Cruella (2021)
Where Disney has struggled to find much inspiration or success in their recent live-action reimaginings of the studio's animated classics, Craig Gillespie's Cruella hopes to turn this train around with a dark yet incredibly campy look at the iconic 101 Dalmatians villain. Focusing on the origin story of Cruella de Vil (Emma Stone) and specifically the relationship she has with fashion mogul Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson) who is tied to the death of Cruella's mother; Cruella stands as a genuine reimagination of the classic villain that builds towards something new by using the established lore of the character rather than exploiting it for a cheap momentary gain.
Before one can dive into the substance within Cruella, it is important to note the packaging in which the product arrives in. Where many of these live-action Disney adaptations struggle to translate the aesthetic and world of the original animated film to the realm of live-action with some such as Aladdin and Dumbo ultimately becoming complete messes in tone and style. Cruella however doesn't just build a competent sense of tone but a confident one. Blending queer camp with a punk rock industrial bite, Cruella creates an original aesthetic that compliments both the story and the strengths of the team behind the project. Nearly halfway through the year, Cruella easily stands out so far when it comes to departments like production design and costume design with a true sense of artistry felt throughout. The only piece of the technical puzzle to sometimes disappoint would be the CGI which often can look awkward and forced, but that is far from enough to ruin the accomplishments that surround it in the technical departments.
The casting within Cruella also carries a sense of skill and thoughtfulness which can be felt in the final result. Where Emma Stone enters a role with big shoes to fill following the iconic and over-the-top rendition Glenn Close gave the performance in the other popular live-action version of the story, Stone brings her own devilish charm to the performance that brings together cruelty and charm in a surprisingly competent package. Stone might not always be likable, but she always demands attention and controls the screen with her presence in a way that almost redefines what one could expect from Stone as an actress. In this sense, Cruella feels as if it clearly is taking inspiration from director Craig Gillespie's previous feature I, Tonya which also demanded empathy and understanding for the ever-controversial figure of Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) without completely erasing her demons or guilt. On the sidelines Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser & John McCrea bring the majority of the comedy and morality to the feature being the only group of characters that feel rather morally pure without ever taking away from the more gritty and mature sides of the feature. In direct opposition to Stone stands Emma Thompson who also has a sense of wickedness to her performance that is felt through every line delivery and glance she gives.
These elements all come together to make the voice of Cruella feel rather powerful and successful but the biggest question surrounding the film was if its message was going to be worth sharing. So many of these Disney remakes have felt hollow and empty but Cruella is different. As mentioned earlier with the comparison to I, Tonya, at the very least Cruella creates an engaging story of a young woman seeking revenge and closure for her past and at the most creates an exploration of chosen family and not letting one's bloodline determine their destiny. Where nothing within Cruella feels that revolutionary or impactful, this depth is enough to captivate audiences surprisingly well for the film's longer 134-minute runtime and feels worthy enough to be put onto the big screen. The screenplay however does leave some to be desired. Specifically within the transformation from the overall innocent Estella and more cruel Cruella, there is a switch that isn't fully justified and specifically, the complications in the relationship between her and her friends as a result does feel a bit forced. Being a Disney feature there also is bound to be plenty of moral complications within the soul of the feature. It doesn't take much digging to find a mental illness reading of the film which feels rather problematic and where the LGBTQ+ representation within the film does feel less offensive than previous efforts such as Avengers: Endgame and Onward, it still leaves a laughable amount to be desired and the idea that it would be touted once again as being something of substance is genuinely quite revolting.
Where Cruella might not be anything close to a masterpiece, especially in the lineup of Disney live-action remakes this clearly falls towards the top of the list. Stylish and personable, it is incredibly easy to get lost within Cruella's world and have a fun time with the characters and camp that exist within the film's runtime. For those wanting a fun return to the theater or simply are willing to pay the premium price to stream the film through Disney+, Cruella stands as a solid enough recommendation and is sure to become a fan favorite over the coming years.
Before one can dive into the substance within Cruella, it is important to note the packaging in which the product arrives in. Where many of these live-action Disney adaptations struggle to translate the aesthetic and world of the original animated film to the realm of live-action with some such as Aladdin and Dumbo ultimately becoming complete messes in tone and style. Cruella however doesn't just build a competent sense of tone but a confident one. Blending queer camp with a punk rock industrial bite, Cruella creates an original aesthetic that compliments both the story and the strengths of the team behind the project. Nearly halfway through the year, Cruella easily stands out so far when it comes to departments like production design and costume design with a true sense of artistry felt throughout. The only piece of the technical puzzle to sometimes disappoint would be the CGI which often can look awkward and forced, but that is far from enough to ruin the accomplishments that surround it in the technical departments.
The casting within Cruella also carries a sense of skill and thoughtfulness which can be felt in the final result. Where Emma Stone enters a role with big shoes to fill following the iconic and over-the-top rendition Glenn Close gave the performance in the other popular live-action version of the story, Stone brings her own devilish charm to the performance that brings together cruelty and charm in a surprisingly competent package. Stone might not always be likable, but she always demands attention and controls the screen with her presence in a way that almost redefines what one could expect from Stone as an actress. In this sense, Cruella feels as if it clearly is taking inspiration from director Craig Gillespie's previous feature I, Tonya which also demanded empathy and understanding for the ever-controversial figure of Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) without completely erasing her demons or guilt. On the sidelines Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser & John McCrea bring the majority of the comedy and morality to the feature being the only group of characters that feel rather morally pure without ever taking away from the more gritty and mature sides of the feature. In direct opposition to Stone stands Emma Thompson who also has a sense of wickedness to her performance that is felt through every line delivery and glance she gives.
These elements all come together to make the voice of Cruella feel rather powerful and successful but the biggest question surrounding the film was if its message was going to be worth sharing. So many of these Disney remakes have felt hollow and empty but Cruella is different. As mentioned earlier with the comparison to I, Tonya, at the very least Cruella creates an engaging story of a young woman seeking revenge and closure for her past and at the most creates an exploration of chosen family and not letting one's bloodline determine their destiny. Where nothing within Cruella feels that revolutionary or impactful, this depth is enough to captivate audiences surprisingly well for the film's longer 134-minute runtime and feels worthy enough to be put onto the big screen. The screenplay however does leave some to be desired. Specifically within the transformation from the overall innocent Estella and more cruel Cruella, there is a switch that isn't fully justified and specifically, the complications in the relationship between her and her friends as a result does feel a bit forced. Being a Disney feature there also is bound to be plenty of moral complications within the soul of the feature. It doesn't take much digging to find a mental illness reading of the film which feels rather problematic and where the LGBTQ+ representation within the film does feel less offensive than previous efforts such as Avengers: Endgame and Onward, it still leaves a laughable amount to be desired and the idea that it would be touted once again as being something of substance is genuinely quite revolting.
Where Cruella might not be anything close to a masterpiece, especially in the lineup of Disney live-action remakes this clearly falls towards the top of the list. Stylish and personable, it is incredibly easy to get lost within Cruella's world and have a fun time with the characters and camp that exist within the film's runtime. For those wanting a fun return to the theater or simply are willing to pay the premium price to stream the film through Disney+, Cruella stands as a solid enough recommendation and is sure to become a fan favorite over the coming years.