Cruella is a 2021 live-action comedy based on the character Cruella de Vil from Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, and Walt Disney's 1961 animated film adaptation. The film is directed by Craig Gillespie with a screenplay by Dana Fox and Tony McNamara, It is the third live-action adaptation in the 101 Dalmatians franchise, and serves as a prequel.
The cast includes Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Mark Strong. Set in London during the punk rock movement of the 1970s, the film revolves around Estella, an aspiring fashion designer, as she explores the path that will lead her to become a notorious up and coming fashion designer known as Cruella de Vil.
Cruella premiered in Los Angeles on May 18th, 2021, the first major red carpet event since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and hit theaters and Disney+ with Premier Access on May 28th.
THE GOOD
I grew up with 101 Dalmations engrained in my childhood even though I never considered it to be essential - it was just always there. If I came across a white dog with black spots, I always thought of the classic Disney film. Plus the character of Cruella de Vil is easily one of the more recognizable characters in the Disney cannon. Either way, I am a sucker for some nostalgia which is why I was very much looking forward to Disney’s live-action remake, and thankfully it was worth the anticipation.
This 2021 adaptation of Cruella is a genuinely enjoyable time at the movie theater for the entire family, with plenty of laughs, incredible costume design, and an engaging origin story for a very complex character. I liked how they had Emma Stone narrating the majority of the film with her nearly unrecognizable accent, and thought the story itself was told seamlessly as we transitioned from the reserved Estella to the outgoing and vengeful Cruella.
I was extremely impressed with Emma Stone’s ability to switch between characters in the way that she did. Viewers who have any interest in fashion design will likely see this at least 5 times as it surely checks all of the boxes in that category. If Cruella doesn’t take home some gold for costume design, the system is rigged that’s all I will say. I also loved the immersive 1970’s London setting during the punk rock movement, offering some amazing opportunities for the cinematography and a hard-hitting soundtrack. It all felt very authentic and alive, and was a huge value add for the film itself.
At times Cruella had a DC Comics feel to it, more specifically the Joker character during the signature scenes when Estella was making her transformation to the famed Cruella de Vil. She had a recognizable over the top attention seeking style minus the propensity for violence, of course. This also added the element of surprise not knowing how far she was willing to go to get what she wanted and fulfill her dream. This portion of the film was the most exciting, and was really the signature stamp for the Cruella character that will surely carry us right on to the sequel.
I’m sure this is a surprise to nobody, but Emma Stone absolutely crushes it as Estella/Cruella. She dives head first into the character and even nails the accent. She was perfect for the role especially as they try and potentially build an all-new franchise. Emma Thompson did not miss a beat as the unpleasant and easy to hate Baroness especially as the rivalry ensued. I really liked the unique chemistry she developed with Stone throughout the film. The supporting cast was fantastic, with Mark Strong making a hugely positive impact as per usual.
I loved Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser as Estella’s friends/gang mates, Jasper and Horace. Hauser is responsible for the majority of the comic relief, and was able to get quite a few laughs out of the audience with a few words and his hilarious facial expressions. The accent certainly helped as well. He is most recognizable as Richard Jewell in the 2019 film, but I also thought he was hilarious as the idiotic bodyguard in the 2017 film I, Tonya. I expect we will continue to see more from him going forward. I also really liked John McCrea as Estella’s eccentric “business partner” Artie. Overall the entire cast was great.
THE BAD
Cruella delivers the goods for fans without a doubt, but it’s not perfect. With a film as flashy and stylish as this it can be easy to lose sight of what matters most, which in my opinion is the story itself. In general the writing was great and gave us the origin story we needed, but at times things felt flat and uninspiring when they could have done more to develop the war between Cruella and The Baroness. Just some missed opportunities in my opinion, but who knows maybe they already have a script for the next movie ready to go and didn’t want to overdue things. It’s hard to argue that Cruella gets by on style over substance for the majority of the film anyway.
THE VERDICT
With lots of laughs, exceptional costume design, and a hefty dose of nostalgia, Disney’s Cruella brings plenty to the table and builds towards an inevitable sequel. I really enjoyed this movie, and felt like it was a nice balance between being more for adults and more for kids, it sort of sits right in the middle. If you’re on the fence about seeing this right away, I can happily offer you the nudge you need and can say with certainty you won’t regret it.
You can watch Cruella from the comfort of your couch with $29.99 and a Disney+ subscription, but the opportunity to watch it in a theater while experiencing the laughs from fellow movie lovers is well worth it in my opinion.
TED TAKES RATING - 8/10
Cruella is now playing in theaters and available on Disney+ as a Premier Access rental. Check out the trailer below.