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When "Cinderella III" arrived at my house, I popped it in the player for my kids and sat them in front of the TV. They thoroughly enjoyed it. They were entranced by Cinderella, amused by the mice, and scared by the wicked stepmother. It was the very thing the Disney creators intended the film to be. I wasn't quite as impressed.
The animation looked pretty good for a straight to DVD Disney feature and the characters were faithful to their previous incarnations, but it was the story I had a problem with. In it, the wicked stepmother turns back time and makes it so that the ending of the classic Cinderella movie never happened. That wouldn't have been so bad if, at the end, they went and set everything back the way it was, but that wasn't the case. By the end of the film this new re-written Cinderella history is the new 'canon'. Cinderella never put on the glass slipper, married the Prince, and lived happily ever after. This sequel is the new ending. That seems like a real disservice to the classic Cinderella film. It's like saying Dorothy never went to Oz, Snow White never met the Dwarves, or Rhett never met Scarlett. To make matters even worse, this new Cinderella story is just a rehash of the first film. Cinderella must foil the stepmother's plans (with the help of the mice) in order to win the heart of the Prince. If they had done something a little new, it might have been a bit more interesting.
But, all that being said, kids are still going to love "Cinderella III."
The bonus features are good enough for kids, but anyone interested in the actual making of the movie will be disappointed. There's nothing here covering the creation of "Cinderella III." There are two games – the Bibbidi-Bobbidi Choose Game and Cinderella's Ballroom (which is a DVD-ROM feature). There's also a look at a new stage production that will be exclusively on Disney Cruises. It's "Twice Charmed" and is a sequel to Cinderella. It features elaborate sets, new characters, and new songs. Fans of Disney stage plays will definitely want to see it. There's also a sneak preview of "Disney Princess Enchanted Tales." It's just more animated stories with the Disney Princesses. But the most notable bonus feature for me was the music video. It's "I Still Believe" performed by Hayden Panettierre. You probably know her as the cheerleader from the TV series "Heroes." I've gotta say I was shocked to see her singing as a Disney pop princess.
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