Cinderella (2015)
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden
Synopsis:
A girl forced to work as a servant for her stepmother, meets the prince and falls in love.
Impressions:
I find the move by Disney to remake their animated classics in live action form to be interesting. Unfortunately, that means they're setting themselves up for comparison to the works that made them as a studio. Maleficent wasn't perfect by any stretch, but it had flair and left an impression. This, however, is a lifeless, charmless, going-through-the-motions adaptation of the Cinderella story. Ever After had character and played with the formula a bit. This... bleh. You've got talented people like Kenneth Branagh and Cate Blanchett involved, but there's nothing here to make it worth seeing compared to the animated version or any other adaptation of the story. The CG isn't great and I particularly disliked the design of the mice which falls in an uncanny valley between realistic and cartoony. I was so thoroughly underwhelmed that if there's any redeeming value this movie, I can't think of it. Pass on this one.
Rating:Avoid It
[Re-Review]
I came down rather hard on this one, but possibly because cinema in general and these Disney live-action remakes in particular have been going downhill in the years since, this particular film doesn't seem nearly so bad. I still feel this falls short of the animated original or other versions such as Ever After. I'm more appreciative of some of Kenneth Branagh's signature touches as a filmmaker and what Cate Blanchett brings to the table as Lady Tremaine. Also, having recently seen I, Claudius, I get more of a reaction out of seeing Derek Jacobi as the king. The CG is overwrought, but we've seen so much worse since that my earlier complaints feel quaint looking at them now. If you had no other point of reference, this would be a decent watch in its own right, and that's enough to make me bump this up a point upon reevaluation. Take it or leave it.
Rating:
50/50