Cinderella 2 - Dreams Come True (Animated) (Special Edition) (DVD)

...follow up to the "original" Cinderella animated film. As seemingly with most of their successful movies nowadays, as with other producers, there is a sequel produced. It is not necessary to have seen the first movie to be able to watch this. In fact, we watched this before seeing the first film without any loss of enjoyment. However, it is helpful to know the basic story. But then who doesn't the basic story?

Thus, set within ...
...story of what happens to Cinderella after she comes back from honeymoon. The king and her prince go away immediately on affairs of state, leaving Cinderella with the task of arranging a ball to be guided by the lady in waiting, a stuck up woman called Prudence. As Cinderella was not brought up to be a princess, she has no idea of how things are usually done. So it is a journey for her to learn the ropes of living in the palace. However, it turns ... more

This animated film is the follow up to the "original" Cinderella animated film. As seemingly with most of their successful movies nowadays, as with other producers, there is a sequel produced. It is not necessary to have seen the first movie to be able to watch this. In fact, we watched this before seeing the first film without any loss of enjoyment. However, it is helpful to know the basic story. But then who doesn't the basic story?

Thus, set within a story of the mice making a book for "Cinderelly" to read, there are three separate stories. The basic theme, which is good for children, if they really understand the message, is that you should always be yourself and things will work out fine.

The first is "Aim to please". This tells the story of what happens to Cinderella after she comes back from honeymoon. The king and her prince go away immediately on affairs of state, leaving Cinderella with the task of arranging a ball to be guided by the lady in waiting, a stuck up woman called Prudence. As Cinderella was not brought up to be a princess, she has no idea of how things are usually done. So it is a journey for her to learn the ropes of living in the palace. However, it turns into more of a journey for Prudence to learn from the down to earth Cinderella how things could be done so much better if you look at things from a different perspective. It shows that whatever happens, you should never forget where you come from. Cinderella does not turn her back on her friends, the mice and the poor villagers, and everyone is better off getting along with everyone else. This does seem a logical follow up to the original film though it was a bit of a contrivance to get rid of the king and prince so early on.

The second is "Tall Tail". This tells the story of Jaq, the mouse, who is fed up with being small. One day he gets his wish and the fairy godmother turns him into a human. This gives him the taste of a different life and how it is not so great as he thought it would be cracked up to be. This is the weakest and least interesting of the three stories. It doesn't really feel right in the context of everything else. The best bit of the story is the cat, Pom Pom, who still sees "him" as a mouse and Jaq still running away. However, the elephant, at the climax to the story does not. This does not appear aesthetically consistent.

The third is "An Uncommon Romance". This tells the story of one of Cinderella's ugly stepsisters, Anastasia. This is supposed to show that even the most ugly and wickedest person can be converted by love. It is true that the evil stepmother unduly influences her but it does stretch the imagination that the poor local baker would charm this pampered fool and that she would look at him twice. It is a sweet story though and plucks at the heartstrings that such redemption is possible. Maybe it is possible that Cinderella can now influence her more than her mother, now that Anastasia can see what has happened to her. But there was such a gulf between the kind hearted Cinderella and the mean spirited Anastasia in the first film that it doesn't really seem possible in context. This story also has the amusing sub plot of the Stepmother's cat, Lucifer, falling for the palace cat, Pom Pom.

Overall, it is a pleasant film. At least it is not a rehash of the previous film, which sequels tend to be. The kids seem to like it and that is for whom the film is made.

The extras, as usual, sound good but rarely turn out to be anything you really want to see or do. They are merely padding and frankly can be done without. After all, it is the movie we base the decision buy the DVD for, not the extras.
 

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