Disney at its Core Essence

Rating: 5/10 (4 March 2020)

Taking away all the fluff I would imagine that if one were to characterize Disney using one film among their entire body of work, the film that it would all boil down to as the core essence of everything else would probably be this film. At least, that's what I've grown to believe over the course of the majority of my life.
I understand that this is a fairy tale and that it's meant for kids but there are so many other contemporary Disney films that are more interesting and engaging than this. Is it wrong to expect more from stories like these? I don't think so. For many, this film is a classic and I can understand why since the imagery from this film, in particular, is iconic to the point of being transcendental of the original work. In that case, yes, this film is definitely culturally important, probably only second to Mickey Mouse as far as Disney is concerned. But this film cannot hold up to its own legacy and, in a way, it's a little unfair.
Simplicity isn't a bad thing, most of the stories that Disney puts out are simple stories, but there is an emotional depth to it. You get to know and go on a journey with the characters and see their experiences, rooting for them when they need it. In Cinderella's case it seems more that the main character is more of a blank slate. In a similar way that Link in the Legend of Zelda games was meant to be a blank slate through which the player vicariously lived through while playing the game, Cinderella feels like Link's cinematic equivalent. It feels like Cinderella exists for those who identify with her to project themselves into her and because of this, her character comes off as hollow.
I should also note that I believe that there was a bit too much time spent on the animal friends than necessary. It felt almost like padding out the film's run time, though I did appreciate that it did have a point in the end. But I still felt that those sequences could have been cut short to make room for giving Cinderella more personality outside of what little it left us with.
I thought it was funny, also, that after the ball scene, Cinderella and Prince Charming decide they love each other, say not a single word to each other, and when Cinderella runs away before the spell wears out Prince Charming yells "I don't even know your name!" It's sad how unintentionally funny that is, with the aid of hindsight one might look at that and consider that that line is a bit of a subtle jab at itself, but who knows?
This film's legacy has ended up overshadowing it in a big way, which is unfortunate. I'm sure, to those who grew up with it, this film is a classic to them, and by all means call it one as there are grounds in favor of that claim. But as a standalone piece, it just doesn't do it for me. Not bad, but simply plain.