Disney’s classic story Cinderella had always been one of my favorite books to read and one of my favorite movies to watch when I was a young girl. You can imagine the excitement when I learned that Disney was making a live-action film, I was beyond excited and couldn’t wait to see this classic story once again, this time with my young daughter.
The story of Cinderella follows young Ella (Lily James) whose father remarries after her mother passes away. Ella loves her father very much and supports him fully by welcoming her new Stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Drisella (Sophie McShera) and Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) into their home. However, Ella’s father soon passes away and Ella finds herself living with a cruel and jealous new family.
The Stepmother forces Ella to become their servant, treated with disrespect and given the name “Cinderella”. Ella remains positive and remembers her mother’s dying words to her – “have courage and be kind.”
One day Ella meets a handsome stranger and is totally unaware that he is the Prince (Richard Madden) who tells her his name is Kit and that he is an apprentice at the palace. Soon the King (Derek Jacobi) calls upon all maidens in the kingdom to come to the palace for a royal ball. Her Stepmother forbids her to go and destroys her dress.
In the mean time, the Grand Duke (Stellan Skarsgard) makes a plan to dash the Prince’s hopes of seeing Ella again and supports the sneaky Stepmother. Soon, a kind beggar woman (Helena Bonham Carter) is on the scene and with the help of a pumpkin, mice, a lizard, and a wave of a magic wand, Cinderella’s life changes and she finds herself on the way to a royal ball.
My daughter and I attended the advance-screening of Cinderella and while there we noticed many families with young children which I feel this film is perfect for young children and adults of all ages.
The movie is simply magical, just as it was when I saw it for the first time as a young girl.
But wait! There’s more!
The all-new Frozen fever short! Princesses Anna and Elsa are back with all the Frozen characters as they celebrate Anna’s birthday! However, Elsa’s cold soon wrecks havoc on the party, but there is a happy ending. And you are going to love Olaf’s little brothers, they are adorable!
Will you be seeing Cinderella?
Disclosure: Movie passes were given for an honest review of Cinderella. All opinions are strictly my own.