What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that although kids may want to see this animated fairy tale "reimagining," it's not really worth their time. The movie revises the Cinderella story in order to let the "bad guys" win ... for a minute. This results in some minor violence, much dastardly laughter, and temporary changes to familiar fairy tale plots (Rumplestiltskin steals the baby, Sleeping Beauty doesn't wake up, etc.). Many genre clichés are played out here: The wicked stepmother is mean, her daughters are obnoxious, the prince is dimwitted, and wolves, trolls, and the giant are ugly and lumbering. There's a little bit of potty humor, and a couple of none-too-menacing scenes in the dark woods. The cartoony violence primarily consists of falls and inconsequential explosions (no one dies).
- Families can talk about the film's premise -- that all fairy tales follow a basic plot and might need to be invigorated. How would you change the plots of these familiar stories? Is there another way to change the ending without focusing on "good" and "evil" characters? How does Rick's point of view affect the movie? What might happen if Ella didn't decide to like him in the end? What do you think happens to Ella's stepsisters? What other movies have covered similar territory? What makes this one better/worse than those?