This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pace chapter.
Wait… when did I start watching Glee?
The new Cinderella musical movie starring Camila Cabello is like a car wreck you can’t look away from. To be clear, I didn’t HATE this movie (unlike a lot of the people on Tik Tok seem to), but it had some major issues. So, here are the five things you should consider before turning on Amazon Prime’s Cinderella.
- It’s A Jukebox Musical If you’ve seen the 1997 Cinderella starring Brandy or are a fan of Broadway classics, you may have assumed that the score of the 2021 Cinderella would be the classic Rogers & Hammerstein tunes you know and love. That would be incorrect. The soundtrack is full of pop radio hits that have been given a musical theater spin to fit into the musical format. Unfortunately, very few of the musical moments improved by this change. Exceptions to the disappointing pattern of making good songs worse would be The White Stripe’s “Seven Nation Army,” the key change in Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” yes, they sing Ed Sheeren at the ball, and Idina Menzel’s version of “Dream Girl.” Unfortunately, other than those three brief moments, the strange covers and mash-ups feel all too much like a forgettable episode of Glee.
- The Prince is Hot Nicholas Galitzine, formally known for his roles in Handsome Devil and The Craft: Legacy, takes on the famous role of Prince Charming, or in this version, Prince Robert. The character itself is inconsistent, ranging at times from an egotistical playboy to a feminist dream man. With this back and forth, it’s hard to keep track of whether or not we are supposed to root for him and Ella to get together at the end. However, this can be overlooked due to Nicholas’ princely good looks and incredible voice.
- The Script is Written by the Creators of Pitch Perfect… and it Shows While watching the film, I was left questioning who this movie was targeting? Throughout the simplistic and highly moralized plot were dirty jokes sprinkled in occasionally that felt out of place and slightly inappropriate for a children’s film. This in-between state left the movie feeling odd and unfinished. The writers would have benefited from going all the way with a PG-13 take on Cinderella targeted at teens and young adults if they wanted to do something different.
- The Mice are Played by Real-Life Comedians James Acaster, Romesh Ranganathan, and you guessed it James Corden play the three mice in the film. Yes, James Corden is in yet another mediocre movie musical. The mice have extremely small roles in the film, so you don’t have to suffer through too many bad jokes. But, I am left confused, as originally, John Mulaney’s name was connected to the role of one of the mice. Did his recent controversies cause the movie to recast? Maybe.
- Camila Cabello’s Performance was Fine Camila has a good voice, I won’t deny that. But, she felt extremely out of place surrounded by actual musical theatre performers like Idina Menzel and Maddie Baillio, who would have been great in the leading role. Camila’s comedic timing was surprisingly impressive, but she lacked the sensitive sweetness Cinderella is supposed to have. Her lack of acting experience showed, and the movie was negatively impacted because of that. Honestly, a different leading actress would have taken this movie from “fine” to something people actually would have loved.
While this was a harsh review, I want to reiterate that I didn’t HATE this movie. It was overall enjoyable and fun for what it is. That being said, it probably won’t be winning any Oscars. Honestly, If you like Cinderella movies, you’ll like this. If you like Glee, you’ll like this. If you like good movies or musicals… I suggest watching something else.