Gehan A
It should go without saying that there is no contest between this film and Kenneth Branagh's total mixed bag of a live-action remake. This remains one of Walt Disney's best and most captivating features - an extremely imaginative retelling of Charles Perrault's iconic fairy tale, which takes a few more liberties than Walt's version of Snow White, without taking anywhere near as many liberties as they did with Sleeping Beauty (where she only sleeps for a few hours at best after falling under the spell *ROLLS EYES*)
There is nothing passive about Cinderella. She is one of the most hardworking heroines, who takes the initiative to go to the ball by insisting that she is a member of the family too, and attempting to put together a dress fit for a ball. The fact that the mice end up helping her so much is utterly charming and does not detract from the story at all because it only reinforces Cinderella's kindness and goodness - the animals all go out of their way for her because they know how pure and noble her heart is, and in a world where fairy godmothers can appear, it isn't jarring that the title character had developed the ability to communicate with the mice who have been her nearest and dearest companions inside the house. It doesn't have to be taken literally if you're watching this as an adult. She has been so starved and deprived of human interaction that she has bonded with the mice in a way that people ordinarily wouldn't.
I don't think too much attention is paid to the animals either, because they are as much a part of the 'household' as the humans in this version, on top of being Cinderella's friends and allies. Cinderella always remains the PROTAGONIST, which cannot be said for Sleeping Beauty where Aurora only appears in roughly one third of the film and is a completely underdeveloped character. The Prince may be 'undeveloped' but that does not matter in this narrative at all because it's less about the process of falling in love and more about Cinderella's ESCAPE from an abusive environment.
I feel like Walt also believed that children would be bored by an overt emphasis on romance, which is why he focused so much on the King and the Duke at the royal palace, rather than the Prince, because the two older men are so cartoonishly colourful and comical, and this IS a cartoon when all is said and done. All the choices made by Walt Disney and his team are totally in keeping with the genre.
However, there is a PERFECT balance between tragedy/drama and comedy here. The voice acting is ABSOLUTELY TOP NOTCH from start to finish, from the extraordinary female narrator through the HILARIOUS, HYSTERICAL stepsisters to the unforgettable mice. Drizella is my favourite stepsister, providing the perfectly sardonic foil to Anastasia's more flustered character. You can really take them seriously at the end of the day because they are portrayed in very three-dimensional ways - Drizella for all her malicious, menacing ways tries her best to learn a very quintessentially feminine song ("Sing, Sweet Nightingale") with a lot of effort and concentration, while Anastasia isn't half-bad on the flute and can carry a conversation like a normal person when she wants to.
Ilene Woods is *BEYOND MARVELOUS* as Cinderella and will ALWAYS eclipse Lily James. Her voice is so soothing and melodious to the ear, whether she is speaking or singing, and Walt Disney struck gold with her. It feels like she encapsulates ALL THE CHARM AND GRACE of the mid-20th century when Hollywood still represented those things. It's such a nostalgic voice because it truly captures the VERY ESSENCE OF AN ERA - whereas Lily James was just another great actress. Indeed, Ilene Woods enables Cinderella to feel like a VERITABLE, FLESH AND BLOOD PERSON because of her psychological/emotional range and also on account of how grounded her vocal delivery always is - whereas Snow White and Aurora sound more like fairy tale 'icons' than a fairy tale character come to LIFE.
THIS I think is also the MOST CHILLING AND SINISTER version of the Wicked Stepmother from ANY version of Cinderella - animated or live-action. The animators had designed her in SUCH A CONVINCING WAY, really enabling the viewer to suspend their disbelief that this is all animation - much like Cinderella's own design - and I consider this to be Eleanor Audley's best vocal performance. It's better than Maleficent because, again, the character allows her to be really rooted and grounded in real world villainy. There is never any cackling or outlandishness like there is with Maleficent. Rather, Ms. Audley is alternately very subtle and very pernicious, ALWAYS making you feel like this is an actual lady who might have been your neighbor if you lived in the 19th century, while secretly terrorizing her stepdaughter.
If there were Academy Awards for Voice Acting, then multiple people from this voice cast should have been nominated. The score is a sheer delight, weaving together threads of fairy tale romance and enchantment with sheer whimsy, effortless cuteness (where the mice's songs are concerned) and wonder. I will never accept the 21st century 'sequels' to Cinderella that were made as cheap and/or exploitative cash-grabs by Disney's home video departments - I don't think Walt would have approved of those either, so it's best to just pretend that those don't even exist, rather than counting them as part of this enchanting, self-contained story.
If you have ever been to France - not just Paris, but all around the country - you will appreciate how AUTHENTIC this animated film feels. It TRULY feels like a French fairy tale manifested before your eyes, and the color palettes and visual textures are incredible.
The Fairy Godmother could only have been portrayed so expertly by Verna Felton who is THE ULTIMATE DISNEY LEGEND considering how many Disney characters she lent her insanely gifted voice to, both good and evil. Speaking of evil, it is incredible what an unforgettable villain the animators were able to make out of Lucifer, who isn't just a sidekick here - he always acts as an autonomous agent, almost as if he were Cinderella's evil step-brother in human form. Arguably, he has more agency than the stepsisters themselves.
My ONLY MAIN CRITICISM is the fact that I don't like the ANIMAL ABUSE during the third act - yes, yes, I know that no animals were actually harmed, but seeing what Jacques and Gus are subjected to as they attempt to retrieve the key from Lady Tremaine's pocket and take it all the way up to Cinderella was SOMETIMES a bit much. It never bothered me as a child or even as a young adult, because I thought it was all part of cartoon comedy, but I think that even in animated form, animals need to be treated with more dignity. THAT is what Snow White got right - we almost never see any animals being used for visual gags there (the turtle who falls down the stairs is protected within its shell).
That last point I made might seem bizarre to some of you, but I love most animals the way Cinderella loved these animals - more and more as I get older, in fact - and so that was my ONE PRIMARY CRITICISM.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
09/09/25
Full Review
Garrett B
Cinderella has beautiful animation and background art.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
07/02/25
Full Review
Stephen C
Success in 1 hour and 14 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $33,500,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
07/04/25
Full Review
Juju S
Je pense que c'est de loin mon Disney préféré en dessin 2D. J'ai effectivement une attache émotionnelle particulière ayant regardé ce film quand j'étais petite, mais je trouve que les souris apportent une légèreté et deviennent presque les protagonistes de l'histoire.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
06/19/25
Full Review
Kauã L
The best film of Disney's Silver Age, I think it's even better than Snow White the animation is impeccable, a captivating story, charismatic characters, a villain who is PURE EVIL which is Lady Tremine. The result is a beautiful Disney Story. Rating: 10
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
06/24/25
Full Review
Nicholas B
Cinderella is a delightful four-star animated classic that I really enjoyed. With its timeless fairy tale charm, enchanting animation, and iconic characters, it delivers a magical and inspiring experience. Cinderella’s journey of kindness and perseverance, combined with the memorable music and lovable supporting cast, makes it a beloved Disney film that continues to shine.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
05/26/25
Full Review
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