The newest release from Walt Disney Pictures this week "Cruella" is another addition to their latest trend of revamping their old library into sleek live-action affairs, which have been average at best. "Cruella" may not be changing that trend anytime soon because while it does deliver a much better product than previous releases like "Mulan" it's likely to be lumped in with the others and forgotten in a short few years.
The movie does have some big positives to it and audiences won't be bored, though I do feel this is not a film for the little ones to be sure. Not only is it much darker in tone, dealing with murder and revenge plots but the story has more in common with "The Devil Wears Prada" rather than the classic 1961 animated film which I think would bore younger viewers. The biggest positives I have is in the performances by Emma Stone, who humanizes Cruella De Vil and gives the character more depth than just someone who wants to skin dalmatians. Emma Thompson however is the standout as the Baroness, who you could say is a representation of the classic Cruella character. She is pure evil without an inch of remorse and seeing Cruella upstage her at every turn is always satisfying.
The film's other big highlight is of course the fashion and hair design which I'm going to call it right now and say this is going sweep the hair & makeup awards circuit. Each of Cruella's dresses and hairstyles are beautiful, creative, and of course being Cruella De Vil are over the top and attention getting. The costumes for the Baroness and her various party guests throughout the movie are also notable. The movie also incorporates music from the 1970s so of course we get one of the biggest music playlists I've seen in a while, all classics from that era and many tracks bring out that punk rock style the film is going for.
The music tracks are all solid hits, but they also are the beginning of the various issues I had with "Cruella". Typically, when one incorporates music other than a score it's usually meant as a small way to bring the audience into the world of the film. Here, we have an issue where the music is non-stop, with tracks being played almost every single scene and leaving nothing in the way of a traditional score which I think would've helped with some of the more dramatic scenes. My next topic isn't so much a negative as it's more of a warning to parents that yes, this may be a Disney film but it does carry a well-deserved PG-13 rating. It's not as extreme as the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, but as previously stated the film does open with a rather shocking scene of someone being murdered and the overall tone of revenge and implied violence do make it a bit more risque than their usual fare.
That being said, it feels like the movie is playing it too safe despite its themes and tone as if Disney was unsure of fully tilting over to an adult movie. It leaves the film a bit tone deaf overall, with scenes of slapstick mixed into a story about revenge and murder. I just wish they'd gone one way or the other, although it probably would've worked more in favor of mature audiences than family in my opinion. "Cruella" is not a bad origin story but it's ties to the animated film and the tone shifts do keep it from being a boundary breaking one. It's recommended as a fun popcorn movie but you won't leave the theater fully satisfied as some of the better Disney films.
B-
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