ETCinema: Movie Reviews by E T Griffiths

Cruella (2021) Review Dir. Craig Gillespie    Disney ’ s new Live Action reimagining has both bark and bite   https://images.app.goo.gl/k1xvkxG7crfPxS2Q6 Following in the un-impactful footsteps of their latest live action remakes like 2020 ’ s Mulan, many of us had written off this Maleficent-esque villain origin story for Cruella deVill before it had had a chance to show itself. What results is perhaps one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. A film I had no expectations or faith in yet was utterly enjoyable and entertaining.   As suspected, Cruella can ’ t fully justify the puppy-skinning maniac of 101 Dalmatians, but you seen realise this is very much a different story. This Cruella is way less Freddie Kruger and a lot more Frida Kahlo; an icon with a point to prove.    Unlike recent shallow Disney flicks like Mulan and Aladdin; Gillespie ’ s directing is energetic, frenetic and all-round joyous, as the talent behind the camera clearly isn ’ t phoning it in. Neither , clearly

Cinderella (2021) Review Dir. Kay Cannon    Amazon ’ s new star-studded musical might be the definition of  ‘ so bad it ’ s good ’ .      Bizarre cameos, cringeworthy pop song integration, a weak attempt to modernise and  ‘ girlboss ’  one of the oldest fairytales of all time. Throw all these things into a blender, add one spoon of James Corden and way too many spoons of pointless side characters and you get Amazon ’ s new adaptation of Cinderella.   Perhaps best watched under the influence of alcohol, or with a group of giggly mates, this naff reimagining is as fun as it is utterly paper-thin. You can ’ t call it joyless, but it will have you smiling and laughing mostly for the wrong reasons.   A miscast leading lady in the croaky pop-singer voice of Camilla Cabello, who can ’ t do much to salvage what is a poorly written and slightly annoying version of Ella. Her unconvincing romance with the disguised Prince Charming just adds more plot holes to an already thin of logic fairytale.  

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) Review Dir. Destin Daniel Cretton    Marvel's new Kung-Fu adventure packs a punch.    https://images.app.goo.gl/QY7vhNKfZbYiPkkU9   Shang-Chi. A Marvel Comics character even the ardent fans may not know. When Disney unveiled its plans for the 4th phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many people were surprised at some of the titles getting standalone movies. There seems to be a push to create stories based on the lesser-knowns. Now that the Iron Mans, the Thors and the Hulks seem to be signing off, it ’ s an ambitious but well-minded tactic to introduce fans to a new generation that don ’ t carry quite so much pop-culture baggage.    Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings proves that this risk pays off from a story and audience perspective, while the box office success is yet to be assessed during a very turbulent time for cinema revenue.    What a breath of fresh air; to go into a Marvel film with no expectations. Not knowing w