Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Cinderella’ On Amazon Prime Video, A Fresh Take On The Classic Tale Starring Camila Cabello

The story of Cinderella has been told countless times; most notably in the animated 1950 Disney classic Cinderella, then later in stage musical form and a charming film starring Brandy and Whitney Houston, as a teen rom-com with A Cinderella Story, and dreamy, Disney-fied fairytale live action in 2015 starring Lily James and Richard Madden. The beloved tale once again receives the big-screen treatment with Amazon Prime Video’s Cinderella, a contemporary remake starring pop sensation Camila Cabello. 

CINDERELLA: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Once upon a time, in a kingdom that might seem familiar, there was a girl, well… you know. Ella (Camila Cabello), called “Cinderella” by her wicked (and “practical”) stepmother Vivian (Idina Menzel) and her two stepsisters Narissa (Charlotte Spencer) and Malvolia (Maddie Baillio) due to the cinders that frequently besmirch her face. Cinderella has been relegated to the basement since her father’s death, and spends her days tending to her stepmother and stepsisters and creating beautiful gowns. She dreams of running her own dress shop one day, selling gowns to everyone in the kingdom, but Vivian would rather Cinderella get married off so she doesn’t have to deal with her anymore.

Meanwhile, romantic Prince Robert (Nicholas Galitzine) can’t quite bring himself to settle down and get married, infuriating his power-crazed father King Rowan (Pierce Brosnan). His mother, Queen Beatrice (Minnie Driver) has a softer heart and more progressive views on the matter, but in this kingdom, women don’t get a say – and this is especially true for Robert’s sister, Princess Gwen (Tallulah Greive), a wise young woman who yearns for a seat at the table. Fed up with Robert’s indecisiveness, King Rowan throws a ball for all the eligible young women in the kingdom.

Vivian bans Cinderella from going to the ball, but with the help of her Fab G (Billy Porter), she is outfitted in the gown of her dreams (and, yes, those glass slippers). Having caused a bit of a scene earlier at a royal ceremony, Cinderella had already caught the prince’s eye – and the two dance the night away, both fully aware of who the other is (in a refreshing twist). When Cinderella is forced to choose between love and pursuing her dreams, however, the happily-ever-after might not be as easy as she expected.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: This iteration of Cinderella is obviously easy to compare to its predecessors (particularly the 1997 big-screen adaptation of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical), but it also may bring to mind films like Ella Enchanted, and even Moulin Rouge! (especially during that “What A Man”/”Seven Nation Army” mashup), as well as Shrek at times.

Performance Worth Watching: Pierce Brosnan, grumpy and misogynistic as his character may be, manages to steal this entire movie and run away with it. Much like he was pretty much the best part of False Positive, he is also one of the main reasons to watch Cinderella, chewing up the scenery and serving a delightful deadpan through even the most painful dialogue in the flick. Brosnan’s heavyweight status as a performer could have made it difficult for his co-stars to claim their on-screen space, but they all easily hold their own with this generous (and hilarious) legend.

Memorable Dialogue: Much of the Cinderella dialogue is a bit cringeworthy, but “you can’t leave actors alone in a basement without attention, they’ll die!” elicited a genuine chuckle from me.

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: Prior to viewing this Cinderella, I was extremely convinced that there was absolutely no need for another iteration of Cinderella. We’ve seen so many versions of this story over the years, and another so soon after the 2015 Lily James-starrer felt excessive. Fortunately, my misgivings about another retelling were pretty misguided. Kay Cannon’s Cinderella may have its cringe-inducing moments, but it is surprisingly progressive and funny, full of contemporary messages without ever feeling painfully woke. While some of the choices of musical numbers felt questionable to me, the actors really sell it (even when the lip-syncing isn’t great). Our young lovers, Camila Cabello and Nicholas Galitzine, have an easy, enjoyable chemistry, playing off each other with the kind of giddy flirting that makes these kinds of things fun to watch.

The most impressive thing about this story, however, is how the women are developed into characters beyond wanting to end up with a traditional happily-ever-after. Every woman in Cinderella has some kind of dream (even if some are a little less kind or well-intentioned than others), and they all exist outside of the men in their lives. Even Vivian, cruel as she is, has depth, and the stepsisters – who are typically played like cartoonish villains – are given more to do than we’ve ever seen before. The standouts are the titular lady and Princess Gwen, whose aspirations in this male-dominated world make waves in ways the men despise (and boy, is it fun to watch).

In delivering a fairytale that allows women to dictate their own futures – rather than depending on a man to make their dreams come true – Cinderella achieves something truly special. Is some of it basic? Sure. Was the mouse CGI truly ghastly? Absolutely. But with dazzling performances and an important, big-hearted message at its core, Cinderella manages to move past its flaws and deliver something totally worth watching.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Even if the script (and the CGI) lacks on occasion, Cinderella‘s charming cast help make this reimagined fairytale a watchable delight.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Stream Cinderella on Amazon Prime Video