--- title: "Cinderella: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/cinderella/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/cinderella" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 24 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Cinderella (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 24 reviews: 17 positive, 7 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like it and none dislikes it outright. Branagh’s decision to play the fairy tale straight, without irony or revision, is counted a strength by the majority, who call the result charming and old-fashioned. The ballroom sequence is singled out again and again, as are the costumes and production design. Lily James is widely credited with making Ella’s goodness believable rather than cloying, and Cate Blanchett’s stepmother is the other performance nearly everyone mentions. The reservations are about the same thing as the praise. Several critics find the faithfulness safe, a little dull and short of any fresh angle on a familiar story. A smaller group goes further: The AV Club calls it lavish but emotionally empty, Little White Lies finds it cold and underwhelming, and Slant thinks it favours plot efficiency over visual artistry. The spread is narrow, though, and even the doubters admire the look of it. ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 27 March 2015. Sexton finds Branagh’s adaptation surprisingly touching and says it stands comparison with Disney’s animated classic. He especially praises the lavish staging and Lily James’s captivating, unaffected performance. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/cinderella-film-review-a-visually-sumptuous-treat-10137964.html) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. The review praises Branagh’s makeover as wonderful and Lily James as a particularly strong Ella. It also singles out Cate Blanchett’s exceptional, vividly villainous stepmother for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ddjuv7/cinderella/) ## Total Film — James Mottram Rating 4/5. 23 March 2015. Mottram finds Branagh’s loving, lavish adaptation charming, though its safe traditionalism may appeal more to traditionalists than revisionists. He particularly praises the sumptuous ballroom sequence and Cinderella’s striking blue gown. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/cinderella-review/) ## Film Comment — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). Sragow gives Branagh’s adaptation a positive assessment. He praises the revival’s brio and sparkling cast. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/review-cinderella-kenneth-branagh/) ## The Guardian — Mark Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2015. Kermode finds Branagh’s adaptation charmingly old-fashioned, with plenty to like and a little to love. He particularly praises the breathtaking ball sequence, its choreography, sets and cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/29/cinderella-review-straight-faced-sentimentality-kenneth-branagh) ## Empire — Olly Richards Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2013. The review finds the film retrograde but spirited, funny and well presented. It particularly praises Cate Blanchett’s flamboyant, purposeful performance as the stepmother. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cinderella-2-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2015. Sharkey finds the film enchanting and elegantly made, though she wishes it offered more emotional depth and enlightenment. She particularly praises Lily James’s sincere performance, which makes Cinderella’s goodness feel believable rather than cloying. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-cinderella-20150313-column.html) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2015. Festival review. Debruge finds the film overly safe and somewhat dull, but ultimately a charming companion to Disney’s animated classic. He singles out the lavish costumes and production design, especially the ballroom spectacle, while noting that the human cast can seem plain beside them. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/berlin-film-review-disneys-new-live-action-cinderella-1201433243/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is identified as a review of the 2015 film, but its text is inaccessible. The browser challenge prevents identifying the critic’s verdict or what the review singles out. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cinderella-2015) ## Screen Daily — Lee Marshall Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2015. The critic’s verdict is unavailable in the accessible page text. Specific praise or criticism is likewise hidden behind the paywall. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/cinderella/5083280.article) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating C+. 12 March 2015. Vishnevetsky finds the film lavish but emotionally empty. He praises the costumes and production design for their color and texture, but says they lack a unifying vision. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/disney-s-live-action-cinderella-is-pretty-but-empty-1798183054) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 3/3/3. 27 March 2015. Jenkins finds the film’s sincerity refreshing but its coldness and vanilla romance make it uncomfortable and underwhelming. He praises its fidelity to the classic animated fairy tale, while noting that the performances feel starched and theatrical. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/cinederella) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 8 March 2015. Lane finds the film’s faithful, un-ironic approach to the fairy tale almost heroic, though its screenplay’s moralizing can feel tiresome. He especially praises its vivid colors, lavish production design, and Sandy Powell’s costumes. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/03/16/young-love-cinema-anthony-lane) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin Rating 2/4. 11 March 2015. Cabin finds the film a dull, overly familiar retelling that favors plot efficiency over visual artistry. He praises Cate Blanchett’s performance for giving the stepmother genuine complexity. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/cinderella-2015/) ## /Film — Angie Han Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 March 2015. The critic finds the film a refreshing success because it returns to the fairy tale’s traditional sincerity. She especially praises its vivid, distinctive production design and saturated colors. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/536741/cinderella-review/) ## Paste — Andy Crump Rating 8.4. 14 March 2015. Crump finds Branagh’s faithful, classic-minded adaptation enchanting and successful. He especially praises Lily James’s warmth, which anchors the film and elevates the ensemble. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/cinderella/cinderella) ## Den of Geek — Simon Brew Rating 4/5. 14 March 2015. Brew finds Branagh’s adaptation charming, engaging, and strong as old-fashioned family entertainment. He especially praises Lily James’s performance and the film’s impressive costumes and sets. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/cinderella-review-2/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2015. Hammond calls the remake a winner and says fans of the story will find much to love. He praises its lush visuals and the performances, especially Cate Blanchett’s. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2015/03/cinderella-review-lily-james-richard-madden-pete-hammond-1201389460/) ## Digital Spy — Emma Dibdin Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 25 March 2015. Dibdin finds the adaptation warm, witty and appealingly old-fashioned, with Lily James grounding the story. She particularly praises Cate Blanchett’s villainous stepmother, whose performance adds emotional truth to the role. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a637581/cinderella-review-a-warm-fleet-footed-fairytale/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B. 12 March 2015. Goldberg calls the film nice and visually impressive, though not particularly magical. He praises its vibrant design and costumes, while faulting the passive portrayal of courage and kindness. [Read the review](https://collider.com/cinderella-review/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 15 February 2015. Festival review. Wilkinson finds Branagh’s faithful, traditional retelling a success, especially for audiences who enjoy the familiar fairy-tale formula. She praises the costumes and visual design, while noting that the early scenes drag and the prince is underwritten. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/cinderella-2015-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The available headline presents the film as surprisingly sincere and sweet. The page content is blocked, so no specific element praised by the critic can be confirmed. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-live-action-cinderella-with-lily-james-cate-blanchett-is-surprisingly-sincere-sweet-20150310/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds Branagh’s Cinderella impressive despite its lack of radical departure from the original. It praises the sumptuous visuals and especially the scene-stealing performances by Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-15999-316925) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2015. The critic finds the film an enjoyable, visually sumptuous fairy tale, though it offers little fresh perspective on the familiar story. He especially praises Lily James’s proactive, forthright Cinderella and Cate Blanchett’s stylishly over-the-top stepmother. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/cinderella-review-kenneth-branagh-faithful-lush-disney-fairy-tale/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/cinderella.md