Friday, February 13, 2015

More Cinderella from a Slightly Obsessed Fan ;)

Any of you who have read my blog for a while now might have picked up that I tend to obsess about things.  Just a little. :}

I don't know what it is, but especially when it comes to Disney movies, the little girl in me gets all goofy and bubbly and excited, and I feel like I'm ten again. ;)

So I suppose it's no surprise that I'm getting REALLY excited about the live-action version of Cinderella releasing next month.  Maleficent didn't interest me all that much (I liked parts of it), and Alice in Wonderland was okay (Tim Burton stuff kind of creeps me out), but Cinderella seems "just right" (to quote Goldilocks...or would that be Blondie Lockes?). ;)  The fact that Kenneth Branagh is directing it and Patrick Doyle is composing the music makes me all the more eager to watch the movie. :)

Part of this week's excitement was Wednesday's release of the newest trailer, which you can see HERE.

Some of my excitement also came from the fact that I found the junior novelization AND the beautiful storybook version of the film earlier this week while running errands:

I love the covers of both! :)


The junior novelization is a sweetly-written summary of the film, condensed (I'm assuming) for younger readers.  My favorite aspect of this version is that it's told by the Fairy Godmother, who inserts her own parenthetical notes throughout the story.  (You can just picture Helena Bonham Carter reading them to you.) ;)  I also like the pretty butterflies in black and white tones that grace the borders of each page.  My only complaint is that the book makes several references to Cinderella's blue eyes, when in this version of the movie she has very pretty brown eyes.  It's the prince who has the gorgeous blue ones. ;)  This version was $5.99 at Walmart.

The back cover

There are several pages of stills from the film inside.


The regular book, which has a hardcover binding that is smooth to the touch, features full-color illustrations.  It appears to be the whole movie in book form, as it includes much more detail than the junior novelization.  (Again, this is an assumption, as I haven't seen the film yet.)  I haven't finished the whole thing, but I'm enjoying the writing so far.  I do wish the illustrations were a little less stylized, but that's just a matter of personal preference.  They're beautifully done, but they don't always capture the look of the people playing the roles in the film.  Still, it's a lovely book overall and I'm thrilled to have a copy in my collection.  This version was $12.99 at Target and $11.04 at Walmart.

Back cover

A couple of illustrations: 

So obviously, for those of you who are not into spoilers, you're going to want to wait to read these until after you've seen the movie.  (Sorry, Mimi, I couldn't resist the temptation!) ;)  I'm wondering if they'll release nice storybook copies of all of the live-action movies they're making?  I'd love to have a Beauty and the Beast one for my collection, although I'm still trying to picture Emma Watson as Belle, to be honest. :}  I'm naturally a little more nervous about a live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast since it's my personal favorite.  Cinderella was never as special to me, so I'm not as freaked out about every little change or by the cast members. ;)

I also thought I'd link to some excellent pictures of the Mattel and Disney Store Cinderella dolls from drj1828 on Flickr.  Drj1828 is my go-to source for new Disney Store releases.  You'll find a plethora of pictures full of amazing, up-close detail in drj1828's photostream.  I always find this incredibly helpful when thinking about a future purchase.

I'm still not 100% sold on the Disney Store Cinderella faces, especially since they're so somber, but I do prefer the Disney Store hair and dresses.  I also think I like the Disney Store Lady Tremaine and Fairy Godmother better than the Mattel versions.  When it comes to the Cinderella dolls themselves, even though the Mattel faces are more of a stylized version of Lily James (the actress who plays Cinderella), I find them more pleasing and better proportioned.  Maybe I should get one of the Mattel Cinderellas and dress her in the Disney Store clothing. ;)

Anyway, here are a few specific pictures I thought I'd link to:

Wedding Cinderella Dolls (still boxed, DS and Mattel)

Cinderella Dolls (deboxed, DS and Mattel, Wedding and Ball versions)

Wedding Cinderella Faces (deboxed, DS and Mattel)

Blue Gown Cinderella Faces (deboxed, DS and Mattel)

Be sure to check drj1928's photostream for many more pictures of the Cinderella dolls and more!

We'll be leaving later today for our yearly birthday trip for my three daughters, and the Disney Store will definitely be one of our stops.  I'll have to let you know whether I succumb to any of the Cinderella dolls when I see them in person. ;)

Are any of you getting excited about this movie, too? ;)

12 comments:

Lydia Therese said...

I can't wait to watch Cinderella. I'm searching up tickets right now. ;)

~Lydia~ <3

Nicole said...

I just checked out the new dolls, and I really like the Mattel version more. The movie is coming out soon in here in Singapore (sometime next month) and I'm going crazy waiting! D:

Farrah Lily said...

I am so excited for this movie as well! I am a huge Game of Thrones fan so when I saw that Richard Madden was playing the part of the prince, I'll admit it, I swooned big time. He is so handsome! I can't really tell by the trailers if it will be appropriate for my 5 year old. I really want to see it in the theater and would love to take her, but it might be too much. I haven't seen Maleficent, didn't really like Alice and Mirror, Mirror was a bit too mature in my opinion.
Great find on the books! I also love drj1928's photostream and I much prefer the Mattel faces, and I think they did an amazing job capturing the likeness of Cate Blanchett. If we could put the Mattel heads on the Disney bodies/costumes, they'd be great. :)
Did you see the new Disney LE dolls for Frozen Fever? Anna and Kristof are gorgeous! I can't quite warm up to Elsa, but she's lovely as well.
Enjoy your trip!

Hayden said...

I'm really looking forward to this movie!! Unlike Maleficent, Cinderella seems like it's going to be truer to the classic movie, with a twist or two. Of course, Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite Disney movies, so I wasn't keen on all the changes they made in Maleficent. While I like the original Cinderella, I'll probably be a bit more receptive to any changes made in that one.

I'm sitting on pins and needles for the Beauty and the Beast adaption, though! I heard a rumor that it's going to be a musical, but I don't know if that's true or not.

Oh, and I love that illustrated book. The front cover is so pretty. :)

AddyLovesWolves said...

I'd love to see Cinderella! My sister loves Maleficent, I'm really excited about the live action beauty and the beast because I love Emma Watson! (because she was Hermione granger from Harry Potter :)

mystrygirl87 said...

Oh, man. I know nothing about the movie, but if Patrick Doyle did the music I'm definitely getting the soundtrack.

Troy said...

If you would like to see Cinderella receive a "one of a kind" treatment -- well, actually there are three -- check out the eBay auction http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cinderella-Porcelain-Enchanted-Doll-BJD-/331459729976?pt=US_Dolls&hash=item4d2c8a1a38. She is beautiful, and should be for that price!

Unknown said...

I'm interested to see the movie, but don't have super high hopes for it as Maleficent had great ads, but I didn't like it so much.
I too am having trouble picturing Emma Watson as Belle. To me, (and hoards of other people) she will always be Hermione. 😊
~Vera

Barb the Evil Genius said...

Although I'm not interested in the movie, I did have a few comments to make. Do they really have Cinderella riding astride in a skirt, bareback, with no reins? That seems like it would be pretty hard to do. Then again maybe the story has her just sneaking the horse out.

The carriage I mentioned in a previous post was something I saw on Target's web site.

Have you seen any of the Toy Fair stuff? New Frozen things are making an appearance.

Carrickters said...

These are very pretty dolls from both Mattel and Disney. I agree with you about the Mattel Cinderella faces over the Disney Cinderella faces but I really like the Disney Fairy Godmother. Looks like an interesting movie. I'm not sure exactly when it it going to be released in Australia.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Yikes! Sorry I missed all of these comments, guys! The week got away from me.

Lydia Therese, I'm right there with you! I haven't gone as far as to search for tickets, but I'll be doing that as we get closer! ;)

Hi Nicole! I prefer the Mattel version myself, although the DS version has grown on me. ;)

I'm having a hard time waiting for the movie to come out, too!

Hi Farrah Lily! :) Richard Madden is very handsome. I'm excited to see what he does with the character. I love that they're giving the prince a little more dimension in this version. :)

Judging from the books, I think it has the potential of being a little emotionally intense for a five year old, but it seems like they aren't going as dark as they did with Alice and Maleficent. At this point, I'm tentatively planning on taking my three girls (they'll be seven, nine, and almost eleven, so a little bit older than your daughter). What I like to do before I take my kiddos to a movie is to read the review on pluggedin.com. They will tell you everything that might even be considered inappropriate. It really helps you make an informed decision as a parent. :)

I really loved both of the books and was thrilled to find them. :)

I figured a lot of my readers might have heard of drj1928. I really love the plethora of informative photos. :)

And yes, I agree with the idea of Mattel heads on Disney Store bodies. ;)

I did see the LE Frozen Fever dolls! :) Kristoff is my very favorite, and Anna is nice too. Like you, I'm not as big a fan of Elsa this time around.

After reading the book, Hayden, I feel the same way. I felt like Maleficent took the basic characters and took the story way off in left field. This one, I think, is much closer to the original story. :)

I'm both excited and nervous about the Beauty and the Beast movie. I'm sure they'll do it justice, but I'll feel better when I've seen the first trailer. ;)

I love the illustrated one, too. It reminds me of an old-fashioned storybook. ;)

I'm looking forward to it too, DJwolf-Addy. :)

I agree, mystrygirl87. :) Patrick Doyle is one of my favorite composers. :)

Hi Troy! Thanks for the link. The detail on that doll is amazing! :) I personally don't care for the placement of her eyes, but I can appreciate the time and work that went into her. :)

Hi Vera! I was hesitant at first about this movie, but reading the book versions definitely gave me more confidence about the adaptation. :)

Lol, yeah, I was wondering about that too, Barb. I'll bet Ella had a pretty sore bottom after that ride. ;) It's a long, hard ride with no saddle and no reigns, just as it appears on the cover of the book. :}

I've been able to catch some fun Toy Fair stuff. Lots of fun Frozen stuff to look forward to, some MLP stuff...I'm hoping to do a little more digging and find more info. :)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Carrickters! There are things I like about both versions, but yes, a head swap would be a perfect solution for a lot of these dolls, I think...except I kinda prefer the Disney Store hair, too. ;)

Hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the movie to be released over there! :)