The tale of Cinderella has been adapted for film many times over the last few decades, and Amazon Prime’s “Cinderella 2021” is just another addition to the long line of bad retellings.
In this version of the story, we follow our heroine Cinderella on her quest to open a dress shop in rebellion against her stepmother’s plans to marry her off. Though not all of the movie is completely insufferable, “Cinderella 2021’s” lack of originality makes for a dull film experience. Director Kay Cannon, best known for directing the “Pitch Perfect” films, really adheres to her usual script. Plot-wise, there are a few changes to the original story that add more depth to the familiar characters, yet none of these changes are groundbreaking. Some of these additions were welcome, such as the change-making Idina Menzel’s stepmother character more sympathetic, but other alterations and performances were lacking; or even worse, just shallow attempts to make the movie seem progressive. The decision to make Cinderella an entrepreneurial girl boss was particularly irritating, seeing that it just came off as an attempt to market the movie toward women. Additionally, Camilla Cabello’s Cinderella tries way too hard to be a caricature of an independent, free-thinking, “I’m not like other girls” girl. Characterization drives the plot just as much as the unfolding events, and to see her new persona change so little to the story just leaves the audience unamused.
On the music side of the production, the jukebox musical format makes “Cinderella 2021” feel more like a medieval episode of “Glee.” Although there are a few original songs, the constant covers and music mashups were all pretty average. With award-winning film composer Mychael Danna being involved in the project, one would think the soundtrack would be better. Much like the acting, most of the musical performances were average, such as Price Robert’s stale rendition of “Somebody to Love.” Unfortunately, Cabello’s performance skews closer to the awful side. Perhaps it was the autotune or bad audio mixing, but her voice is painfully screechy and horribly off-pitch. But it should be noted; though the music may be mediocre, at least James Corden did not get any solos.
Needless to say, “Cinderella 2021” will not go down in history as a beloved classic. However, it might convince filmmakers to stop remaking this overdone fairytale and try making something new.