Disney Remake Marathon - Cinderella

Whilst Alice in Wonderland’s billion-dollar success got the ball rolling for live action Disney Remakes with big budgets and big actors, we wouldn’t see another one until 2014, with Maleficent, but I’m not covering Maleficent as part of this Marathon, as it doesn’t share its name with the original. Perhaps another time. With 2015 came of the remake of Cinderella, another adaptation of a book, maybe there’s a pattern here 

At the directors helm this time is Kenneth Branagh, who has certainly a mixed history with me. I liked his Murder on the Orient Express, was underwhelmed but not entirely displeased with Thor and then came Artemis Fowl… I don’t really need to say anymore, do I? Stay tuned for that review in 2021/2022.

The film didn’t have the budget of Tim Burton’s Alice, mostly because this shouldn’t need to create expansive worlds using special effects and made about $500m at the box office, a reasonable success for the house of mouse.

The original is another movie I’d describe as a 20-minute short stretched over 75 minutes. But with this it’s far easier to identify exactly what could’ve been cut. The cat and mouse chase scenes. Looney Tunes and MGM’s Tom and Jerry had cornered the market in this regard and their slapstick was lacklustre, missing the timing and sound of the true slapstick greats. But does the 2015 improve on this? Let’s take a look

OK, you all know the basic story of Cinderella, so I’m just gonna cover the plot bits that are unique the film. Let’s start by adding 1 to the Dead Parents Count, as he King and father of Prince Charming,  dies for vague reasons. He was very much alive, although rather problematic in the original.

OK, so Cinderella has been aged up a little and maybe it’s the transition from animation to reality but now her talking to animals looks less cute and more a mild psychosis. It might also be that we never hear the animals talk back. Thankfully their role is reduced compared to the original so we don’t need to worry about pointless slapstick.

We get a bit more of Cinderella’s story but the biggest mistake they make is having Cinderella’s father die (he died in the original too, so not adding to the counter) whilst Cinderella is an adult. We see how Lady Tremaine, the evil Stepmother, subtly manipulated Cinderella into the servant role in the film but the timing doesn’t feel realistic. In the original she was young and the manipulation and abuse happened over years.

That said, Cate Blanchette nails this role, she plays this role as a cold, callous manipulator but with an undercurrent of tragedy given her circumstances. That’s one element they added that I think serves it well, Tremaine gets a bit more to do, playing a more active role in the climax as she works out what Cinderella has done and gets to make a speech, even offering a deal, before locking Cinderella up. The only slip there was the her saying the reason she’s doing this is because Cinderella is “honest and good” or whatever when she gave a less generic explanation for hating her literally moments earlier.

Now, I’m afraid I have to deduct points for the portrayal of Cinderella. As a character she is all over the map, and in an attempt to make her more active, I think, they actually succeed in making her even more passive than before. She meets the Prince out on a walk, because she’s allowed out of the house now, and he introduces himself as Kit, because of reasons. I’ll come back to the Prince but first

She is asked why she continues to stay, and she says it’s because she loves the house or something. Now, don’t get me wrong, I get it, but giving that reason above any other one implies to me that she has the means to leave. And given that she is allowed to leave the house, she has opportunity. She means and opportunity to escape a household that abuses her and chooses to stay. If they were hoping to make her more active, this is a problem that needs to be addressed and not just by her marrying a Prince. Also, her name is Ella now and Cinderella is a name given to her by her evil stepsisters after she gets covered in soot, this was truly a dumb addition.

In the original, she is well and truly trapped, the cycle of abuse lasts long enough that she’s compelled to do the work for them. That said, when she had extra crap piled on top of her, she didn’t lie down for it, she protested, she banged on the door, she called for help.

The Fairy Godmother is just perplexing to me, she’s played by Helena Bonham Carter, which means we have to incorporate a ‘humorous’ moment where she grows the pumpkin into a carriage inside the Greenhouse. I don’t get it, either. She presents herself as an old woman looking for Cinderella to prove herself by showing kindness even in her lowest moment.

Now, I feel this misses the point. The Fairy Godmother is a shoulder for Cinderella to cry on, her one shot at happiness in the midst of all her misery, I feel her needing to prove her kindness is completely unnecessary. But of course, it plays to the movie’s core message. Prepare to hear the words “have courage and be kind” over and over again. The film is not subtle about it.

OK, the Prince, he’s a complete non-character in the original so pretty much anything would frankly be an improvement. Kit, as he’s called in this, is tasked to marry a Princess before his father passes away. He finds Cinderella (I’m not calling her Ella and you can’t make me) out in the woods and gets along with her but neither know who the other really is.

They get along at the ball, with Cinderella discovering his identity as a prince and gets to surprise attack one of his advisers who’d teamed up with Lady Tremaine to count out Cinderella. It’s minor bits and he’s still overall a bit bland but the two actors have some chemistry and at least it’s better than nothing.

The 2015 Cinderella is a better remake than Alice was, expanding mostly on areas that legitimately needed expanding upon. It’s attempts to have its cake and eat it with the character of Cinderella is the biggest downside when it comes to the story, but it’s by-and-large visually pleasing with decent acting, Cate Blanchette being the highlight as Lady Tremaine.

Rating 70/100