Camila Cabello’s Cinderella is the most ridiculous movie of 2021, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Entering this movie, with its cast of triple (or at least double) threats, it can be easy to let assumptions get the best of you. Cabello is an extremely talented singer, so you can assume there’s going to be some tunes. Billy Porter is fabulous, so you can assume he will continue to be so as this adaptation’s incarnation of the fairy godparent. Idina Menzel, who plays the tale’s stepmother, is a goddess amongst us all, so you can assume she will continue to wow the world over. Wrap that up in a classic tale of a parentless child who lives with her stepmother and stepsisters, and you’ve got a story that has been told before, with some singing on the side. Yet, somehow, in no small part because of the charismatic cast—and against every expectation—this movie works and stands apart from other versions of the classic fairy tale.
Cinderella walks a fine line between heartfelt and ridiculous, and mostly gets it right. Ella’s (Cabello) dreams to open her own dress shop are real. She wants to create and charter her own life, to not be dependent on others. It’s a relatable and modern character motivation and grounds the film from start to finish. She’s also incredibly sweet, awkward, and optimistic despite the circumstances she finds herself in; a combination that works and makes you cheer for her from start to finish.
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Ranking Cinderella Adaptations
A key to Cinderella, besides the heart and ridiculousness of it all, is the romance between Ella and Prince Robert (Nicholas Galitzine). Independently, the characters work—they’re both funny, kind, dorky, and sassy. But when they come together, they shine and complement each other in ways that are often missing from Cinderella adaptations. Prince Robert isn’t here to take away Ella’s spotlight, and she isn’t here to be a prop on his arm. They are their own people and choose each other—not because they’re being rebellious, but because they see a potential partner in one another. In this ensemble-minded adaptation, every character matters in a way other adaptations have failed to depict, making for a more well-rounded story. In this new Cinderella, they break the box, rebuild it, and show you there’s another way.
Bring that all together and Cinderella is a movie worth watching. It has the feel-good elements of a romance, the timing of a comedy, the noteworthy singing of a musical, and the kind of dream that feels inspiring—the kind of message that viewers may particularly be searching for in 2021.
