Cinderella — When a fairytale comes to life!

Do world-weary pirates cry?

Oh yes, they certainly do. If they’re inside a darkened theatre, watching Walt Disney’s new Cinderella movie, then a tear or two might roll down their weather-beaten cheeks.

Most children’s stories and fairytales nowadays are reimagined/rebooted for the big screen (Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent, to name two recent examples). They tend to never be as good as the real thing.

And that is exactly why this movie’s almost fanatic dedication to the source material feels like such a refreshing change.

Ella — nicknamed ‘Cinder-Ella’ after dirtying her face from ash from the fireplace where she slept after a hard day’s work — has a heart of gold.

After her mother’s death early on, her father remarries the widow of an acquaintance and she brings her two daughters with her.

Despite their cruel treatment, Cinderella still believes in ‘being kind and staying strong.’

One day, she meets her Prince Charming and soon, insurmountable obstacles spring up. Enter Fairy Godmother and the rest is pure magic.

The film is spectacularly shot and the locations seem ethereal. Director Kenneth Branagh has tried hard to make the tale a lot less dark than the original.

Lilly James (as Cinderella) and Richard Madden (as Prince Charming or Kit) are supremely confident in their skills and they both do well.

Cate Blanchett is outstanding as Lady Tremaine, Cinderella’s Evil Step Mother. She gives a very nuanced portrayal of the villain and provides just the right amount of nastiness to her character.

Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother is a hoot. She’s a born natural at it.

Entering the theatre, I was a bit apprehensive because for the first time in my life, women and children outnumbered the men inside.

But much to my surprise, they were more vocal in their appreciation as they clapped, hooted and cheered for their characters at several points.

For me, this movie was a very magical, endearing fairytale.

VERDICT: Disney Pictures prove yet again that they are the masters of the game when it comes to adapting fairytales to the big screen. Nine out of 10.