Film

review Has Disney hit a home run with Cruella?

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

A TALE of two Emmas, as Emma Stone as Cruella and Emma Thompson, inset as the Baroness Von Hellman, do battle.

I can think of at least 101 reasons why I loved “Cruella”, Disney’s latest live action movie that provides a new back story for one of Disney’s most infamous villains.

Emma Stone shines in her portrayal of Estella, later known a Cruella de Vil, the fur-loving villain of “101 Dalmatians”. She is both endearing and horrifying at the same time.

The movie begins with a young Estella Miller who is born with the famous half black, half platinum blonde hair colour. She has a passion for fashion, but is also mischievous, headstrong and has a slight cruel streak, leading her mom (Emily Beecham) to nickname her Cruella.

A tragedy early on helps us understand just why Cruella has an obsession with Dalmatians. It also leads her to a life of petty crime on the streets of London, alongside her accomplices and new-found family Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser).

When, in a state of drunkenness, she restyles a window display at the prestigious department store where she temporarily works, she lands her dream fashion job with the Baroness Von Hellman, a renowned fashion designer. Emma Thompson plays this role to perfection.

When Estella/Cruella realises the childhood connection she has with the Baroness, she seeks her revenge in true Disney villain fashion.

What follows is pure eye candy set to one of the best movie soundtracks ever. Just think Nina Simone, Joe Dolan, The Bee Gees, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Judy Garland, Queen and The Clash…and no, that’s not even all the cool artists featured in this movie.

Who knew Disney could rock out like that without the usual obligatory princess theme song? Trust me, I can’t wait to download this soundtrack.

And what better to go with the tunes than some far out 70’s inspired fashion. Cruella, after all, is best known for her iconic black and white hair and that spotted Dalmatian coat (which yes, does make an appearance).

The fashion in this movie is incredible. My personal favourites are Cruella’s white coat, which goes up in flames to reveal a stunning red number underneath, and her bombastic garbage truck dress.

The soundtrack and fashion alone make this movie worth the $15.99 Disney + streaming free.

While I have to admit I thought it was a bit slow in the beginning, once the movie got into its groove, it’s became a great watch for the entire family. It’s smart, funny, heartwarming and clever and still manages to hit on some of those traditional Disney themes, such as following your dreams and finding family.

Humanising one of the most iconic and most evil Disney villains ever was a risk, but this film makes it work (and no, there is no animal cruelty in this version). While you want to hate Cruella, knowing about her actions in original cartoon movie, at the same time you also secretly want to love and root for her in this prequel.

So, grab the kids and some popcorn and enjoy one of the best Disney’s movies live action films made in a while. I can only hope the end credit scene is in fact a hint that there will be a “101 Dalmatians: movie with the same cast in the future. I also hope this paves the way for more unique and original villain back stories.

My picks for the next two are Ursula from “The Little Mermaid” and Lady Tremaine from “Cinderella”.