REVIEW: Cinderella

At first glance, the 2021 film “Cinderella” seems to be yet another telling of the infamous fairytale, but just with more flamboyancy and music. Starring Camila Cabello, the movie also features stars like Idina Menzel, Pierce Brosnan, James Cordon and Billy Porter, appealing to potential audience members. But, with all the liveliness and musical action, “Cinderella” comes off as cheesy, unimpressive and cringe-worthy.

In this re-telling, Cinderella aspires to be a successful dressmaker; even designing her own dress for the ball. The audience also gets to see the point of view of the Prince, revealing his hesitancy to marry and settle down. Like any fairytale, when the two encounter one another at the ball, they fall in love and try to overcome Cinderella’s evil step-family, her aspirations for owning a business and the pressures that the Prince faces from his family. 

The musical score includes both original songs and covers, including “Perfect,” “Seven Nation Army,” “Somebody To Love” and more. Overall, I did not enjoy the original music; the lyrics felt easily written and cringy, and the tunes themselves were not too catchy. I thought that the covers were done okay, but some did not make sense with regards to what they contributed to the plot. As someone who does not watch musicals very often, I felt a little overwhelmed by the sheer number and loudness of songs. 

“Cinderella” had good messages around female empowerment and self-love, but they were drowned out by the cheesiness and overwhelming aspects of the movie. For a musical, the songs were overall sub-par, and the plot itself was okay. Although the film advertises itself as bold, fun and original, society sees the Cinderella trope constantly, so “Cinderella” gave an unimpressive and ordinary impression.