Cinderella Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Cinderella Blu-ray Movie Review

"Have courage and be kind..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown September 14, 2015

Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella follows Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Robert Stromberg's Maleficent (2014) in Disney's latest experiment-turned-box office smash: adapting classic Walt Disney animated films into sweeping live-action spectacles. And to Branagh's credit, what might have been an unnecessary exercise in tedium is a delightful, magical reimagining that, rather than overshadowing the original (1950), enriches and nearly surpasses it as a fully realized companion piece. The clever additions and tweaks made to its familiar story aren't merely filler; they cast subplots and entire characters in a whole new light, dramatically but faithfully. The performances aren't cartoonish or wooden; instead walking a very fine line between homage and reinvention. The production design and visuals aren't gaudy or overindulgent; they bring an animated fairy tale to carefully restrained but thoughtfully dazzling life. If Cinderella is indicative of what to expect from Disney's upcoming live-action remakes of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, there's cause for excitement.

Young Ella (Lily James) is kind, strong and confident, even when her father (Ben Chaplin) remarries following the death of her mother (Hayley Atwell). Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett) and stepsisters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into her home. But when Ella's father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the abuse inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother's dying words: "have courage and be kind." It's during these trials that she meets a dashing stranger (Richard Madden) in the forest. Unaware he's a prince, she finally feels she's found a kindred soul. When the Palace invites all the maidens of the land to attend a ball, Ella hopes of once again encountering the charming stranger. Alas, her stepmother forbids her from going and leaves Ella at home. But help is at hand, as a seemingly simple beggar woman (Helena Bonham-Carter) steps forward and, armed with a pumpkin and a few mice, changes Cinderella's life forever.

Cinderella doesn't alter the iconic beats of the original film so much as it embraces them wholeheartedly. Unafraid to broaden the scope of the tale, Branagh and screenwriter Chris Weitz make (mostly) watchful, even-handed additions, driving the story and characters in interesting directions without yanking or snapping the reigns. Ella's tragic origins breathe life into everything that follows, as do little touches; Lady Tremaine being a cold, wounded widow, the prince and his relationship with his father, the king (Derek Jacobi), the manner in which Ella's fairy godmother tests her kindness, and, most importantly, Ella's use of kindness as sword, armor, shield and olive branch. Character arcs aren't crafted casually but with precise calculation. Branagh and Weitz's Ella isn't a hero or warrior princess in the traditional sense, but a hero perfect for little girls who don't fire bows from horseback, mount rebellions, save kingdoms or live particularly extraordinary lives. Little girls who are picked on at school, struggling with divorced parents at home, who face real insecurities in a real world; little girls who have no defense but their outlook, attitude and heart to help them weather the storms. Cinderella isn't saved by Prince Charming. The would-be princess isn't rescued by the prince. Ella saves herself through courage and kindness... with a bit of help from fairy tale magic and true love of course.

There are a few distractions, though I suspect most viewers will be far more forgiving. Helena Bonham-Carter feels miscast and out-of-place, striking an overly eccentric, self-aware tone that's at odds with the rest of the performances. It evokes Burton's Alice in Wonderland in a movie that takes great pains to sidestep the pitfalls of Alice in Wonderland. Bonham-Carter's fairy godmother also has the misfortune of dispensing Wonderland-esque CG, and it's here, and only here -- as Ella is granted a mice-driven pumpkin carriage and a gorgeous blue gown -- that Cinderella plays like a cartoon. It's a strange ten-minute step backwards, especially for a sequence based on one of the most memorable scenes in the original film. Other small irritations pop up now and again (Lucifer, the mice, and other throwback elements), but none of it is quite so detrimental as Branagh's fairy godmother, and even that passes quickly. Bonham-Carter doesn't appear again, or take over the film a la Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter.

Cinderella is as much made for those with deep affection for the classic film as it is for a whole new generation of little girls, and it largely succeeds on both counts. It's almost too good at what it does, threatening to become the definitive Cinderella in many a home. Preference is just that, though. Preference. Branagh's reimagining in no way diminishes the original, just as the original in no way lessens the reimagining. Each one plays to a different set of strengths and each one uplifts the other. If Disney is able to replicate such a feat in future live-action adaptations, as it also did with Maleficent (a film Martin Liebman loved, I quite liked, and Brian Orndorf... did not), this will prove to be an exciting decade for the house Uncle Walt built. If not, well, Cinderalla won't be shaken.

Cinderella Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Blu-ray release of Cinderella is exceedingly kind to the film's fans thanks to a lovely 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation that's as faithful as it is stunning. The palette isn't garish, extravagant or overwhelming, relying on reserved, filmic saturation instead of glittery bursts of eye-gouging flash and sizzle. Colors are still strong, though -- the blue of Ella's magical gown, the red of Lady Tremaine's lips and the serpentine green of her dresses, the pinks and yellows of Anastasia and Drisella's costumes, the lushness of the forest and fields, the earthiness of Ella's attic home -- and skintones, contrast, and black levels are striking. Detail is excellent as well, with crisp edge definition and nicely resolved fine textures. Grain is present but unobtrusive, every nuance of the production design is on display, delineation is revealing, and the only unsightly moments involve problematic CG, by no fault of the encode whatsoever. Better still, significant artifacting, ringing, banding and aliasing are nowhere to be found. Cinderella is dressed to impress, from head to toe.

Cinderella Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track doesn't disappoint either, embracing the film's sound design with enthusiasm and care. Dialogue is intelligible and perfectly prioritized. Effects are bright and clean, and every bit as believably grounded in the soundscape as voices. LFE output is hearty and robust, particularly when horses are ridden across the countryside, carriages race from castles, or magic is on the rise. Cinderella isn't teeming with low-end opportunities, but it hardly matters, especially with such an enveloping soundfield in which to immerse oneself. Rear speaker activity is engaging, convincing and even playful at times, bringing forests, houses, attics, castles and courtyards to life. Directionality is accurate and cross-channel pans are silky smooth too, while music is blended beautifully into the experience, never drowning out or retreating too far from other elements. Cinderella's AV presentation is terrific.

Cinderella Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Fairy Tale Comes to Life (HD, 9 minutes): A fairly standard behind the scenes look at Cinderella with director Kenneth Branagh and key members of the cast and crew.
• Costume Test Fun (HD, 3 minutes): A montage of costume tests (courtesy of costume designer Sandy Powell) the filmmakers used to determine how fabric textures and colors would appear on film.
• Staging the Ball (HD, 12 minutes): Set design, costumes, choreography and framing Cinderella's ball, from the arrival of the guest to the hurried departure of the mysterious glass-slippered princess.
• Frozen Fever (HD, 8 minutes): Frozen fun with the film's original voice cast. In this animated short, Elsa, suffering from a debilitating cold, works to prepare a birthday party for Anna. Written and directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, it debuted ahead of Cinderella in early 2015.
• Ella's Furry Friends (HD, 4 minutes): Branagh and animal trainers Julie Tottman and Guillaume Grange discuss using real animals in Cinderella; the challenges, the triumphs and the unexpected surprises.
• Alternate Opening (HD, 3 minutes): "Ella's Childhood," with an introduction by Branagh.

Cinderella Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cinderella exceeded my expectations, and apparently the expectations of a great many skeptics who were worried what Disney and Branagh might do with their beloved classic. Rather than reinvent from the ground up, though, the filmmakers have reimagined what people have adored for decades, staying true to the original film while expanding it in wonderful ways. Disney's Blu-ray release will prove a delight as well, thanks to an outstanding AV presentation. There aren't many special features unfortunately -- a commentary or more extensive behind the scenes documentaries would have gone a long way -- but the film is strong enough to hold its own.