{"id":897,"date":"2015-03-13T06:52:53","date_gmt":"2015-03-13T06:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/peanutsandpopcorn\/?p=897"},"modified":"2015-03-13T06:52:53","modified_gmt":"2015-03-13T06:52:53","slug":"cinderella-is-an-improved-masterpiece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/peanutsandpopcorn\/2015\/03\/cinderella-is-an-improved-masterpiece.html","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Cinderella\u2019 is an Improved Masterpiece"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cinderella<\/a>
Cinderella (Lily James) and the prince (Richard Madden) meet for the first time. (Walt Disney Pictures)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sometimes Disney outdoes Disney. When news broke that Walt Disney Pictures was going to \u00a0make a live action version of one of their most popular animated movies, many were skeptical. The original is such a classic, how could it be improved? Or worse – what if it they failed miserably? Disney\u2019s last attempt of re-inventing Sleeping Beauty<\/i> with Maleficent<\/i> was met with mixed reviews. They won\u2019t be having that same problem with this one.<\/p>\n

The 2015 Cinderella<\/i> will exceed just about everyone expectations for the film. Yes, it\u2019s that good. \u00a0Even those who are not fans of the original will find this one hard to like. All those questions you\u2019ve had like \u201cWhy did Cinderella allow herself to be bullied like that? Why didn\u2019t she leave? Did she really expect a prince to come a save her?\u201d are answered.<\/p>\n

There really isn\u2019t anything new to the story. In fact, this version features a few items found in the original folklore stories that are not featured in the 1951 cartoon. However, the prince (Richard Madden) gets a lot more screen time this time around and we get to know his character a lot more. There is also a surprisingly sweet scene between him and his father (Derek Jacobi) giving him a lot more to his personality.<\/p>\n

\"Madame<\/a>
Madame (Cate Blanchett) looks on as the royal attendant tries on the glass slippers of her daughters (Sophia McShera and Holliday Grainger)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All of the characters are excellent in this movie, though a few scenes do come close to having a bit more than a spoonful of sugar. Even the mice, which are obviously CGI, still act like mice and since real mice don\u2019t talk, neither do they.The movie could have gone overboard with the critters, but they smartly showed restraint.<\/p>\n

Lily James portrays the perfect Cinderella. Parents will be thrilled to have her be a role model for their children. She tries hard to see the best in people, she is always kind, she has courage to speak her mind and grace to not be cruel or offensive when doing so. She is a hard-worker. If more Christians could be like her, this would be a much better world.<\/p>\n

The polar opposite is the deliciously mean stepmother (Cate Blanchett) who is both elegant and tacky at the same time. Her cackle of a laugh is something else. She is always wearing green which suits her because her cruel motivations make more sense to be driven by envy instead of hatred. Likewise, The ugly stepsisters Drisella (Sophia McShera) and Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) are not ugly on the outside but hideous on the inside. They are completely unaware how awful they sound when they talk. Their mother loves them, but doesn\u2019t exactly like them.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham Carter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally, the icing on the cake belongs to the wonderful Helena Bonham Carter who plays the Fairy Godmother in a way that only she can. She\u2019s eccentric,loving and imperfect. She uses the magic words, \u201cBibbidi, bobbidi boo\u201d with great aplomb, and although she doesn\u2019t sing in the movie, she does sing the magical song during the credits. It should also be noted that the weight of her magic pales in comparison to the strength of Cinderella\u2019s character. It\u2019s really the way it should be.<\/p>\n

Cinderella is directed by Kenneth Branagh. It is his first fairy tale, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if it isn\u2019t his last. Every aspect of the this movie has the perfect feel and look – everything from the soundtrack music to the costumes. (Expect to see the movie listed as one of next year\u2019s nominees for best costume design for the Oscars.)The movie is rated PG, but I don\u2019t know why. There is nothing scary or inappropriate for little ones to see. Though it might be tough to pull your boys to see this film, but if they go, they are sure to like it as much as their sisters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes Disney outdoes Disney. When news broke that Walt Disney Pictures was going to \u00a0make a live action version of one of their most popular animated movies, many were skeptical. The original is such a classic, how could it be improved? Or worse – what if it they failed miserably? Disney\u2019s last attempt of re-inventing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":558,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[468,832,11,837,836,833,105,834,835],"class_list":["post-897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-movies","tag-cate-blanchett","tag-cinderella","tag-disney","tag-helena-bohham-carter","tag-holliday-grainger","tag-lily-james","tag-movie-review","tag-richard-madden","tag-sophia-mcshera"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Cinderella\u2019 is an Improved Masterpiece - Peanuts and Popcorn<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/peanutsandpopcorn\/2015\/03\/cinderella-is-an-improved-masterpiece.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Cinderella\u2019 is an Improved Masterpiece - Peanuts and Popcorn\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sometimes Disney outdoes Disney. When news broke that Walt Disney Pictures was going to \u00a0make a live action version of one of their most popular animated movies, many were skeptical. The original is such a classic, how could it be improved? Or worse – what if it they failed miserably? 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