On paper, Cruella is a movie that absolutely should not work. A sympathetic (ish) origin story for a Disney villain whose original story focused on her desire to to kidnap Dalmatian puppies, skin them, and use their fur to make a coat. Not exactly an appealing story, right? So how does Disney go about giving a character like Cruella more broad appeal? Simple. Cast Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, add in some flashy costumes, and, perhaps most importantly, get rid of that whole dog-skinning nonsense. And the result? A pretty fun – if flawed – film.
Cruella begins with the title character – real name Estella – growing up as a rebellious youth with an eye for fashion. After her mean streak leads her mother to decide to move the two of them to London, they make a stop at a party hosted by wealthy fashion legend The Baroness (Thompson), where her mother asks The Baroness for financial help as they begin their next chapter. But then tragedy strikes – and this being a Disney movie, it doesn’t take a detective to figure out what that is. In the ensuing chaos, Estella loses a family heirloom necklace, the last connection she had to her mother. She finds herself orphaned and alone in London. There she meets fellow orphans, brothers Horace and Jasper, and the three carve out a life together, surviving by thievery.
Fast forward ten years and the trio is still scamming their way through life, though Estella still harbors a dream of becoming a fashion designer. Knowing this, Jasper (Joel Frye) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) pull some tricks, landing Estella a job at Liberty, a luxury department store. She’s thrilled, until she learns the job is actually as a cleaner. That doesn’t stop her from trying to have her ideas heard, but her stuffy boss Gerald (Jamie Demetriou) rebuffs her at every turn. Then one night she drunkenly vandalizes/redesigns the store’s window display, which garners the attention and admiration of The Baroness, who hires Estella on the spot.
Though oft-mistreated and taken advantage of, Estella is finally in a place she feels she belongs, and she thrives on it. She’s finally on the path she dreamed about her entire life. So of course this is where the story takes a turn. Among other reveals, Estella discovers The Baroness possesses her lost necklace, claiming Estella’s mother, a former housekeeper, stole it. This sets Estella on a new path, one of revenge, as she begins the transition from mild-mannered Estella to vicious anti-heroine Cruella (“heroine” insomuch as she’s not as bad as the real baddie of the movie).
The stars come to play
Emma Stone and Emma Thompson. This is where Cruella really shines. Stone nails the balancing act, seamlessly shifting between sweet Estella and aggressive, vindictive Cruella. Thompson is nothing short of delicious as the evil Baroness. They’re great on their own, but even better together. Both clearly relished the opportunity to play these characters, and that shows itself in the best way possible. Nobody was going to doubt either star’s ability to pull these roles off, but that doesn’t make it any less fun watching them do it so successfully.
Though clearly overshadowed by the two Emmas, the supporting cast gets some good run as well, in particular, Paul Walter Hauser. His Horace mostly exists for comedic relief, and Hauser fits that role to a T. He’s not quite a full-on bumbling idiot cliche, but it’s close. And the fact that Horace doesn’t fully cross into that territory is what makes him such an effective character. Joel Fry’s Jasper doesn’t get any of the flashy duties, but that doesn’t make him any less important. Jasper plays a vital role as the film’s moral compass, working to keep as much of Estella alive as possible as she continues down the dark transition into Cruella.
Carving its own path
After the performances, this is the best thing Cruella has going for it. To start, the “I want to skin these dogs to make a coat” plot from the 1961 animated 101 Dalmations. Director Craig Gillespie and the writing team made the wise decision to cut that out, though not entirely; the script alludes to it in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. But as far as being part of Cruella’s motivation? Nixed. And that decision immediately improved the movie’s prospects. Considering a website exists solely to tell you whether or not a dog dies in movies, TV shows, and books, this seemed like an easy decision to make.
Cruella also hits a much different, darker tone than audiences are used to from Disney. There’s violence – and a heavy amount of other implied violence – darker themes, and overall a more mature storyline. There are still “classic Disney” moments, but Cruella manages to set itself apart in a welcome risk from the House of Mouse.
Overstuffed and overlong
There are perhaps two big problems with Cruella. First up is the soundtrack. It’s not like the song choices are bad by any means, but you can barely go a couple minutes at a time without hearing the next song blasting your eardrums. It all becomes a bit much and lessens the impact that great music can have in a movie.
Next up is the runtime. A significant portion of the movie is spent on young Estella’s life. And while those moments are important in shaping the rest of the story, this part runs way too long. The first 15-20 minutes or so are allowed to develop and breathe. Unfortunately, that comes at the expense of the rest of the movie. Once Emma Stone appears, Gillespie directs at a frenetic pace. Combined with the nonstop needle drops, you barely have the chance to breathe until the end credits roll. True, the chaotic nature fits with Stone’s Cruella. But there’s no real effort to strike any sort of balance with the pacing for the better part of the movie.
Stars here to save the day
Cruella is too long, has some serious pacing issues, and is saddled with an overbearing soundtrack. But the star performances and Oscar-worthy costume work make it a fine addition to the Disney live-action collection.
The Verdict: 7.5/10
Cruella is playing in theaters and is available on Disney+ Premier Access.