Rating: 
Country: United States
Release Date: February 26, 2001
Distributor: Buena Vista
Director:
· John Kafka
Cast:
· Jennifer Hale
· Tress MacNeille
· Rob Paulsen
· Corey Burton
· Holland Taylor
· Susan Blakeslee
· Frank Welker
· Christopher Daniel Barnes
· Andre Stojka
·
Related Sites:
· IMDb: Cinderella II
Grade: C-
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DVD Review: Cinderella II: Dreams Come True
by Doug DeBolt
Published: January 21, 2008
There are some movies that just shouldn't be tampered with. Can you imagine a "Casablanca II" or "Return to a Wonderful Life"?
Such is the Disney classic "Cinderella," which the studio's television animation division was given permission to revisit in "Cinderella II: Dreams Come True." Instead of a coherent story line, we've now been given a piecemeal, mish-mash of a story that tries to connect together through the efforts of the mice. You know, the mice who were mere bit players in the original film -- they're now center stage in "Cinderella II," assembling an album of memories that acts as a thread that carries us from vignette to vignette.
Missing from the original are the beautiful, lilting tunes that helped endear it to viewers. In its place are pseudo-modern tunes designed to appeal to a current generation, but whose appeal will fade by the time those pre-teens reach puberty. The worst of the lot is "Put it Together (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo)," a techno-pop song that is completely out of place in a classic Disney film.
Of course, this isn't a classic, though Disney is treating it as one of its "Disappearing Classics" that is going in the vault come Jan. 31. That isn't to say that the film isn't completely without merit. Each of the stories carries with it some altruistic tale of character or morality, each centering around "being true to who you are." In the first, Cinderella moves into the castle and is thrust into the role of being a princess. Of course, her overbearing mentor wants Cinderella to do things the way they've always been done. It's obvious that life in the castle will have to change.
The second story centers around Jaq (one of the aforementioned mice) and his desire to be a human (a wish granted by the Fairy Godmother). Unfortunately for him, being human isn't as easy as being a mouse, and the transformation has disastrous results.
Both of the first two stories are largely forgettable, but the third story has a sort of sweetness that almost overshadows the yawns of the first two chapters. In this one, Anastasia falls in love with the town baker, but her mother strongly disapproves. It seems she'd rather Anastasia be alone than with someone who's "beneath her." Cinderella, seemingly forgetting the meanness and treachery displayed by her stepsister in the previous film, reaches out and coaches Anastasia in how to win the heart of the young man.
As nice as this last story is, it's still nowhere close to the classic. Your kids may love it, so it might be worth buying it before time runs out on the vault. Otherwise, it's a weekend rental and return to the video store.
Bonus features include a "Race to the Royal Banquet Game," a "Musical Magical Featurette," a Cinderella storybook and the "Put it Together" music video featuring Brooke Allison.
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