Shout Factory/Shout Kids have brought us a new twist on the age-old story of Cinderella in Cinderella and the Secret Prince.
The
Film
Sometimes
films just fall slightly off the mark. The
well-meaning and well-intentioned Cinderella
and the Secret Prince has a few tricks up its sleeve but it isn’t enough to
get the job done.
You know
the tale of Cinderella. Evil step-mom,
wicked step-sisters, the glass slipper, stroke of midnight, kiss, we all live
happily ever after. Yes? No?
Good, because Cinderella and the
Secret Prince turns that a little sideways.
No, longer is the kiss and happily ever after so easy. What if the Prince wasn’t a Prince but a
shill working with who appears to be Maleficent? What if the Fairy Godmother
wasn’t the Godmother but the Godmother’s niece?
There’s those and a bit more with a quest for a ring and a fight at the
end and a strange sacrifice.
Let
us be clear, Cinderella and the Secret
Prince falls apart at the seams pretty quickly. The few charms and witty storytelling turns
it has up its sleeve are not enough to carry the weight of an entire film. That is where this film falls flat. The story and concept had the ability to
really surprise but it does not and falls under the weight of itself. Part of this is the animation feels only half
rendered leading to expressionless characters and the dreaded “dead eye” effect
that can sometimes plague even the biggest budgeted animated fare (Polar Express, anyone?).
There
is also the matter of the ending. I will
not ruin the ending as every film should be allowed a chance to succeed without
an A-Hole ruining the ending. Without
spoilers, I will say this. The ending
was so baffling and confusing in a family film that this reviewer stayed until
the end to ensure that they had not added an “additional scene” to wrap
everything up. No. Nope.
Nada. Nothing. Just the credits.
One
can “understand” the intention of the final moments but it comes off as missing
the mark by a wide margin. Enter at your
own risk.
The
Transfer
The
Standard Def image looks fantastic with the disc being able to produce the bold
colors with relative ease.
The
Extras
No
extras were included in this release.
The
Final Thought
Cinderella and the Secret Prince will entertain children until its
mystifying ending.
Shout Factory/Shout Kids have brought us a new twist on the age-old story of Cinderella in Cinderella and the Secret Prince.
The Film
Sometimes films just fall slightly off the mark. The well-meaning and well-intentioned Cinderella and the Secret Prince has a few tricks up its sleeve but it isn’t enough to get the job done.
You know the tale of Cinderella. Evil step-mom, wicked step-sisters, the glass slipper, stroke of midnight, kiss, we all live happily ever after. Yes? No? Good, because Cinderella and the Secret Prince turns that a little sideways. No, longer is the kiss and happily ever after so easy. What if the Prince wasn’t a Prince but a shill working with who appears to be Maleficent? What if the Fairy Godmother wasn’t the Godmother but the Godmother’s niece? There’s those and a bit more with a quest for a ring and a fight at the end and a strange sacrifice.
Let us be clear, Cinderella and the Secret Prince falls apart at the seams pretty quickly. The few charms and witty storytelling turns it has up its sleeve are not enough to carry the weight of an entire film. That is where this film falls flat. The story and concept had the ability to really surprise but it does not and falls under the weight of itself. Part of this is the animation feels only half rendered leading to expressionless characters and the dreaded “dead eye” effect that can sometimes plague even the biggest budgeted animated fare (Polar Express, anyone?).
There is also the matter of the ending. I will not ruin the ending as every film should be allowed a chance to succeed without an A-Hole ruining the ending. Without spoilers, I will say this. The ending was so baffling and confusing in a family film that this reviewer stayed until the end to ensure that they had not added an “additional scene” to wrap everything up. No. Nope. Nada. Nothing. Just the credits.
One can “understand” the intention of the final moments but it comes off as missing the mark by a wide margin. Enter at your own risk.
The Transfer
The Standard Def image looks fantastic with the disc being able to produce the bold colors with relative ease.
The Extras
No extras were included in this release.
The Final Thought
Cinderella and the Secret Prince will entertain children until its mystifying ending.
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