Movie; Cruella (2021) Caution; Spoiler Alert

 

Cruella

Came out; 2021

Time; 2 hour 14 minutes

Watched: Disney Plus

Rating; PG-13 for some violence and thematic elements

IMDB Rating; 7.4/10

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring;

Emma Stone as Estella/Cruella

Emma Thompson as The Baroness

Joel Fry as Jasper

Paul Walter Hauser as Horace

John McCrea as Artie

Emily Beecham as Catherine

Mark Strong as John the Valet

Story Line;

Before she becomes Cruella de Vil, teenage Estella has a dream. She wishes to become a fashion designer, having been gifted with talent, innovation, and ambition all in equal measures. But life seems intent on making sure her dreams never come true. Having wound up penniless and orphaned in London at 12, 10 years later Estella runs wild through the city streets with her best friends and partners-in-(petty)-crime, Horace and Jasper, two amateur thieves. When a chance encounter vaults Estella into the world of the young rich and famous, however, she begins to question the existence she's built for herself in London and wonders whether she might, indeed, be destined for more after all

Thoughts;

This movie was so much better than I thought it would be. Like seriously. The plot was so different yet so true to the original. Emma Stone was perfect, this whole thing was full of twists and turns and everything was so unexpected.

My only issue was the bad cgx on the Dalmatians. I understand they were trying to make them look vicious, but it was bad.

CAUTION; Major Spoiler Alert

Plot Summary;

Estella was born with black and white hair and already considered unusual. Her mother Catherine immediately saw potential in her due to her creativity and her affinity for dogs, especially a stray she picked up named Buddy. Due to her rebellious nature, Catherine pulls Estella from school and they move to London. Catherine attends a party hosted by Baroness von Hellman and tells Estella to stay in the car. However, Estella ends up chasing Buddy and runs afoul of the Baroness' ferocious Dalmatians. As she runs outside, she sees Catherine speaking to the Baroness and the Dalmatians end up running Catherine over a landing and off a cliff to her death. Believing that she killed her mother, Estella takes Buddy and flees into the city, though not before losing an important necklace. Estella is found by two street urchins named Jasper and Horace, as well as their one-eyed dog Wink, who reluctantly invite her to stay with them as she dyes her hair red.

Ten years later, Estella, Jasper and Horace make a living as thieves and pick-pockets to make ends meet while Estella continues making designs for extravagant clothing. For her birthday, Jasper and Horace get her an entry level job as a janitor for a Liberty fashion store. Her manager continues to belittle her as she tries to make suggestions that are swiftly ignored. While staying late one night, an inebriated Estella "fixes" one of the windows displays which is seen by the Baroness in the morning. Impressed, she hires Estella to join her elite team of clothing designers. To expand her creativity, Estella also befriends the owner of a vintage clothing store named Artie who admires her taste in fashion. Estella rises in the ranks and acts as a supervisor of sorts for the Baroness, but upon seeing her necklace being worn by her, and hears the Baroness' claims that it was previously stolen from her, Estella resorts to getting Jasper and Horace to help steal the necklace.

Estella, wearing her natural hair color, and adopting the guise of "Cruella", crashes the Baroness' party while Jasper and Horace try to steal the necklace. However, the Baroness is wearing it and Jasper releases rats to distract the party goers. As the Baroness uses a dog whistle to command her Dalmatians, Estella comes to the realization that she used the same whistle to direct her dogs to kill Catherine. One of the Dalmatians ends up swallowing the necklace as Estella, Jasper and Horace flee in a stolen Panther de Ville. Now with a proper motive for revenge, Estella continues to taunt the Baroness by appearing at her lavish gatherings in over the top and stylish outfits and having her childhood friend Anita Darling use her journalistic connections to spread her publicity. Jasper and Horace begin to feel abused by "Cruella", but continue to aid her. The Baroness, growing more and more angered at Cruella, fires her lawyer Roger who returns to his side work as a pianist. Estella continues her taunting by kidnapping the Baroness' Dalmatians until one of the them gives up the necklace.

Estella's schemes get more daring as she has Artie create more outfits and together put on a show in the Regent's Park. The Baroness, figuring out that Cruella is Estella, finds her hideout and captures Jasper and Horace. Estella is tied up as she burns the place to the ground while Jasper and Horace are arrested and blamed for her death. However, Estella is rescued by John, the Baroness' valet, who had managed to secure the necklace which is a key to a box containing Estella's birth records. Estella finds out she is actually the Baroness' daughter. Being vain, the Baroness was disappointed with her pregnancy and asked that Estella be gotten rid of; her husband died of grief believing the baby (Estella) had died. John had the baby be taken by Catherine and raised in secret. Angered over being lied to, Estella eventually makes peace with the truth by announcing her intent to avenge Catherine by defeating the Baroness and finally adopting the name Cruella.

Cruella breaks out Jasper and Horace and apologizes for not giving them credit while also recruiting Artie for one final scheme. They trick the Baroness' guests into wearing Cruella wigs and break into her party where Cruella, adopting her Estella appearance for one final time, has the Baroness come out to see her and reveals that she knows everything. The Baroness feigns being happy to reunite with her and approaches for a hug. John, Artie, Jasper and Horace have the guests go outside where they witness the Baroness shoving Estella off the landing and over the cliff. The police, having arrived thanks to Cruella, come and arrest the Baroness. Cruella uses a parachute as she fell and returns to witness the Baroness being taken away. Now having adopted the full name of Cruella de Vil, she acquires Hellman Hall (shortening it to Hell Hall) and takes her rightful place as the iconic villain.

In a mid-credit's scene, Cruella delivers two Dalmatian puppies named Pongo and Perdita to Roger and Anita, respectively. Admiring her name, Roger begins to write the song "Cruella de Vil" as a tribute to her.