Disney have made live action remakes of the past animated classics a big part of their film output in recent years. Live action updates of The Jungle Book, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast have all been huge hits. And whilst all of these updates have been fairly faithful recreations of the animated films, it’s worth remembering that this wave of live action movies started with Maleficent, which took the main villain from Sleeping Beauty and based the film on the origin of the baddie.
This is exactly what Disney have done with Cruella, which is understandable as Disney previously made a live action remake of 101 Dalmatians in the 1990s. This new film tells the story of how Cruella went from being an innocent child to become the fashion designer evil Queen who has a dislike for Dalmatians.
The film is much darker and grittier than most Disney films, and this is both refreshing for a telling of a Disney film, but also something odd about it. My feeling throughout was that this didn’t particularly feel like a kids film. There’s lots of humour included, but the main things keeping this feeling like a Disney movie are Cruella’s more cartoonish sidekicks Horace and Jasper, and a few dog characters who help Cruella commit a few crimes. The sequence where one of the dogs, Wink is dressed as a giant rat whilst Horace and Jasper attempt a heist is a highlight.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in this film is that there are a few Dalmatian dogs, but they are presented as baddies in a role reversal. And when I say baddies, I mean snarling, evil looking vicious guard dogs which can’t be confused with the bright eyed heroes of 101 Dalmatians. Honestly I don’t want this to be an overreaction but I’m not sure how Disney could think kids would watch this and be anything other than terrified of Dalmatians and the prospect of watching the cartoon after this. As the film goes on we eventually do get to see their softer side, but this doesn’t compare to how evil they are presented for a lot of the film.
The plot sees Cruella’s mother die early in the film (this is a Disney film so a parent death ticks that box) and Cruella learns this was at the hands of Emma Thompson’s evil Baroness via Dalmatian. This justifies why Cruella may have it in for that breed of dog, but again makes you wonder how Disney could cast the franchise hero as monstrous mother killers in this. The Baroness is basically who Cruella will become in the future and in a sense this adds to the tragedy that the abused is destined to become an abuser.
A lot of people have compared this film to Joker, and there are lots of reasons for this. Unlike most Disney films, this is washed out in colour for the most part, and is set decades in the past for a period feel. Both films also show the origin of a famous villain who learn secrets about their parentage which drives them to crimes. Perhaps the use of the song Smile in both is where things go from coincidence to conspiracy, but these comparisons are definitely justified.
The film perhaps isn’t filled with as many laughs and light hearted humour, but still have lots of funny moments and fast paced action sequences. Emma Stone commands the screen as Cruella and this is a close caught battle with Emma Thompson as The Baroness which adds to their on screen rivalry.
The film really shows off the lifestyle of the fashion world and has tons of elaborate outfits and designs throughout. It’s not my area of expertise, but I’m sure any would be Cruella’s or fashionistas will love this film. It’s already confirmed we’ll get a sequel to this film with Emma Stone returning so we’re sure to see further how Cruella will eventually become the fully formed Disney villain.
Conclusion
This is an enjoyable film, which perhaps isn’t one for smaller kids to enjoy like they would have with Beauty and the Beast. This is certainly a film for fans of the original movies who will get a kick out of a more adult update, whilst still feeling some nostalgia.
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