"Cinderella" a fluffy confection with enough pep and cheekiness to be fresh

Cinderella (2021)

Did we need another retelling of that fairy tale about a parentless servant girl showing up her evil stepfamily by claiming the handsome prince? Probably not, as Kenneth Branagh’s handsomely mounted Disney production doesn’t even feel 6 years old, let alone once upon a time. But tried-and-true material is always due for a little freshening up, and another adaptation is here, so we might as well not be rude. Written for the screen and directed by Kay Cannon (who wrote all three of the “Pitch Perfect” movies and made her directorial debut with 2018’s sex-positive sex comedy “Blockers”), this new “Cinderella” is generally bound to tradition but charming and open to knowing anachronisms, pop-music updates, and giving women more agency.

The basics of Charles Perrault’s story remain the same. Ella (Camila Cabello), nicknamed “Cinderella” for living in the cinder-covered basement, is still an orphan who’s treated as a servant by her cruel stepmother, Vivian (Idina Menzel). She still talks to her mice friends (one of whom is voiced by James Corden). This time, though, Ella is a little more outspoken and full of entrepreneur ambition, ready to shake up antiquated notions and build her own life that doesn’t merely revolve around marrying a handsome prince. She’s expected to marry rich and be taken care of by a man, just like her obnoxious and self-absorbed stepsisters (Maddie Baillio and Charlotte Spencer, both a hoot), but Ella dreams of being a dressmaker and running her own business. Meanwhile, Prince Robert (Nicholas Galitzine) could care less about finding a bride and taking the throne as ordered by the patriarch, King Rowan (Pierce Brosnan). Robert’s marginalized mother, Queen Beatrice (Minnie Driver), is much more understanding, and his sister Princess Gwen (Tallulah Greive) clearly has more eagerness and vision to lead the kingdom. When Robert throws a grand ball that Ella wishes she could attend, she is, of course, saved by her fairy godmother Fab G (Billy Porter) who disguises her in a gorgeous gown and uncomfortable glass slippers. Will Ella stand out to Robert, and will she care or put her career first? Or, can she do it all?

Filtering the irreverence of the “Pitch Perfect” movies through the fairy tale we all know, “Cinderella” is a fluffy confection of a jukebox musical (with a few original songs) that’s peppy and cheekily humored. The opening sequence makes no bones about its ironic tone and contemporary approach, being narrated by the acerbic Billy Porter’s Fab G as the townspeople and Ella break out into a blend of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” and Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be.” We may not get another version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “In My Own Little Corner” or “Impossible,” but the production numbers of mashup covers and ensemble performances—including Salt-N-Pepa’s “Whatta Man” and The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” Nico & Vinz’s “Am I Wrong,” and Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud”—are lively and hard to resist without being completely transcendent. 

Having to succeed Julie Andrews, Lesley Ann Warren, Brandy, Drew Barrymore, Hilary Duff, and Lily James, pop artist Camila Cabello makes for a lovely Ella in her film debut. She may be a singer first, but Cabello is earnest and brings an apple-cheeked warmth that’s just right for the part. If you don’t already, you’re going to know her name. Everyone else in the cast is selling it and having a ball. Billy Porter is pure magic as the fabulous godmother, getting the chance to sing Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Shining Star,” that one wishes he had even more time on screen. Idina Menzel puts her spectacular voice on display, even in a karaoke version of Madonna’s “Material Girl” that actually suits the narrative, and arguably brings more nuance to the evil stepmother. Nicholas Galitzine (2020’s “The Craft: Legacy”) is charming as Prince Robert without being just toothsome good looks and no depth. Minnie Driver is deliberately kept on the sidelines as Queen Beatrice, until she slays one great moment, standing up for herself and making a delightfully brutal comment about her husband’s “skull-splitting” singing voice (after “Mamma Mia!,” Pierce Brosnan still can’t live it down that he won’t ever be offered a record deal).

One can nitpick at certain actors sounding auto-tuned all they want or complain about James Corden just being James Corden as a mouse-turned-footman, but “Cinderella” is mostly just a lot of fun. Any age-old story that feels a little hip, exuberant, and more forward-thinking is for the better. It’s not as inventive as 2004’s fractured fairy tale “Ella Enchanted”—an underloved gem starring Anne Hathaway and coincidentally co-starring Minnie Driver and also featuring a cover performance of Queen’s “Somebody to Love”—but who thought Cinderella’s self-respect and career aspirations would finally wind up being the best happy-ever-after? With just enough sparkle to keep it from becoming bland or cloying, “Cinderella” goes down as easy as cake.

Grade: B -

Amazon Studios is releasing “Cinderella” (113 min.) in select theaters and on Prime Video on September 3, 2021.