Cruella Movie Review

 

Cruella is the latest live action retelling of one of Disney's beloved animated classics. This one is obviously inspired by the creation of One Hundred and One Dalmatians as it follows the early career of that original film's notorious villain Cruella de Vil, this time played by the incredible Emma Stone. With this new retelling, I have been somewhat skeptical mainly just because Disney's track record with these live action remakes has been hit or miss to say the least, and as iconic of a villain she'll always be, I can't say I've ever been terribly interested in learning about Cruella's troubled backstory. However, Emma Stone certainly seemed like a very inspired choice for young Cruella, and I'm also a pretty big fan of director Craig Gillespie (of such excellent films such as I, Tonya and Lars and the Real Girl). Trailers have been very promising and early reviews were very encouraging as well. And now having seen it, I can safely say Cruella marks a breathe of fresh air in comparison to Disney's previous live action retellings and is most certainly one of the studio's strongest efforts overall. 

Emma Stone has certainly been one of my absolute favorite actresses working today, as she's proven time and time again she can really do just about any genre of film. As Cruella de Vil, it's no surprise that she absolutely fits this role seamlessly and dominates the screen. She's every bit as charming and funny as she needs to be, but also every bit as fierce and intimating as this character has always been intended to be. Stone just brings so much different range to this role and it's another showcase that she can't really do any wrong. Of course, her veteran co-star Emma Thompson is certainly no slouch either as Baroness von Hellman. As the film's primary villain, Thompson just oozes so much wit and menace to this role. When her & Stone are going at it with one another on screen, the film is at its most electric. Rounding out an impressive supporting cast are great character actors such as Mark Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, and Joel Fry. Hauser & Fry in particular provide some of the film's best comedic beats as Cruella's partner in crimes Horace & Jasper.  

Much of these previous Disney films suffer way too much from a feeling of familiarity, but here Craig Gillespie able to really inject his own voice and style that gives Cruella a much more distinctive feel in comparisons to previous films. The film is definitely darker than anticipated and most certainly earns that PG-13 rating, but it strikes the right balance between that darkness and some great comedic moments. It's very energetic, sometimes even chaotic, and most of all it's just a whole lot of fun. Many have already pointed out how this doesn't even feel like a Disney film, and I will very much echo that. It doesn't feel like a Disney product, I think much to its benefit, it actually feels like a Craig Gillespie film. The needle drops from a very lively soundtrack can occasionally become a little distracting, but I really dug the music and the choices made certainly felt fitting for the tone the film is presenting. And it should be seen as no surprise that the costume work here is terrific and this should no doubt be an easy front runner to score an Oscar nomination next awards season. 

This is definitely far from a perfect film though. While most of the film's darker moments work well in contrast to the more light hearted moments, there's occasionally definitely some hiccups with the film's balance of its own tone. I do feel the film also occasionally becomes a slight case of style over substance, but honestly when the style is this much fun and infectious it's hard to complain too much about that. And it's also well over two hours, and that length is certainly felt. That's not to say I was ever particularly bored with this though, there's rarely ever a dull moment here, but about 10-15 minutes probably could've been trimmed off. 

Regardless, Cruella most certainly marks a winner for Disney and all involved, flaws and all. In a era of a bit too many Disney's beloved animated classics being turned into tiresome live action remakes, Cruella most certainly stands out as a breathe of fresh air amongst the rest. Do I think it's the best of the pack? No not quite, but it's definitely up there and I feel is much better than it has any right to be. With a pair of knockout performances from both Emma Stone as Cruella and Emma Thompson, and a fun caper story, this always remains a hugely entertaining ride with a lot of style and a great cast to boot. Think Joker meets The Devil Wears Prada and you got Cruella. It's been out for well over a week already, but if you're still wondering if it's worth the price of a movie ticket or purchasing the premium price on Disney+, my answer is a resounding yes.

Final Grade: B