In the wake of the awesome news about Frozen 2 going into production, we get a mini fix of Frozen to hold us over until then with Frozen Fever. A Disney short that plays before the new live action version of Cinderella. Frozen Fever brings us all our favorite characters from the film including Oaken and Hans. It’s Anna’s birthday and her sister Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven are throwing her a surprise party. Elsa wants everything to be perfect but she discovers that she has a cold and magical things happen when she sneezes. It’s an adorable short that will have you giggling the whole time.
Now onto Cinderella. I took my 7 year old daughter with me to see the film and she loved it. It’s a great family film that the whole family will love. Words that come to mind when I think of the movie are; stunning, magical, and beautiful.
First, let me say this for those that you that have kids that are sensitive to death or sad things. There are a lot of sad points in this movie. Three deaths and the pain that Ella’s new family inflicts on her is very sad. With that said there are a lot of happy points also. My favorite part was when her fairy godmother helped to get her to the ball. Helena Bonham Carter has a small but amazing role in this film and I believe that her character sparks a lot of joy for audiences. Watching Ella twirl around in that stunning blue dress brought me to tears of joy.
I thought that this movie might be like Maleficent and change the way we knew the story but it actually follows the storyline exactly. Lily James is brilliant in her role, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her even though Richard Madden has the most stunning blue eyes. She is the poster child to “have courage and be kind” throughout the movie. A great message for kids.
Official storyline:
The story of “Cinderella” follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new Stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family.
Soon, she is forced to become their servant, disrespected, covered in ashes and spitefully renamed Cinderella. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her, and she continues to remain positive, determined to honor her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.”
When Ella meets a dashing stranger in the woods, unaware that he is really the Prince (Richard Madden) and not merely Kit, an apprentice at the palace, she believes she has finally found a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the King (Derek Jacobi) summons all maidens in the kingdom to attend a royal ball at the palace, raising Ella’s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit. Alas, her Stepmother forbids her to attend and callously destroys her dress.
Meanwhile, the calculating Grand Duke (Stellan Skarsgård) devises a plan to thwart the Prince’s hopes of reuniting with Ella and enlists the support of the devious Stepmother. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand. Soon, a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham Carter) steps forward and, armed with a pumpkin, a few mice and a magic wand, changes Cinderella’s life forever.
