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Disney may be best known for its fairy tale princesses, but they’ve introduced some pretty memorable villains, too. Few are as fabulously, fascinatingly sinister as Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmations. And in the live-action adventure Cruella, this eerie outlaw gets her moment in the spotlight.
Cruella stars Emma Stone as the young woman who grew up to be the Dalmatian-hunting villain. After being orphaned as a child, Estella moves to London, where she learns to steal to survive—with help from her brothers-in-crime, Jasper and Horace (Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser). But she’s always dreamed of something more—of a life as a famous fashion designer. It seems as though all of her dreams are finally coming true when she manages to get a job with legendary designer The Baroness (Emma Thompson). But her relationship with The Baroness quickly turns ugly.
Even before Estella begins working with The Baroness, though, Cruella is remarkably stylish. From the fashions of the ‘60s and ‘70s to its retro soundtrack, it’s the perfect mix of edgy and posh—and it couldn’t be more fitting for the character. The film certainly works with the original material—from its style to its characters to its references to the animated classic (my personal favorite: when Cruella gets behind the wheel).
Emma Stone’s portrayal of the young villain, meanwhile, is everything that fans hoped it would be. She makes her character strong and outspoken and utterly ruthless—a talented but troubled character who gives in to her pain and anger. She’s vicious in the most entertaining ways—and her pairing with Emma Thompson couldn’t possibly be any better. Their scenes together are absolutely electric—with palpable tension between these two strong women, who are both fashionable and ambitious and willing to do whatever it takes to get where they want to go.
One of the greatest challenges for a prequel to a beloved movie, however, is in bridging the character in the prequel to the character in the original. Does Cruella answer all the questions and take the character from troubled orphan to puppy-scalping villain? Not necessarily. But it does set in motion her transition to a damaged and delightfully sinister character that viewers will definitely love to hate.
Everything about this Disney prequel is hip and stunning and maybe just a little unhinged. It may not frame Cruella’s story flawlessly, but it’s definitely worthy of its place on the summer blockbuster schedule. Whether you choose to venture out to theaters or gather the family for home movie night with Disney+ Premier Access, you won’t be disappointed.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
