Next up on the list of Disney live-action remakes is this one which seems to be relatively low profile as I wasn’t even aware that it existed. Unlike Maleficent, this is not a reimagining of the original with a modern twist, it’s a straight up remake with only cosmetic changes with perhaps a small update to the motivations of the evil stepmother.

Ella is a young girl with a seemingly perfect life and two loving parents, that is until her mother dies when she is still a child. Her father eventually remarries and the new stepmother brings two of her own daughters with her. She is mistreated and it gets worse when her father dies while on a trip. Deprived of income, the household uses Ella as a servant girl, cruelly naming her Cinderella. One day while out in the woods, she meets a young man named Kit who is of course really the prince of the kingdom. He is quite taken by her and when his father pressures him to select a bride and organizes a ball for him for the purpose, he asks that it be open to commoners as well as the aristocracy. Her stepmother and stepsisters see this as the ideal avenue to improve their fortunes but forbid Cinderella from attending. But we all know the story of how her fairy godmother appears and uses magic to make her appear as a princess so that she can attend the ball.

First of all, I think this one looks and flows much better than Maleficent. The ball scene for example is fantastically glamorous and the magic is splendid and spectacular. The CGI here is well integrated and doesn’t look out of place. I wouldn’t exactly call Kenneth Branagh a great director but he is an experienced one and I think that makes a difference. One issue that I have is that the comedic timing feels off. There are more than a few moments when you know that the film wants you to laugh but it’s just not funny enough to get you to do it. But the main failing is that Lily James as the protagonist is simply inadequate. She just lacks the charisma and screen presence to pull off such a major role. It is especially evident when she shares scenes with Cate Blanchett who plays the stepmother who easily wrests away the audience’s attention and can convey emotion without speaking a word. From what I can tell, James wasn’t the producers’ first choice either as many other actresses were considered but their scheduling didn’t work out.

Aside from the poor casting decision, I suppose this is a competent, highly faithful remake. The problem with these projects is that the original is always still there if you want to go back to it and my wife claims that it’s still better in some respects. It’s also easier to forgive old films for their regressive values and attitudes as they are a product of their time. It’s harder to justify that in a modern film as it just feels wrong that a girl’s highest aspiration in life is to marry a good husband. But given how core that is to the story of Cinderella, I suppose that it can’t be helped. This means that while this remake might have some value to older people, and they may delight in showing this to their own children, I doubt that it’s going to convert many new fans.