Is Disney's new "
Cinderella," which opens this Friday, March 13, a little late to the ball? Given the current vogue for live-action adaptations of fairy tales -- a trend that Disney launched with "Enchanted" and kicked into overdrive with "Alice In Wonderland," "Oz the Great and Powerful," and "Maleficent" -- it's a wonder that "Cinderella" didn't arrive sooner.
The trend certainly makes good business sense; live-action fairy tales tend to be based on stories every child already knows, so there's brand familiarity, and they also tend to be public domain, so the screen rights are free. The hard part, though, is execution, generating a fantasy world and magical characters who live up to the versions we've all imagined to ourselves during bedtime readings. Digital effects have finally allowed live-action versions of fairy tales to be as visually imaginative as the Disney animated adaptations have been.
Then again, the history of cinema is full of live-action fairy tales that create wondrous worlds even with primitive effects achieved entirely through camera trickery or even 19th-century stagecraft. A little suspension of disbelief is all you need to enjoy these films, the best live-action fairy tales from a century of cinema.

Related Posts:
Maggie Q's 5 Can't-Miss Movies and TV ShowsHaving played the titular femme fatale in CW's "Nikita" for four seasons, Maggie Q is no stranger to action. This spring, she steps back into the ring for the second "Divergent" film, "Insurgent." The Honolulu-born actress st… Read More
Standalone Service HBO Now Coming to Apple Devices in AprilMonday's Apple announcement event included a big one for fans of premium cable, without the premium price: HBO revealed that its new standalone service, HBO Now, will launch in April exclusively through Apple devices.Touting … Read More
Robert Rodriguez Talks His SXSW Gallery Show (EXCLUSIVE)When you ask Robert Rodriguez, the visionary director of "Sin City" and "Desperado," how he was initially drawn to the graphic designs of legendary American illustrator Frank Frazetta, he'll tell you that he and his brother s… Read More
George Clooney Takes Flight in the New Trailer for Disney's 'Tomorrowland' (VIDEO)Disney's "Tomorrowland," directed by super genius filmmaker Brad Bird and starring undeniably handsome bloke George Clooney, has been one of the more tantalizing propositions of movies this year. This is a movie that, for yea… Read More
Thor Parties After Avengers Beat Ultron in This 'SNL' Spoof (VIDEO)In case you thought Thor was a little too self-serious in the first "Avengers" flick, Chris Hemsworth and the cast of "Saturday Night Live" are here to prove you wrong.In a skit from this weekend's episode, which marked Hemsw… Read More
0 comments:
Post a Comment