke argue following the Ball, there should've been a scene where the Prince discusses his feelings for the girl he met.
Other than that, Disney's 1950 adaptation of Cinderella is one that delights me as much as it did movie-going audiences of the 20th- century and will continue to have a special place in my heart for years to come.