To be completely honest, there is nothing stunningly wrong with Disney's newest adaptation of the Grimm's Fairy Tale, "Cinderella". It is beautifully shot, and the costumes and sets are marvelous. Cate Blanchett is absolutely wonderful as the Stepmother, and "Downton Abbey's" Lily James is easy to fall in love with as the title character. It just falls flat in so many places that it fails to capture the magic of the 1950 animated classic. Though Chris Weitz's manages to fill in some of the plot holes in the story, it flushes some of the characters (mostly the step sisters) out in dreadful and unfunny ways. The entire subplot with the always fantastic Stellan Skarsgard feels silly and forced, and drags the film down in many scenes. All in all, it does little to add to the mythology, but it is an easily digestible piece of cinema.
Grade: B-
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: No
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writer(s): Chris Weitz
RT: 105 min
Rating: PG for mild thematic elements
