Movie Review: Cinderella III: A Twist in Time
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this enjoyable re-imagination of
the Cinderella story has our heroine using her own resources,
not the Fairy Godmother's, to win the Prince's heart. The evil
stepmother is as bad as ever, and in a few short scenes, is
downright menacing. A scary carriage ride has Cinderella
careening toward a ravine in mortal danger. The Prince gets
ample screen time, and his athletic heroism may even make this
story appeal to the boys in the family.
Families can talk about which version of Cinderella they like best. Do you like how Cinderella acts in this movie or the original? Why do you think stepsister Anastasia found the courage to do the right thing? Parents can talk about how they knew they'd fallen in love the first time -- can you really tell by touching a person's hand? They can also make up alternate version to other fairy tales.
Common Sense Media Review
This funny, likable twist on the original Cinderella
imagines what would happen if the magical slipper hadn't fit
Cinderella (voiced by
Jennifer
Hale), and creates a heroine far easier to root for in the
process. In CINDERELLA III: A TWIST IN TIME, the evil
stepmother (Susan Blakeslee) has stolen the Fairy Godmother's
magic wand and reversed time to the moment when the Grand Duke
arrives with the glass slipper. Determined to marry off one of
her unappealing daughters to the Prince this time, the
stepmother uses the wand to make the slipper fit Anastasia (
Tress
MacNeille), put a spell on the Prince (
Christopher
Daniel Barnes) so he forgets Cinderella, and organize a
royal wedding that will fulfill her craving for "power, riches,
and revenge."
Meanwhile, Cinderella realizes she's on her own to win the heart of the Prince. With the help of her old friends Gus ( Corey Burton) and Jaq, Cinderella finds heretofore unknown reserves of bravery, cunning, and determination to make her love connection.
Cinderella III moves along at a fast pace and has some genuinely funny bits, like when the mice reenact the entire plot a la "Short Attention Span Theater." It's also amusing to see Anastasia clink, clink, clinking through the richly colored and detailed set backgrounds in the magically super-sized glass slipper.
The movie even gives the Prince a chance to become a more rounded character by exhibiting unflagging graciousness to the clumsy Anastasia and true affection for his father. It turns out he's quite an athlete too, both an accomplished horseman and acrobat.
But the best thing about Cinderella III is watching Cinderella persevere at her goal of getting the Prince to fall in love with the real Cinderella. Girls 4 to 9 will probably be captivated by this story, as well as the DVD's special features that include a dancing game and music video.
For a slightly more sophisticated twist on the Cinderella tale, try Ella Enchanted or Ever After . Tween readers may like the unconventional fantasy heroines in Fairest and Wintersmith .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
