Cruella | Film Review

I wasn't actually going to review this film, because I had assumed that it would be very Disney, very outside of my demographic, and I have never really been into the original 101 Dalmatians story, so I never thought it would be my kind of thing. In fact, I only watched it on a whim in the first place. But as I was watching it, I found that I did have a lot to say about it.

After going through a tragedy as a child, adult Estella (Emma Stone) is trying to make a name for herself in the fashion world, with the help of a couple of thieves. But when Estella meets a Baroness (Emma Thompson), and finds a connection to her childhood tragedy, she embraces the dark part of herself that she was taught to hide.

I really really liked this movie, so much more than I ever expected to.

For a start, this is such a different version of the character than has ever been shown in previous Disney movies. This is a character that we can get to know from scratch, and I loved that she never really turns into the evil monster that we grew up knowing about.

In fact, because I'm not as familiar with the 101 Dalmatians films as I could be, I went into this film as if I had never heard of Cruella De Vil, and I think that made it a lot more enjoyable for me.

I absolutely loved the story. I loved that we spent a good chunk of time with young Estella (played amazingly by Tipper Seifert-Cleveland), I loved that we got to see Estella clumsily finding her way along, and I loved seeing her finally come into her own.

The acting in the film is amazing. I have loved Emma Stone for years and will gladly go out and see everything she makes, so it's no surprise that she was brilliant as Estella - as it was no surprise that Emma Thompson was brilliant as the Baroness. The film also stars Joel Fry as Jasper, Paul Walter Hauser as Horace and Mark Strong as John, and they were all amazing in their respective roles.

This is quite a long film, about 2 hours 15 minutes. There was a point about 3/4 of the way through where the film lost my attention. And while it did regain it fairly quickly, it never felt like the film had to be as long as it was. Half an hour less wouldn't have changed much, and would have made the film a lot easier to sit through.

There is a twist in the film, and I really liked the way it was done. It actually didn't change that much, other than becoming the catalyst for Estella to gain back some confidence, but I liked it. I didn't really see it coming, and it kept me interested in the third act of the film.

I really enjoyed the soundtrack. It was a bit overpowering at times, but it made the film feel really modern and fun.

A lot has been said about the negative side of making an origin story about a character who is known for murdering dogs, but I felt like this film was made in a really interesting way. The character of Estella, and even her dark side of Cruella, is so far removed from what has been seen in previous iterations of the character that she doesn't really feel like that Disney villain at all. In fact, when this film ends, she feels like a hero.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. It isn't anything too groundbreaking, and it feels a bit darker than I expected, but it's definitely a fun way to spend a couple of hours.

6/10