Okay, look, did the world need another Cinderella film? No, no it did not. I could have gone my whole entire life without witnessing another adaptation of the classic fairytale that everyone knows about. However, I knew that when I saw the cast and the team behind his film, I had to give it a shot - and honestly, I genuinely enjoyed it.
Say what you want about it, but sometimes, you really just need a basic fantasy film to get you through a long day, and that’s what Cinderella did for me. Amazon Prime Video made a fun film that has a nice, empowering storyline, a star-studded Cinderella cast, great songs featuring the megastar Camila Cabello, and plenty of other bright spots in addition to the many 2021 movies. Here are my favorite moments.
The Whole Opening
I know that a big reason some people were most likely turned off from Cinderella in the beginning was using modern music as part of it compared to many other adaptations of the fairytale, but I actually really enjoyed the opening intro to "Rhythm Nation."
It was a great way to introduce us to the world we are about to step into, and while some parts of the song were questionable (like the step-sisters singing), it was still an enjoyable way to show us what we’re in for.
When Prince Robert Searches For Ella In The Crowd
I mean, how can you not love a moment that’s themed by Queen’s “Somebody to Love” in the background? When Prince Robert spots Ella in Cinderella on the statue of King Rowen’s father and she gets in trouble, the young woman climbs down quickly, but Robert continues to search for her in the crowd, fascinated by her bravery to do such a thing when normal peasants wouldn’t.
I not only found that moment cute, but a nice way to separate Ella from the rest of the characters. Was it a little cliche for her to do something so “quirky?” Yeah, it was, but it still made me smile regardless.
When The Fabulous Godmother Transforms From A Butterfly
Billy Porter has always been mega-talented and influencial, especially with his work in the LGBTQ community, which is why I feel he was the perfect choice for the Fabulous Godmother in Cinderella.
When he begins to transform from the orange butterfly, coming down from above, you can feel the positivity radiating off of him from a mile away, and you know it’s going to be a fun couple of minutes. I mean, come on - who else could rock that beautiful orange dress and those stunning heels? Only a legend himself.
When Ella’s Dress Is Formed From The Petals Of A Tree (And Magic)
I actually really liked this change from the typical Cinderella. In most adaptations, Cinderella’s dress seems to form out of nowhere, just from the magic alone from the fairy godmother. But in this version of the story, the Fabulous Godmother uses the petals from a tree to form her dress, along with the help of bit of sorcery, creating a wonderful moment that is both magical and beautiful. Even her pink/white color is a nice change from the typical standard blue we would see her wear in most films.
When Robert Revealed His Sister Was Wearing Ella’s Dress
Prince Robert had bought Ella’s dress in the market, and for what reason, Ella, didn’t know. However, later on in the ball, it’s revealed that he actually gifted the dress to his sister, the princess, to wear.
It’s not only a sweet moment between the two of them, but a great moment for Ella alone, as it’s the first time she ever sees her designs on someone of worth, on someone that matters, showing that she is talented, and that she can make it in the world. And you can’t deny how wonderful it must have felt to see her mother’s broach represented on someone of royalty.
When Prince Robert And Ella Dance Together For The First Time
I feel like in any Cinderella story, from the original Disney film to the live-action remake in 2015, there’s always the scene where Cinderella and the prince dance together for the first time. And that doesn't change with this version either.
Robert and Ella dance together beautifully, holding onto each other and dancing to a wonderful rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.” I found myself smiling so much while watching this. Maybe it’s just the romantic in me - I think I might just need to watch some romantic comedies.
When Vivian Reveals The Real Reason She’s Been Hard On Ella
I think one of the big reasons I actually liked this version of Cinderella compared to many others is that they actually gave character to the evil stepmother. In several adaptations, the evil stepmother is always just that - mean to Cinderella because her father is now dead.
However, they did something different with Idina Menzel’s version of the character, saying that the reason she’s truly hard on Ella is that Vivian was once extremely talented - just like Ella - except with piano, but the moment she started to express interest in it, her husband left her because women were supposed to stay at home, not show interest in things like that. And she wants to prevent Ella from going through something like that and ruining her prospects of a good husband.
Is it on the nose? Yeah, ya bet. But I can still appreciate that the film tried to do something with the stepmother instead of her just being a terrible person.
When Princess Gwen Becomes The First In Line For The Throne
Okay, Princess Gwen was a little too much during this film - her character really never did read the room. But the smile that spread across her lips when King Rowen (played by 007 himself, Pierce Brosnan), declared she was next in line for the throne instead of Robert.
All throughout the film, whether forced or not, she constantly had ideas to bring up but was turned down, oftentimes only for comedic effect. Thankfully, she’s given the chance of a lifetime near the end, and now, she can finally put her ideas to work.
When Ella And Robert Take Off To Travel The World Together With Queen Tatiana
I liked this version of Cinderella’s ending more too. Who says that they have to get married so quickly? They literally just met, why not give them the time to travel the world and be together before jumping into something like that? I think that’s what I liked the most about this - it takes a more realistic approach to their relationship.
Instead of them marrying instantly, Ella and Prince Robert decide to travel the world together with Queen Tatiana, letting Ella live her dream of becoming a designer while Robert finally gets to live the life he wanted, away from the potential responsibilities of being a king and giving the role to the person who deserves it more - his sister. It’s a great way to put a cap on their story - all set to the fantastical “Let’s Get Loud.” How can you not like this moment?
Look, we all went into this film knowing it wasn’t going to be revolutionary. It wasn’t going to be another classic movie musical. But Amazon’s Cinderella did its job of making me smile and taking me away from reality for a couple of hours, and for that, I’m thankful - even if some of the musical choices were questionable (looking at you "Am I Wrong").
