Disney, Movie

Review: Cinderella and Frozen Fever In Theaters Now

CINDERELLA
Lily James is Cinderella in Disney’s live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale, CINDERELLA, which brings to life the timeless images in Disney’s 1950 animated masterpiece as fully-realized characters in a visually-dazzlling spectacle for a whole new generation.

Last Thursday night Allison, Eva, Andrew and I went to Boston to see an advanced screening of Disney’s Cinderella and the animated short, Frozen Fever featuring the characters from Frozen. The movie was really well done and had an excellent message about Kindness. I dislike how people are down on princesses and dismiss them out of hand. This movie was a fine updating of the Cinderella story with a great message. Visually it was a beautiful film with amazing sets and costumes.

The transformation scene was very fanciful and instead of the old family hound dog and family horse as the driver and the footman there was a goose and a pair of lizards, who looked very creepy and lizard-like as people. I think I could have done without the pointy lizard teeth on a human but otherwise they were kind of funny and their mannerisms were lizard-like in a fun way. I think that there was just enough of the fairy godmother in the movie and it was funny.

Lily James made an excellent Cinderella and Richard Madden an excellent Prince. Madden brought a level of depth to the character that was needed. these were not one dimensional cartoon characters. They provided real emotions to the characters and each had a real conflict that they overcame.

On our ride home we asked Eva what was the kindest thing that Ella did? The main message of the movie was to “Have courage and be kind”. This was something that Ella’s mother said to her as a child and it was her guiding inner voice no matter how desperate her situation became. We were impressed that Eva got it. She nailed her answer perfectly and we were very proud.

We all enjoyed the digital short, Frozen Fever. This was a cute short about Elsa creating the perfect birthday for Anna while she (Elsa) was battling a cold. It is very short and very funny so I won’t describe it much more than that. There are a bunch of callbacks to Frozen as well which were funny. Look for cameos as well.

Allison and Eva liked the movie so much they went again yesterday and enjoyed it just as much as the first time.

Below I have a bunch of activity sheets and also the movie trailer for Cinderella and more.

Click on the images below to download a .PDF file of each activity.

CinderellaWord
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CinderellaSlipperCraft
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CinderellaMaze
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WALT DISNEY STUDIOS DEBUTS TRAILER FOR “CINDERELLA” ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, OFFERING FIRST LOOK AT THE LIVE-ACTION FEATURE DIRECTED BY KENNETH BRANAGH

CINDERELLA
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES

Genre: Live Action
Rating: PG
U.S. Release date: March 13, 2015
Running time: TBD

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi and Helena Bonham Carter
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Producers: Simon Kinberg, Allison Shearmur, David Barron
Executive Producer: Tim Lewis
Screenplay by: Chris Weitz

The story of “Cinderella” follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.” She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her. And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods. Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an apprentice at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the Palace sends out an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball, raising Ella’s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit (Richard Madden). Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand, and a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham Carter) steps forward and, armed with a pumpkin and a few mice, changes Cinderella’s life forever.

Directed by Academy Award® nominee Kenneth Branagh (“Thor,” “Hamlet”) and starring Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine,” “Elizabeth”), Lily James (“Downton Abbey”), Richard Madden (“Game of Thrones”) and Academy Award nominee Helena Bonham Carter (“The King’s Speech,” “Alice in Wonderland”), “Cinderella” is produced by Simon Kinberg (“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Elysium”), Allison Shearmur (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I”) and David Barron (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) with Tim Lewis (“Goldeneye”) serving as executive producer. The screenplay is by Chris Weitz (“About a Boy,” “The Golden Compass”).

“Cinderella” will be released through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on March 13, 2015.

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