Wait, Sony is doing a Cinderella movie in 2021?

The debate about the lack of originality in Hollywood productions has taken a new turn with CINDERELLA 2021. Am I saying that because it's based on a story that has already been brought to the big (and small) screen several times? No, I'm saying that because it tries to justify its existence by being a musical (combining original songs and covers) with a feminist angle, a diverse cast, current slang and self-aware jokes... but there have already been other adaptations that have done those things. Hell, some of the old radio hits have already been used in other jukebox musicals unrelated to this fairy tale! And the big irony is that the best scenes are the ones without any novelty. The ones that don't try to deconstruct, subvert or modernize anything. The ones that play everything straight. The title character being surrounded by magic as she gets a new dress, her dancing at the ball with Prince Robert, Queen Beatrice telling King Rowan how she really feels, etc. That's not to say there aren't any comedic moments that work, but they're not very frequent. In fact, James, John and Romesh (the mice) serve as comic relief and they're annoying! I couldn't enjoy the tenderness between Cinderella and Robert as they were walking outside the palace, because the movie kept cutting back to that trio doing dumb shit! Another major change to the story is the Fairy Godmother. They cast Billy Porter and he introduces himself as... the Fabulous Godmother. I added the ellipsis to the sentence so you'd have time to prepare yourselves before reading about this mind-blowing idea. It's as if humanity's concept of creativity was wrong all along and only now have we discovered the truth. Kidding aside, credit where credit is due, because he first appears as a butterfly and then transforms into a human, and I incorrectly predicted that he was going to wear fake wings. I appreciate the restraint. After all, even movies that are campy on purpose must have limits. Still, if you're not going to change the second part. of the name to Godfather (which I don't have a problem with), then why bother changing the first one? Why can't this gay man refer to himself as a fai--Ohhhh... Never mind. Over the past 10 years or so, I've seen musicals rely on auto-tune and it's infuriating! You would think that was going to happen again in the deliberately cheesy and light-hearted vehicle for a pop star. However, we get to hear Camila Cabello's voice in all its... Well, I can't really say "glory," because it sounds breathy and husky. That's usually reserved for dramatic musicals, because that way, the actor can express raw emotions, so it feels out of place here. That being said, it's still technically good singing. Not to mention how charismatic she is as an actress (despite not having any prior experience). None of the new compositions stand out and the new renditions (some are classics, others are quite recent) have very particular arrangements. Instead of performing the songs just as they are, winds and strings are employed to give each track a period piece sound. While it wasn't necessary for the atmosphere (after all, this is a fantasy setting), it does give the soundtrack its own identity. Also, it shows that writer/director Kay Cannon's priority wasn't pandering to the crowd that isn't interested in something that's not hip. The songs themselves sound good, but there are points where the actors are instructed to sing 1 or 2 verses differently. That doesn't work if the rhythm and the melody remain the same. I know that every music genre has its origins, but because of the different levels of sub-genres that have developed over the centuries, there are plenty of cases where the listener won't associate a composition with a culture in particular. That's what happens with most of the musical numbers here... so it's odd to make Jennifer López's LET'S GET LOUD (with its strong Latin American roots) the finale. That would've made more sense in a full-on Hispanic re-telling of the fairy tale.

4/10
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