Cinderella (2015)

***Cinderella*** is a 2015 American-British romantic fantasy film directed by Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Chris Weit. A remake of Disney's 1950 classic film *Cinderella*, coinciding with the original film's 65th anniversary, this film tells the story of Ella, a young lady who wants to find true love following the deaths of her parents.

## Plot

Ella is a beautiful girl who lives in a far, far away kingdom with her parents. Following her mother's death, her father remarries to the nefarious Lady Tremaine, who brings her bratty daughters to the house, complicating Ella's life. The abuse turns much worse after the death of Ella's father, but she will keep the morals she was taught and search for true love while fighting for not losing hope.

## Why Cinderella Is Still One Of A Kind Princess

1. Good grasp of the source material, honoring the original fairy tale in Disney's classic way.
2. Good acting, especially that of Lilly James as Cinderella and Cate Blanchett as Lady Tremaine.
3. Some funny moments.
4. It includes a prologue featuring Ella's life back when her parents were still alive and how her father remarries before passing away, whereas the original film didn't show this and just mentioned it as part of the narration.
5. Lady Tremaine is rewritten as a dimensional villainess. Unlike the original one, who was mean and spiteful for no apparent reason, here she is given a reason for which she no longer believes in love and poses as a more meaningful threat, making her more melodramatic and sophisticated.
6. Rather than being a bland love interest with minimal screentime, Prince Charming (real name: Kit) has a major role here and does much more than in the original film.
7. Ella is a good role model like her original counterpart, keeping her morals and positiveness despite all the abuse inflicted on her.
	* While on that topic, her line "*You were never my mother!*" was a strong but unexpected line.
	* Also her forgiving her abusive family is very powerful.
8. The King's death scene is emotional.
9. Kenneth Branagh shows good direction skills.
10. Lots of heart
11. Amazing costuming, especially Cinderella's signature blue ball gown.
12. Gorgeous soundtrack
13. Fine pacing.
14. Nice special effects.
15. Beautiful cinematography
16. Unlike most Disney live-action remakes of their classic animated films, this one stands out by improving the original film and correcting its flaws.

## Mixed Qualities

1. Ella has more freedom as she is allowed to leave the house and have friends unlike being trapped in a abusive household like the original so she could leave at anytime. It takes away from the power of Cinderella entering the ball because she wasn't imprisoned in an abusive home for most of her life.

## Bad Qualities

1. The scene where Ella's stepfamily tear her dress is less impactful and lacks drama.
2. The size of Cinderella's waistline can come off as exaggerated and unrealistic.
3. Some fans did not like the change of the Grand Duke becoming a villain, much like King Stefan in *Maleficent*.
4. Bruno the Dog is absent.

## Videos

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## Reception

Critical reception to *Cinderella* was mostly positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 83%, based on 250 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Refreshingly traditional in a revisionist era, Kenneth Branagh's *Cinderella* proves Disney hasn't lost any of its old-fashioned magic". On Metacritic, it received a score of 67 out of 100, based on 47 critics, indicating "genereally favorable reviews".

Unlike most of the Disney live-action remakes, which have been badly criticized or received mixed reviews, this one is considered one of the best for upgrading the original film by solving many of the flaws it originally contained (like Prince Charming's blandness) and updating the story for today's public.

## External Links

* Template:IMDb
* Template:Rotten Tomatoes