Movie Review: Cinderella - 2015

I have a five year old daughter, so I am pretty up on my princesses. We spend a lot of time acting out fairy tales with dolls, and the Disney animated films have been watched in our house more times than I care to admit. Still, I was excited to see the new live-action version of Cinderella. I had heard only good things. I actually had to talk my little girl into watching it with me - after all it wasn't the cartoon she was used to. Both she and I enjoyed it immensely.

What a wonderful tale! It was true to the Disney version told in the animated classic, but with some added extras that fill in some of the plot holes and with a deeper understanding of the motivation of the characters. It was cinematically beautiful with intense, lush colors and amazing scenery. The special effects were incredible as well. There was also some comedic relief thrown in for. That good measure.

Perhaps most important was the message of the movie, which was repeated often, so there was no way one could miss it. It is important to have courage and be kind. That was what made Cinderella special and worthy of being a true princess. That's a good message for little girls (and big girls) to hear.

And for those of you, who like me, are Downton Abbey fans, it was so fun to see the actress who plays Rose as Cinderella and the actress who plays Daisy as one of her step-sisters. They both did an amazing job.