Why Brandy’s Cinderella Holds Up Better Than Recent Disney Musical Remakes

Cinderella keeps it real simple. You like Cinderella? What about a really talented cast, a classic story and some adorable songs? OK, cool, here you go! That’s it. No nonsense. I feel like there’s been something lost from trying to appeal to the animated versions and then also provide a sense of scale that will interest us into reliving it in a different and elevated way. There’s nothing wrong with thinking big, but along the way, some potentially great performances get lost in the shuffle. Remember how Ewan McGregor played Lumiere? No? Me either, because he disguised himself in five layers of production design to make the scene look magnificent rather than keeping the focus on the personality he could specifically bring to the iconic role. Oppositely, Bernadette Peters’ evil stepmother is very particular and memorable.