Disney's Cruella, now streaming with Premiere Access on Disney+, truly exceeded all of my expectations. The story is intriguing and original, the visuals are unique, the soundtrack is fantastic, and you don't end the film feeling sympathy for a "Puppy Killer" like I had feared.
Emma Stone's commitment to the role of Estella/Cruella really made me wonder how much she brought to the script herself; not once did I think of her as Stone, her performance was transformative and just as big as you want Cruella to be.
As for the rest of the cast: Joel Fry (Jasper) and Paul Walter Houser (Horace) bring the comic relief and (shockingly) the humanity out of Cruella. Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Kyvan Novak play small roles as Anita and Roger who were a lovely surprise (for me at least).
And of course, Emma Thompson, who has been a wonderful fit for Disney in the last decade or so (Saving Mr. Banks, Brave, Beauty and the Beast) of course REALLY brings it again as the stone-cold Baroness.
Cruella should not be looked at as a true prequel to the 1961 film or the 1996 film starring Glenn Close; the stories are their own separate animals (pun definitely intended). The small nods and references to the original animated film are very welcome and a fun extra something for Disney Geeks like me to to keep an eye out for.
For us at least, the film is EASILY worth the extra cost, it will, however be available to everyone at no cost on Disney+ in a few months... if you're the patient type...
