Cruella

To be really honest, I had very low positive thoughts about this movie. But, boy was I in for a surprise. Emma Stone is the show stealer. It's really a fun dark movie. Did expect this from Disney. Loved it!!

101 Dalmations is a fantastic film with excellent characters, and after watching it one would think that it cannot be depicted in live action. The live action remakes proved this correct, however Cruella is different.

The angle taken on the film actually provides a sufficient and imaginative backstory for Cruella DeVil, and it cleverly manages to position the audiences on the side of the character despite how much we hate her in all her other depictions. That was quite impressive, as well as the acting from Emma Thompson.

The story was good, except there appeared to be repetition of segments of the movie which just make you feel like the movie is more of the way through than it actually is. Another thing that did this was the constant climactic moments which end up tiring you out a little. This means that when the proper climax happens, the movie feels like it's been going on forever and you find yourself not really as engaged as you should be.

Emma Stone's accent was really impressive, however it must have been the director's decision to make it more posh in certain moments, which I wasn't really a fan of. Also, the incorporation of a full fledged lgbt character felt a little unsuitable for the time period in which it was set (sorry about the spoiler).

The soundtrack was filled with excellent songs which were really suitable for the film. However, the events happening on screen couldn't quite match the coolness of the song resulting in the music being a slight distraction.

Overall a very admirable and imaginative effort from Disney.

It's dark, it's edgy, it embodies the punk rock movement of the 1970s and injects it into every aspect of this film with glorious results. Emma Thompson steals the show!

Can you make an entertaining film by blending features from the Joker's girlfriend Harley Quinn in "Birds of Prey," a successful heist film like Oceans Eleven, the daring of a Bond film, a swath of "The Devil Wears Prada," and meld it with the 1970's London punk fashion story of designer Vivienne Westwood? Can you do all that as a backstory for a six-decade old, animated Disney feature film? Can you sew all those different fabrics and parts into one cohesive garment? Apparently, you can. There is so much brilliant writing, over-the-top performance, and spot-on production brilliance packed into this movie that it must simply be seen to be appreciated. I've never seen a movie like this and I don't think there's a written explanation that can do it justice. If you love all sorts of films like the ones listed above, you'll love this film.

This is a film I did not see myself enjoying as much as I did. Serving as a (sort of) prequel to 101 Dalmations, Cruella is set in 1970s London during the punk rock movement and follows the character Estella (Emma Stone) as she attempts to make it in the fashion industry. She is taken under the wing of the vindictive and domineering Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson) and quickly learns secrets that will push her along the path to becoming the villainous Cruella De Vil.

First off I have to praise the performances of both leads. Emma Stone is wonderfully hammy yet charming and surprisingly nuanced as the titular Cruella, while Emma Thompson is cold and ruthless as the fashion mogul Baroness. There was also great support from Paul Walter Hauser as 'Horace', who serves as the main comedic output of the film, a role which he serves with aplomb.

I loved the Rock/Punk Rock style and aesthetic the film had, which is exemplified by the wonderful set and costume design and the excellent and unrelenting soundtrack. The original score from Nicholas Britell was also very effective at establishing the tone and mood and was quite Danny Elfman-esque.

My main problem with the film comes in the form of writing, with some aspects seeming cheap and overly reliant on coincidence and convenience. The latter stages are definitely weaker and the film doesn't end quite as strongly as it should have.

Overall, this is one of Disney's best live action outputs in recent memory although the sympathetic origin story seems tonally dissonant for one of Disney's most despicable villains.