Cinderella

Initially I had no intention of taking Bug to see this movie. I was firmly in the camp that thinks remakes can never be as good as the originals. The Frozen short was a bit of draw, but it would eventually end up on You Tube….
Then I heard the Wittertainment review and interview with smiling Sir Kenneth Branaugh. The good doctors sold me on it.
I am glad they did. Bug and I had a good time. Bug thought it was beautiful. She was a little antsy towards the end of the movie, so I wasn’t sure she liked it. Then we got home and she went on and on telling H about how great it was.
The movie is beautiful. The colors and costumes are colorful and well done.
I think the best part for me was that this version sticks to basics of the original, but makes Cinderella a strong character. She is treated terribly and bad things do happen to her. She does rely on the help of magic to meet the prince. However, she chooses to stay with her step-mother. She chooses to accept the prince’s hand. Her strength and character draw the prince to her. She tries to get to the ball on her own.
The message is also great “Always have courage and be kind."
There is a lot of dying parents, but the deaths are not dwelled upon. Instead, the love and strengths of the parents are played up.
The step-mother is scary. However, she is over the top which blunts some of the effect. Her back story also serves to humanize her.
The Frozen short was cute. I liked the song and Bug was singing it for a day.
The combination of the short and the feature is a bit long for fidgity kids. Bug spent the last 10 - 20 minutes standing, walking, and generally fidgeting. She liked the movie, but couldn’t keep her little body still for two hours.