Cinderella III: A Twist in Time

While Cinderella III: A Twist in Time does improve upon its underwhelming predecessor in terms of its animation (ie this looks like a classic Disney effort), the film ultimately comes off as an inherently needless effort that boasts few attributes designed to draw in viewers over a certain age. The storyline details the chaos that ensues after Cinderella’s evil stepmother makes a series of changes to the past after pilfering Fairy Godmother’s magic wand, with Prince Charming essentially tricked into believing that the famed glass slipper actually belongs to Anastasia (which, of course, results in Cinderella being passed over for marriage). It’s a premise that’s clearly been designed to needlessly wring another film out of the Cinderella saga, and it’s consequently not surprising to note that Cinderella III: A Twist in Time rarely possesses the feel of an organic follow up. The proliferation of action sequences and comedic interludes essentially guarantees that small children will find themselves enthralled from start to finish, yet the overpowering atmosphere of superfluousness places the film firmly alongside such less-than-enthralling straight-to-video Disney efforts as Tarzan II, Leroy & Stitch, and Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure.

** out of ****