Cinderella Is Timeless

You can’t beat a classic! 2015’s Cinderella is proof that fairy tales are timeless.

Cinderella (2015) is a live-action remake of Disney’s most iconic animated movie of the same name. There weren’t a lot of differences between that movie from more than half century ago (original Cinderella came out in 1950, to be exact.) to the live-action remake. Sure there was the addition of how Cinderella came to be with such a revolting family, and a bit of back story about the noble prince, but the main structure of the story is the same. And that’s not a bad thing. On the contrary, the absence of shoehorned revisions, convoluted plot twists or unnecessary “darkness” (that most modern takes of classic Disney films have all been doing lately) was a refreshing change of pace.

The classic Cinderella, except in real life, and better in a few ways.

It was the same movie, except, more so. Somehow the remake was able to make it more MAGICAL a movie, if that were even possible. 

The Good:

- Its stunning production visual effects gave it a stronger sense of regality and wonder. I’m a guy and even I could feel my inner 5 year old girl applauding during that breathtaking scene when the fairy godmother gave Cinderella her lovely new blue dress. 

- The characters are much stronger due to some well-crafted development. It was as if the writers knew they had a responsibility to create more convincing characters. They weren’t big, sweeping reimagining of the characters, but just slight backgrounds and instances that made a significant amount of difference.

Calling for a nationwide manhunt for a girl now makes more sense.

- Amazing actors brought the characters to life. Robb Stark as the Prince! Helena Bonham Carter as the fairy godmother! And Cate Blanchett as the cruel stepmother! 'Nuff said!

- Director Kenneth Branagh’s reverence to the source material. He stayed true to the essence of the original film while also beautifully recreating all the classic moments we’ve grown up with through the years. (How amazing was that first dance?!)

- Central theme that pieced the tale together – have courage and be kind. It explained motivations and drove the story forward in a way while also being a very unsubtle, Disney-hallmark, moral lesson. The creed still served as a nice, sturdy backbone to the narrative.

The Bad:

- Lack of music. Some fans may find it hard to imagine the Cinderella without the Fairy godmother chanting Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, or Cinderella singing A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes. But in the end this didn’t bother me as much.

Lily James is effortlessly loveable as Cinderella.

Helena Bonham Carter brings her trademark out-of-this-world charm to the fairy godmother role.

Robb Stark! Without the beard but still hella dashing!

Evil stepmother is evil!

Cinderella (2015) was refreshingly straightforward and traditional in an age where seriousness, realism and drastic plot changes and modernizations seem to be the trend. Just like Cinderella herself, the movie was simple, yet delightfully elegant. It's a tale is strong enough to stand the test of time. The Disney flare is not lost in this remake. If anything, the MAGIC and MAJESTY of Cinderella may have even been even more pronounced in live-action. But strip all that away, it’s really its core that makes Cinderella a timeless film: it’s a story that reminds us to always, above all else, be courageous and kind.

MICMIC RATING: 7.5/10

For the complete review, head on over to my review at The Philippine Online Chronicles!