Cruella was one of those movies that Disney released in theatres as well as a premium offering on their Disney Plus service. I have to start by saying that Emma Stone (remember her from La La Land?) is absolutely amazing as Cruella. Right from the start, you can tell that she had to have had an amazing time with this role.
How to Stream or Download Cruella
To watch Cruella online, click on the Download button that is located below this review.
The Movie Review
Some people seem to think that this is a prequel to the classic 101 Dalmatians, but that is not actually the case. Instead, what we have here is more of a “reimagining” and while many elements are there that you know from the beloved classic, I do feel this stands on its own.
The movie is about young Estella who has a rather rough childhood that sees her and her mother want to move to London. Well, things go very wrong, her mother ends up dead and she is an orphan! She makes friends with two other troubled youths in Horace and Jasper and they form a gang that ekes out a living by stealing.
She changes her name to Cruella which is very well done and she sets her sights on ruling the fashion world and taking down the Baroness who should be a mentor to her, but she is the villain. The Baroness is a fantastic villain and she is played by Emma Thompson who is pretty much awesome in everything she has a role in.
The movie is about Cruella trying to upstage the Baroness at every turn. Each event that the Baroness throws, Cruella will spectacularly gate crash. I am sure you have seen the scene in the trailer where her dress ignites, revealing a new one below. Well, that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Speaking of that scene, the whole movie I have to say looks amazing. I am not someone who is into “fashion” but even I was blown away by how amazing everything in this movie looked. The movie really is a joy to the eyes and I actually wish that I went to the theatre to see this instead of watching it on Disney Plus!
I was not sure how they could make a full movie about Cruella if I am being honest, but I do feel that they pulled it off. This is a very clever movie and one that is a lot of fun, but there was a cost. This is not a kid’s movie. I am sure many parents will make the mistake of taking their kids to see this thinking it is a fun-loving live-action prequel to 101 Dalmatians.
The thing is, the whole tone and pace of the movie will not be something kids will enjoy. I would wager that kids under 10 would probably not have a very fun time with this. Not because the movie is inappropriate or anything like that, but I just do not think there will be enough to keep their attention.
One other thing I almost forgot to mention was the soundtrack. Cruella has a tremendous soundtrack, it is like each song was perfectly chosen for a specific scene. In all, I thought that this was a fun movie and Emma Stone was born to play this role. It is worth a watch, but you might want to watch it without the kids!
