One dear friend says he is watching bad movies to see just how bad it is.
In this case this saying is partly true.
On Amazon prime 44% have given it five stars and 37% have given it one star.
Let’s look at the reason why.
The creator is the same person who has done pitch perfect.
So the movie can be expected to be a musical and so it is.
We will only mention a view persons who catch the eye of the observer. Anyway they did with us.
Pierce Brosnan plays wonderfully a king who tries to put the kingdom together and rules as a wise king. This is the only actor who makes the film quite watchable.
Unfortunately not any character is developed into depth.
The king has a son who misbehaves and does not want to have anything to do with his father or the throne.
Okay at the beginning the prince tells everyone that he is basically a bum who does nothing besides hunting, sleeping and spending money.
Unfortunately this is the only fun moment with him in the movie.
It is not clear why the son does not like the king. Also a development is not visible.
Some people in the comments says that he likes his independence.
Yes he has an earring in the right ear.
But how in the world will he earn a living without any skills and without any help from his father?
Even in Beauty and the Beast the end is more logical.
The prince can earn a living via tax payers.
As all his employees are back to live and he has a smart girlfriend they can live happily ever after.
In Cinderella story with Hilary Duff from 2004
The prince, a famous colleague guy and the poor girl travel away together to the university of their dreams.
Ok. Let’s get back to the movie.
The stepmother tries to be mean at the beginning but fails throughout the movie.
On one side you could say that the mother tries to get rid of her stepdaughter. She wants her to marry a handsome guy who has probably some money.
Also she does not mind that Ella is in love with the prince. She even wants her to marry him, so she can generate money for the mother. So the stepdaughter has the same position as the two other daughters.
Judging by the clothes, the big house and the family’s attitude they can not be poor. No way. Poor and noble? No way, as they do not speak that way.
In the original story from 1950 the stepmother treats her own daughters better and let’s the poor girl do all the housework. By the way here the family has money. But the stepmother lets do Ella all the hard work in the house. Every time a suitable man comes to the house the stepdaughter is all dirty in the face.
Here the being dirty give us a little bit of racism. Karla Camilla Cabello Estrabao is Cuban, not black and lives in the United States anyway. Throughout the movie the announcer is black. maybe, because Jazz was introduced by black people?
She comes across as a spoiled kid. In the basement where she has a large bed and has a dream becoming a very professional tailor. So what can be better when meeting a business partner on a ball where people from all kingdoms are gathered?
Actually Ella finds Queen Tatyana. On the next day she gives her a chance to design clothes for her as she sees her in the market.
But we do not find a scene where both of them sail away.
There are many cliches in this movie. To be fair, you could also say many modern opinions.All races, green energy, sexes and the unwillingness to marry are represented.
The fairy god mother is a man wearing women clothes. The sister of the prince, princess Gwen is having many ideas for the kingdom. She also likes green energy.
Maybe she is lesbian. The prince is only in love with Ella and does not want to marry her, let alone have any children.
But if princess Gwen will not have children, the princess will not have children, how will the kingdom exist in some time?
The prince notices the poor girl who is dressed just fine the first time as she climbs on the statue of the father of the king.
Let us suppose that we are not in the times of Harun Al rashid.
But the king telling I am not amused and the prince saying you are cool is not right. This is being rebellious. Even today, that would be considered rude.
So our question is the same as in the comments. Why does the poor girl need the prince anyway?
Last they are trying to combine a world of emancipation and the problems or tendencies of today with the Middle Ages, where women had not much weight.
So in short not a movie to watch. A better musical would be Phantom of the Opera for example.