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:
Recap of 'Revenge' Season 4 Episode 17: LossStill recovering from Jack Porter getting a DUI during last week's episode of "Revenge"? The feeling is mutual, but we have some good news: Emily Thorne is here to save the day (and hopefully encourage Jack to stop staring wo… Read More
The 20 Best Late-Night Talk Show Hosts EverWho'd want to be James Corden? The new host of CBS' "The Late Late Show," who takes over the slot vacated by Craig Ferguson, has an unenviable task. Not only does the British comic have to introduce himself to American audien… Read More
'Insurgent' vs. 'The Gunman' Proves Box Office Is No Country for Old MenIt's hard to feel sorry for Sean Penn, but after "The Gunman," which he starred in and produced, got whacked this weekend by "The Divergent Series: Insurgent," maybe a little sympathy is in order. Then again, maybe he's just … Read More
'Pretty Woman': 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Julia Roberts ClassicNo one expected much from "Pretty Woman" when they were making it. It was a modestly-budgeted romantic comedy whose stars were Richard Gere (then in the depths of a career slump) and Eric Roberts's kid sister. But when the mo… Read More
The New 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation' Teaser Is 100% Badass (VIDEO) Ready or not, here comes Tom Cruise -- as IMF agent Ethan Hunt -- in the newly dubbed "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation." After watching the first, minute-long teaser from the fifth installment of the "Mission: Impossible"… Read More
0 comments:
Post a Comment