Straightforward Disney rendering of the fairy tale...

Rating: 7/10 (26 November 2005)

Beautiful young woman, orphaned and living with her evil stepmother and two jealous stepsisters, hopes to attend the Royal Ball in the castle on the hill but may be thwarted by her cruel keepers and a decidedly nasty cat named Lucifer. Animated classic from Walt Disney has the company's signature style, but the scenarists skimp a bit on the background details. Walt wasn't exactly into character development, and the leading lady here is a bit of a masochist (one has to wonder, especially in this day and age, why she doesn't stick up for herself. Does she feel trapped or is her isolation a comfort to her after her father's demise?). The friendly, chattering mice who help Cinderella provide the comic relief, there are at least two excellent songs ("Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" and "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes"), and many gorgeous moments of animated magic. Still, this plot is on the slim side (running time: 74 minutes), and is reminiscent of "Snow White" besides. Loaded up with villains, the movie could perhaps use a bit more of the grandmotherly Fairy Godmother (who literally vanishes); the pacing seems to stall after the big ballroom sequence, and the finale doesn't tell us what happened to the step-family. It's exquisite to look at however, and has some very funny slapstick. *** from ****