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Over the past decade, Disney has been remaking several of their animated classics. Most of them suffer from politically correct agendas, excessive similarity to the originals, and/or poor writing. Before 2017, though, remakes were much more creative.
Cinderella is my favorite of Disney's remakes. Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent added adult twists to the classic stories. Cinderella, along with 2016's The Jungle Book, reimagined the classic stories in new genres/formats while remaining family-friendly. While the original 1950 animated film was a simplistic musical, the live-action version is more of a romantic drama.
Cinderella actually has the feel of a faith-based drama; Ella's promise to live according to her mother's dying words ("Have courage and be kind") provides a lot of emotional depth. Ella grows up attached to her mother and father and their home, which has belonged to her family for generations. Once Ella's father dies several years after her mother, she puts up with Lady Tremaine's abuse because of an attachment to her home. It took a few romantic encounters with Kit to help Ella let go.
Some people have had a problem with the lack of songs; they say it takes memorability away. I could understand their perspective, but it helps the remake stand on its own. The emotional scenes were also enough to make this film memorable. Besides, there are some references to the songs: for instance, Ella hums "Sing, Sweet Nightingale" once and her stepsisters play it on the piano.
While Disney's other remakes are more serious, Cinderella celebrates miracles. Ella's mother believed in fairy godmothers; a beggar woman whom Ella helped turned into her fairy godmother. This redefines fairy godmothers; if you help someone, they will help you. Besides, Ella and her fairy godmother actually work together to prepare for the ball. Her fairy godmother no longer appears from out of nowhere and does everything for Cinderella. Ella's fairy godmother even narrates the story, which is a creative twist.
Alongside the emotional depth, there is some humor. Most of the comedic moments occur during the transformation scenes; the pumpkin blowing up was memorable and the transformations of the goose and the lizards made me laugh.
In the cartoon, the conflict between the mice and Lucifer supplied much of the comedy (and I felt it was a tonal issue). They remain present, and the mice still help Ella, but they no longer speak. It is impressive how well the producers tweaked the story for a live-action format. Some would argue the transformation moments I mentioned above are cartoonish, but not so much as a bouncing, dancing pumpkin.
Lady Tremaine's cartoon counterpart executed most of her cruelty by giving orders. She is much crueler in the remake, though. Since Lady Tremaine lost her lover, she has been protective of her family's status. To do so, she tries to ruin Ella's life as much as possible. Lady Tremaine calls Ella names and even tells her a story about her being a burden.
The live-action Anastasia and Drisella dress and behave in childish ways (i.e. fighting and refusing to do chores). Lady Tremaine seems to condone their immaturity, even though her daughters are adults.
One of the best changes they made to the live-action remake has to do with the prince. Kit's cartoon counterpart, Prince Charming, silently gives in to his father's plan. He is now much more involved in his future. After meeting Ella in the woods, her words on kindness impressed Kit so much that he convinced his family to invite everyone to the ball.
Some could argue Cinderella was more passive in the remake, especially because she does not try to escape after being locked in the attic. I get that critique, but that was the moment Ella discovered her inner connection to her parents; she did so by singing a song her mother once sang to her.
Besides, Ella is much more active than her cartoon counterpart in other ways. She no longer puts up with her abusive stepfamily full-time; she escapes into the woods after the first time she's called "Cinderella." If she did not run off, Ella would not have met Kit. In addition, Ella had to go into town to hear about the ball and the slipper. If Ella stayed home full time, she would never have escaped.
Alongside having more complex and relatable characters than the cartoon, the live-action Cinderella has more mature themes. Since Ella finds the connection to her family inside of her and lets go of her home for better things, Cinderella touches on familial legacy and detachment.
The emotional depth, fresh format, traditional values, and the colorful set and costumes make Cinderella stand out among Disney remakes. It touched me more than any of Disney's other live-action films.
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