Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Cinderella 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 29, 2023

It's easy to think of Disney as some kind of immutable monolith in the entertainment world, with revenues and reputation to spare, but as some of the archival extras included on the 1080 disc in this package get into, that's a misperception at best. In 1950, when Cinderella was released, the Disney juggernaut was more or less stalled, deeply in debt, and without a lot of hope for the future. Even diehard film fans tend to think of Walt's immediate post-Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animated efforts like Pinocchio, Bambi and Fantasia as undisputed triumphs, and while that may be the critical perspective (at least courtesy of hindsight), none of those films subsequent to Snow White actually did a ton of business in their original theatrical exhibitions. As one of the supplements gets into, Disney had survived during the World War II era at least in part due to some funds flowing in from a perhaps slightly unexpected source, namely the United States government, but with the cessation of hostilities, Walt and his cohort were faced with a very uncertain future. Cinderella was in a very real way Walt's "hail Mary" pass to keep his studio alive, and it's probably needless to say that the film delivered (and then some) in that regard. If also courtesy of a bit of hindsight Cinderella doesn't seem quite as magical as some other Disney efforts, it's graced by some wonderful animation and a lilting song score that received two Academy Award nominations.

Does anyone really need a plot summary for Cinderella? Well, no judgment (at least not in print), but for those who might, Ken Brown's Cinderella Blu-ray review of the now long ago Diamond Edition should suffice quite handily. As I often state, different reviewers means different opinions, and I'm evidently not quite the fan of this film that Ken is. I've also tried to reproduce a few of Ken's screenshots for this review, and it should be apparent that even the 1080 disc in this package has some noticeable differences from the prior release.

Cinderella 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

Cinderella is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.37:1. As alluded to above, even the 1080 presentation offers what to my eyes looks rather different from the version Ken reviewed, with an overall darker and more suffused appearance, something that the 4K UHD presentation probably only enhances. The palette in the 4K UHD version is one of its strongest assets, with some absolutely gorgeous hues that are especially evocative toward the blue end of the spectrum. Detail levels are typically great, to the point that it looks like some of the watercolor imagery at the beginning of the film looks like it's on textured paper or some vellum-like surface. Line detail is superbly sharp throughout the presentation. It looks like the version Ken reviewed had some simmering controversy (what else is new?) with regard to filtering, and if there is a complaint to be made here, it's that the admittedly visible grain field can be very fine. It's especially noticeable against brighter backgrounds, notably again some of those blues I mentioned earlier, as in the great scene where Lucifer is playing a "shell game" (actually teacup game) with a mouse, and the tablecloth is blue. I frankly wouldn't say that HDR materially affects an already rather lustrous accounting of the palette on the 1080 disc in this package, but suffusion is generally amped overall.

Cinderella 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As I've mentioned in some of my reviews of other Disney releases, Disney doesn't have any problems revisiting things they've already released, but one of the curious variances that seems to crop up is a sometimes baffling array of audio codecs. The version Ken reviewed had DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and (notably and commendably) DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, the latter recreating the original theatrical version. Both the 1080 and 4K UHD discs in this package instead offer only a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Now, "surround" activity on this track is limited, and a lot of the soundstage is resolutely front and front side, but you can hear occasional spaciousness as in the clear panning of the harp in an opening arpeggio. The entire track still has a noticeably boxy sound that is probably most evident in some of the gorgeous close harmony vocal work, but music, dialogue and effects are all delivered without any problems. I still would have preferred the ability to have the original mono version, but your mileage may vary. Optional subtitles in several languages are available.

Cinderella 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD disc has no supplementary material. The 1080 disc in this package sports the following bonus items. There's some more detail on the shared items in the above linked review by Ken.

• In Walt's Words: The Envisioning of Cinderella (HD; 1:14:25) is an interesting piece offering some archival stills and audio of Disney and some of his team that document the production. This is accessible under the Play Menu.


• Disney View (HD; 1:14:24) is accessible under the Play Menu.


• Try This Trivia on For Size (HD; 4:48) features Ruth Righi and Ava Kolker.


• Classic Bonus

  Diane Disney Miller Cinderella Film Introduction (HD; 1:16)

  
  

  From Rags to Riches: The Making of Cinderella (SD; 38:27)

  
  

  The Cinderella That Almost Was (SD; 12:34)

  
  

  The Magic of the Glass Slipper: A Cinderella Story (HD; 10:03)

  
  

  The Real Fairy Godmother (HD; 11:50)

  
  

  Alternate Opening Sequence (HD; 1:13)

  
  

  Storyboard to Film Comparison: Opening Sequence (SD; 6:49)

  
  

  From Walt's Table: A Tribute to the Nine Old Men (SD; 22:09)

  
  

  The Art of Mary Blair (SD; 14:58)

  
  

  Behind the Magic: A New Disney Princess Fantasyland (HD; 8:17)

  
  

  1922 Laugh-O-Grams: Cinderella (SD; 7:24)

  
  

  Excerpt from The Mickey Mouse Club: with Helene Stanley (Original Airdate: January 24, 1956) (SD; 3:55)

  
  

  Radio Programs - Original Radio Shows From the 1940's / 50's play to frames from the film:

  Village Store Excerpt (Original Airdate: March 25, 1948) (SD; 2:35)

  
  

  Gulf Oil Presents Excerpt ca. 1950 (SD; 5:25)

  
  

  Scouting the Stars (Original Airdate: February 23, 1950) (SD; 4:25)

  Note: There is a Play All option for the above three audio supplements.

  
  

  Theatrical Trailers

  1950 Original Release Trailer (SD; 00:24)

  
  

  1965 Reissue Trailer (SD; 2:21)

  
  

  1973 Reissue Trailer (SD; 1:26)

  
  

  1981 Reissue Trailer (SD; 1:32)

  
  

  1987 Reissue Trailer #1 (SD; 1:57)

  
  

  1987 Reissue Trailer #2 (SD; 1:25)

  Note: There is a Play All option for the above supplements.

  
  

Additionally, a digital copy is included and packaging features a slipcover.

Cinderella 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cinderella is a sweet tale, of course, but you can't help but notice how padded this Disney version is with supporting characters not in the Perrault original. Even given that "sweetening", this has a slight running time that keeps things moving briskly. I actually preferred the look of both the 1080 and especially 4K UHD presentations in this release to the older Diamond Edition. The supplements are enjoyable, and the only downside to the audio is the omission of the original mono track. Otherwise, Cinderella comes Recommended.