Read Mixed User Reviews for Cinderella (2015)

5

jzmeMar 16, 2015

I like how this movie follows a lot like the original play, it doesn't fall out too much. However, I thought that the movie was just plain mediocre. I expected more as it has high ratings, but the scripts and story line were very predictable.I like how this movie follows a lot like the original play, it doesn't fall out too much. However, I thought that the movie was just plain mediocre. I expected more as it has high ratings, but the scripts and story line were very predictable. It could have been better, in my opinion, by giving more dramatic lines and seriousness in the scenes. The only thing that attracted me was their wardrobe clothing; sad to say.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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6

QuelhasSep 14, 2015

I don't know why this movie is best rated than "Maleficent". They could have added more plot twists, and less lame and cheesy scenes... Besides that, it is an ok movie to watch just one time in your life, and if you don't get bored enough toI don't know why this movie is best rated than "Maleficent". They could have added more plot twists, and less lame and cheesy scenes... Besides that, it is an ok movie to watch just one time in your life, and if you don't get bored enough to watch something that follows exactly the same story that you heard a thousand times.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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6

Compi24Mar 14, 2015

Sir Kenneth Brannagh's classic glossy, stately fare is given a fairytale twist in "Cinderella," a well-meaning and enjoyable piece that's fun for the whole family.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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4

nilsyMay 1, 2015

Its pretty and .... hmmm... well it sure is pretty.
The actors are above average... and did i mention it was pretty?
This movie had me watching my clock after 20min to see if it was soon done.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

WheelzFourReelzMar 19, 2015

This Cinderella remake offers nothing new and plays the retelling way too safe. However, it is still a decently enjoyable time at the theater with great performances, beautiful visuals, and that classic Disney magic.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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4

CloppersJun 28, 2015

It is good that the movie's story held true to the original, but it was also the only movie I have ever fallen asleep at. I have seen this exact story 10 times already, and this movie is nothing special.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

marcmyworksMar 29, 2015

This cotton candy remake of the original Disney cartoon is clearly for very young children. Its sickly sweet message of kindness and courage is brow-beaten into the audience. Overall it is well made, however it is so quickly paced there isThis cotton candy remake of the original Disney cartoon is clearly for very young children. Its sickly sweet message of kindness and courage is brow-beaten into the audience. Overall it is well made, however it is so quickly paced there is not enough time to be invested in any of the characters.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

VesicalThanatosMar 14, 2015

Like it’s protagonist, Kenneth Branagh’s live-action adaptation of the Disney animated classic Cinderella proves to be little more than a dull, vapid mess covered up by a sparkly blue dress, and no amount of computer-generated mice, slapstickLike it’s protagonist, Kenneth Branagh’s live-action adaptation of the Disney animated classic Cinderella proves to be little more than a dull, vapid mess covered up by a sparkly blue dress, and no amount of computer-generated mice, slapstick pumpkins, or good old fashioned Bonham Carter charm can save it. Once again, director Branagh shows that the only thing he does better than Shakespeare is soulless CGI spectacle.
Everyone is familiar with the Cinderella story, and being that this particular iteration makes no effort to diverge from the tried-true fairy tale anyway, this critic shall not waste any time in summarizing it. To be brief, heroine Ella – Cinderella being a derogatory nickname cooked up by her endlessly irritating stepsisters – is left in the care of her heinous stepmother after both of her parents contract a horrible case of plot device and die. There is a prince, a fairy godmother, a slipper, and a happily ever after. The entirety of the story is narrated incessantly by Helena Bonham Carter’s Fairy Godmother character, and while I do not mind listening to the sound of Ms. Carter’s lovely voice for two hours, this demonstrates the film’s absolute obliviousness to the tenant of “show, don’t tell.”
To Branagh’s credit, it must not be easy to craft a sensible film while working off of such a droll script – under the pen of Chris Weitz, esteemed writer of such masterpieces as The Golden Compass and The Nutty Professor II – while simultaneously being wrung through the dread corporate machine that is Disney. Still, the composition of this film displays a surprising level of incompetence. People slide down doors in despair, slippers can be shattered by stepmothers but left unscathed by a tumble down the stairs, and the characters seem to feel the need to babble incessantly about their feelings.
Our Cinderella is here a blubbering, counter-feministic clod who spends an inordinate amount of time either weeping or pining over her man. Lily James embodies the very image of a breathless, exhaustingly optimistic idiot with her constant empty smiles and flighty gestures. Ella lives her life under her mother’s dying tenant to always “have courage and be kind,” which evidently translates to “be a cheerful and willing servant to your abusive stepfamily.” Thus Ella is enslaved not only by her wicked stepmother, but by her blood mother as well. Ella puts blind loyalty to authority figures over her own happiness and well-being, thus becoming a perfect role-model to young women.
Speaking of wicked stepmothers, Cate Blanchett as the evil Lady Tremaine lends a subtlety and nuance to the role that might be compared to that of a bull in a china shop. Of course, how else can the audience tell that the stepmother is bad if she doesn’t follow every act of over-the-top, wanton cruelty with a smirk and a malevolent chuckle?
The film’s saving grace comes, unsurprisingly, in the form of Helena Bonham Carter, whose light and incredibly fun portrayal of Ella’s Fairy Godmother makes for a very watchable ten minutes in the middle of the film. Carter fills the screen with her presence and certainly woke this critic out of his near-catatonic state of boredom, even making Weitz’s trite, wooden dialogue feel clever.
Of course when it comes down to it this was a spectacle movie, and on that end it lived up. The use of CGI animals was obvious and often unnecessary – I’m sure that they still make real deer, Mr. Branagh – and the magic of the movie was unfortunately limited to the Fairy Godmother’s standout scenes in the middle, but the effects were nevertheless detailed and fun to watch. The film was an absolute parade of lovely costumes designed by Sandy Powell, especially the endless supply of bizarre yet beautiful outfits worn by Blanchett. Patrick Doyle’s score was grandiose and seemed to be struggling to carry the emotional weight of the film, as the actors clearly weren't making any effort to do so.
In all, this is a largely forgettable flick that trudges on through an uninspired and clichéd retelling of a story that has been told far too many times already. Without any fresh offerings or inspiring role-models, even children are sure to be unimpressed by this obviously mechanical piece of cold corporate cash-in.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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5

DRauchDoes2015Apr 4, 2015

Another offering in a recent string of live-action adaptations of Disney classics, Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella manages to (barely) avoid feeling completely devoid of distinction, though it is still marred by a stifling loyalty to it'sAnother offering in a recent string of live-action adaptations of Disney classics, Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella manages to (barely) avoid feeling completely devoid of distinction, though it is still marred by a stifling loyalty to it's hallowed source material.

Two things save Cinderella from the fate of lifelessness so often met by remakes of revered works: (1) The holistic embrace of an innocent, almost naive method of presentation, an approach that makes the proceedings feel intrinsically, and subversively, pure, and (2) an ensemble cast that lends surprisingly decent performances across the board (Lily James and Cate Blanchett deserve particular distinction).

There are a few other elements of Cinderella that propel it ever so slightly beyond mediocrity. The dialogue is thankfully not entirely dumbed down for younger audiences, instead the screenplay is a verbose flutter of an almost Shakespearean vernacular (what more could we expect from Branagh?). There is also the production design and costuming, a bright confection of color and pageantry that invades nearly every scene of Cinderella and makes the picture at least visually stimulating.

However, the aesthetic design ITSELF remains pretty run-of-the-mill. There are no stylistic risks or visual flourishes that deviate enough from the norm to make sitting through Cinderella on mute little more than simply palatable. Cinderella doesn't escape groan inducing familiarity either, with nearly every scene playing out with ENTIRE predictability. Some slight additions to the story only momentarily change the direction of the plot or, worse so, wind up feeling like needless detours transparently existent to avoid a xerox effect.

There is also the nagging issues of the original story itself. Cinderella has always been, though colorful, resplendent, and respectably un-corruptible, a tale as devoid of legitimately engaging conflict as Disney's works have ever been. Cinderella is a sympathetic lead figure, and the injustice she endures from her step-mother is given new depth in this retelling, yet the tale still paints the evils of cruelty regrettably one-dimensionally, a move that feels hazardously old-fashioned and one Disney as a whole has been prone to make recently (the term I would use is 'risk-less reinvention').

By no means an experience entirely worth rehashing, Cinderella still surpasses expectations enough to BARELY recommend, and only as a reluctant viewing with the family or a small child. And it goes without saying that the decades old animated entry is the superior version.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

yardashJun 25, 2015

Açıkçası masalları sevmem. Sisteme insan yetiştirmek için hiyerarşi ve aristokrasiye saygıyı ve onların yaptıkları her haltı kabullenmemiz gerektiğine dair altta yatan bir çok metni çocukların aklına sokmaya yarayan bir aygıt olarakAçıkçası masalları sevmem. Sisteme insan yetiştirmek için hiyerarşi ve aristokrasiye saygıyı ve onların yaptıkları her haltı kabullenmemiz gerektiğine dair altta yatan bir çok metni çocukların aklına sokmaya yarayan bir aygıt olarak görüyorum. Ancak yönetmeni Kenneth abimiz olunca bakmaktan kendimi alamadım. Masalların senaryo sıkıntısı çeken Hollywood'a yeni bir soluk getirdiği çizgi romanlarla beraber bir gerçek olsa da yapılan çizgi film uyarlamalarını çok sevdiğimi söyleyemem. Bu film ise en azınızdan ailecek seyredilebilir bir yapıda. Abartmadan ( perili bölümü saymazsak ) kaçınmaya çalışmış yönetmen ve senarist. Ancak yine de kendini tekrarlayan ve vasat olmaktan öteye gidememişler. Yine de ortalama bir not vermenin daha uygun olduğuna karar verdim. En azından yönetmenin yüzü hürmetine...… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

EpicLadySpongeJan 8, 2016

The story to Cinderella is cheesy and predictable if you've seen the animated Cinderella once again made by Disney. Hardly anything new was added to this Cinderella story.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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4

bethanyrobbenDec 31, 2016

To me it's mediocre. Lily James doesn't look much like Cinderella, but it's a decent movie. A nice retelling of the original. And I wish the dress & hairstyle were like the original.

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5

JerusalemladyNov 15, 2017

I did not particularly like this Cinderella adaption. If you want to make a live action movie of one of the most original stories of all time you better make it excellent. Unfortunately the acting in this movie is forced, the script isI did not particularly like this Cinderella adaption. If you want to make a live action movie of one of the most original stories of all time you better make it excellent. Unfortunately the acting in this movie is forced, the script is somewhat cringe worthy and the cinematography is lacking.… Expand

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5

EdeltraudApr 4, 2015

I can't hate on this movie, it's Cinderell-y! after all. But it could have been much better -- hey, SNL"s live-action Bambi was better.
Unfortunately, what should have been the best part -- the clothes! Was the worst. Didn't like Ella's bigI can't hate on this movie, it's Cinderell-y! after all. But it could have been much better -- hey, SNL"s live-action Bambi was better.
Unfortunately, what should have been the best part -- the clothes! Was the worst. Didn't like Ella's big debut ballgown which was a real letdown...nor the evil step-sisters dumb costuming, didn't even like the fair god-mum's cheesy wedding-ish look.
No matter how many times the movie dialogue tried to tell me the glass slipper was comfortable, I kept wishing they'd gotten manolo blahnik to design this. So clunky and ugly!
Cate Blanchett's evil step-mom started out kind of interesting but soon devolved into a Joan Crawford parody, along with her dreadful 1940s costumes. What was up with that?
My two main complaints were: getting hit over the head a zillion times with the moral of the story, be kind and courageous, captain. And, the over the top CGI. The story would have been way more affecting if the palace were a believable castle, out in the countryside, not some ridiculous disney mega-manse.
I'd have liked it if Branaugh has gone with a grittier, more realistic style.
The prince, Derek Jacobi's king and Cinderella were pretty good renditions of these characters. HBC as the fairy god-mum was just OK, kind of meh.
No complaints about the basic storyline, no feminist rant here, it was a different time and place and at least Branaugh's Cinderella got to ride a horse.… Expand