In 1996, the live-action 101 Dalmatians gave Disney the first successful live-action film based on its animated properties. Since then, the result has been mixed at best, usually with the initial movie being a hit and the follow-up/sequel bombing. The Dalmatians series was not immune to this.
After the critical and commercial failure of 102 Dalmatians in 2000, Disney decided to roll the dice again on a live-action Dalmatians story. This time, they’re doing it without the dogs and instead focus on the origin of the films’ villain, Cruella de Vil. Cruella is the story of how a young aspiring fashion designer from the streets of London became the villainous puppy hunter introduced to in the earlier Dalmatian films.
Honestly, I’ve never heard anyone say they were curious about the origins of Cruella de Vil, but Disney felt it was important enough to make so here we are. Does Cruella break the cycle of live-action Disney follow-up/sequels flops or was it better off as an idea in a Disney executive group text?
The acting in Cruella is A-1. In a role similar to her part in The Favourite, Stone is basically playing a dual role where she’s equal parts underdog and villain. As Estella, the orphaned aspiring fashion designer, you root her. As Cruella, she brings all the camp, cleverness, and claws needed to be a young Cruella de Vil…and you still root for her because she is so good at being bad. She doesn’t quite meet the bar set by Glenn Close’s version of the character from the 1996 film, but Stone showed why she was the choice for this story from day one.
While Stone gets top billing, it’s Emma Thompson who makes Cruella go. Pulling from her innermost elitist, Thompson’s Baroness is savagely amusing as she chops down pretty much everyone in the film with snobbish, condescending responses to everybody. She’s a Disneytized version of The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly.
Paul Walter Hauser is another standout performer. As the film’s comic relief, Hauser reminds the audience that Cruella is still a Disney film as he fumbles or makes an oblivious comment to lighten the mood in an otherwise dark story.
Cruella’s costumes and soundtrack are also worthy of high praise. Both fully immerse you into the contrasting pieces that make up the 1970s London setting for the film.
The gowns, designed by two-time Oscar winner Jenny Beavan, steal every scene. The gowns' colors grab your attention, but the thing that makes Beavan’s designs unique is how they tied into the clash between the traditional (Baroness) and the emerging youth/revolution (Estella/Cruella) at that time.
The soundtrack addresses the contrast by using songs from various genres. It features tracks from Judy Garland, Ike and Tina Turner, Nancy Sinatra, The Doors, and the Ohio Players to name a few.
Despite all the good Cruella brings, it also has its share of faux pas. The biggest hitch is the film’s runtime. It clocks in at 135 minutes when there isn’t a reason for it to be that long. The soundtrack and previously mentioned performances help move things along, but Cruella could have easily been a 90-minute film.
The other issue is that it’s not a kid-friendly movie. While Cruella doesn’t have any profanity or graphic violence, it is dark for a Disney film and there’s nothing in it for kids who haven’t reached their teens yet or who aren't interested in high fashion.
Cruella is by far the strongest of the recent live-action Disney spinoffs/reboots. It’s a fun movie with devilishly funny performances from Stone and Thompson, spectacular costumes, and a wide-ranging but excellent soundtrack. It does run longer than necessary and might be a little too dark for viewers under 13, but if time and age aren’t a concern, you don’t want to miss this one.
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