Review: A new twist on Cinderella mostly takes the right Steps
Fairy tales are arguably the bedrock (or a bedrock) of feature animation. From Disney's classics to modern twists like Shrek to cult favorites like Hoodwinked , these stories endure for good reason. They feature sturdy themes, simple plot structures, and iconic characters that can easily be played with, reshaped, made into new stories that audiences can get into without any ado. The challenge for filmmakers is to figure out why they're tackling such well-worn stories. What do they have to add? What new thematic territory are they exploring? Is their take really fresh, or just another forgettable retread to add to the ever-growing pile? In the case of Steps , we land somewhere in the middle. This isn't the most daring or original take on the classic Cinderella story. It follows in the footsteps of Wicked and Maleficent in doing some villainous reframing, a story approach that itself already feels a bit stale these days. I would argue that Steps is, in many ways, the platonic...
