New Cinderella blends new and old

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Variety

A screenshot of the trailer of the movie, starring Camila Cabello.

Helene Horan '22, Entertainment Editor

In the latest take on Charles Perrault’s Cinderella, featuring Camila Cabello, viewers are pulled into a version of the 19th century filled with Disney Channel-esque dance numbers and a Cinderella determined to make it as a fashion designer and businesswoman. Everyone knows the story of Cinderella, but no one has ever seen it told like this.

This new Cinderella retelling is filled with many jokes and lots of great songs, including a Camila Cabello original, “Million to One.” The movie takes this classic tale and puts a somewhat modern twist on it by using songs like “Seven Nation Army” and Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” in combination with a 19th century setting. I especially loved the cast’s recordings of Madonna’s “Material Girl” and their mix of Janet Jackson and Des’ree with “Rhythm Nation/You Gotta Be.” Cinderella also contains many notable celebrities such as Indina Menzel and Camila Cabello, in her debut film appearance.

This new twist also gives Cinderella’s wicked stepmother more development, giving viewers insight to the heart of this infamous villain. Idina Menzel plays a stepmother who isn’t necessarily mean; her actions may be misguided, but she just wants success and happiness for her own daughters and Cinderella.

This movie was a success, although I would have preferred more original songs. The soundtrack is mostly covers with very little original music. After months of being teased with beautiful snippets of “Million to One,” I was looking forward to new songs I could listen to but was instead presented with songs I’d already heard. Despite the lack of originality, the cast was made up of fantastic singers and their voices did each song justice.

If you’re looking for a comedic and heartfelt take on Cinderella with a soundtrack of both new and old songs, this 2021 version is exactly that.