Cruella

Along with the evil queens from Snow White and Alice in Wonderland, Cruella is one of the top villainous female characters from the Disney Kingdom, along with Maleficent and Ursula. Moreover, she is one of the cherished ones whose films were made during Disney's lifetime. As far as feature remakes go, only Maleficent has had her own films so far, and there have been two updated Alice in Wonderland films, with a new Snow White and The Little Mermaid in the pipeline. Few would have guessed, therefore, that a standalone Cruella would be much more reminiscent of I, Tonya in terms of style (including Paul Walter Hauser) than anything else. Craig Gillespie was a great choice and signed off on a prequel to 101 Dalmatians that would even get Dodie Smith out of his chair. The result is an experience I will definitely not deny myself for future reruns. It’s also the first movie where I don't mind Emma Stone after all the flat and uninteresting futile girl characters. (04/10/2022)

This is exactly what I imagine when I think of a fun, modern movie that gets everything right. It's surprising that it took Cruella — a Disney film about a character you’d never expect to carry a standalone story — to deliver this, rather than something like the Kingsman series, where I’d naturally expect that kind of inventive fun. Maybe it’s because Cruella comes from the world of Dalmatians, giving the creators the freedom to craft whatever story they wanted. The result is a solid 134 minutes of pure entertainment, without a dull moment in sight. Emma Stone is incredible in the lead role, and Emma Thompson is equally fantastic as her rival. The supporting cast is also top-notch, with Paul Walter Hauser’s gritty British underworld accent being a standout surprise. The soundtrack is killer, with a great mix of tracks that perfectly set the tone, and the action is sharp, clever, and hilarious. There’s even a car chase that nails the 70s vibe so well you won’t want it to end. If they decided to make a sequel, I’d be all in. This is the kind of 21st-century movie magic I’ve been waiting for. (12/22/2021)

Craig Gillespie is a very skilled director and Cruella confirms it. The ridiculously overblown running time was a bit jarring at first, but this Disney original paces unexpectedly well. Emma Stone is very likeable most of the time, to the point where you wonder if she's actually supposed to be the villain, but the moments where she turns into a sociopath out for (justified) revenge work so well because of it. Emma Thompson enjoys playing the top-notch bitch, too, and Gillespie pours one visual idea after another from his sleeve, plucking a bit from Joker here and Burton there, and his stylish 1970s London is damn good to look at. Like the whole film, in fact. I was quite sorry that they obviously had to rein themselves in a bit at times. Overall though, it's a damn entertaining and audiovisually polished spectacle that works as a drama, a comedy, a family film and a heist. I don't know if I'd sign off on the claim that of all the live-action throwbacks to Disney classics, Cruella is the best, but it's certainly the most distinctive and daring. (06/09/2021)

As Disney's version of Joker, Cruella forges its own path (unlike Disney's previous live-action remakes) telling the origin story of the de-mon-ic lover of black-and-white polka dots in a slyly, almost mischievously funny way. I liked how they managed to incorporate various motifs that would later appear in the Dalmatian sequel (I loved Roger and Anita). From an audiovisual point of view, it is a spectacular piece with a decent soundtrack and a plethora of gorgeous costumes, though at times the overly artificial visual effects (the dogs) spoiled the impression a bit. Emma Stone is likeable, Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser are funny second fiddles, and the whole thing was superbly capped by the coolly elegant Emma Thompson. The plot twists are all predictable, but what the hell, I had fun in the cinema and thoroughly enjoyed the black and white quest for revenge. (06/12/2021)

Unlike 101 Dalmatians, Cruella has a significantly darker atmosphere. It might have been even better if it hadn’t been made by Disney, a company I’m not particularly fond of (just like the KGB, CIA, and the censors who oversee political correctness). Anyway, I was mightily surprised by how much I enjoyed the film throughout. Emma Stone was excellent, Emma Thompson was a perfect villainess, and the others did their best to support them, as the two Emmas stole the movie for themselves. I really enjoyed this one. (10/09/2021)