Cinderella III: A Twist in Time

Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (released in UK as Cinderella: A Twist in Time) is the second direct-to-video sequel to the 1950 Walt Disney Pictures animated film Cinderella and third and final installment the Cinderella trilogy. The film was released on February 6, 2007, was directed by Frank Nissen, and features the voices of Jennifer Hale and Susanne Blakeslee. It made its world television premiere on Toon Disney on December 3, 2007.

Cinderella III: A Twist in Time
Directed byFrank Nissen
Produced byMargot Pipkin
Written by
  • Dan Berendsen
  • Margaret Heidenry
  • Colleen Ventimilia
  • Eddie Guzelian
Starring
Music byJoel McNeely
Production
company
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release date
  • February 6, 2007 (2007-02-06)
Running time
70 minutes[3]
Country
  • United States[3]
  • Philippines
  • Australia
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Cinderella and the Prince are having a picnic to celebrate their one-year anniversary. Meanwhile, at the Tremaine mansion, Cinderella's stepsisters Anastasia and Drizella are bitterly doing Cinderella's old chores. Anastasia wanders off to avoid work and stumbles upon the picnic. The Fairy Godmother inadvertently drops her wand and Anastasia takes it to her mother. When the Fairy Godmother attempts to take it back, Anastasia accidentally turns her into a statue.

Lady Tremaine, reveling at yet another chance to ruin Cinderella's life, uses the wand to go back in time to the day the Grand Duke fitted the glass slipper on Cinderella. She uses the wand to expand the slipper so that it fits Anastasia, and the Grand Duke declares she must be the girl the Prince is looking for. Cinderella arrives on the scene too late, and Lady Tremaine destroys Cinderella's other slipper – the only proof that she was the girl who danced with the Prince on the night of the ball. Determined to set things right, Cinderella follows her stepfamily to the palace with Jaq and Gus.

At first the Prince claims Anastasia is not the girl he danced with at the ball, but Lady Tremaine uses the wand to alter his memory, and he accepts Anastasia as his bride. Jaq and Gus witness this and inform Cinderella that Lady Tremaine has the Fairy Godmother's wand. The King is delighted with Anastasia in spite of her clumsy antics, and gives her a seashell that once belonged to his late wife. Meanwhile, the Prince begins to realize that he does not feel love for Anastasia despite Lady Tremaine's spell.

Sneaking into the Tremaines' room disguised as a palace maid, Cinderella and the mice manage to steal back the wand, but she is captured by the palace guards before she can lift the spell on the Prince. Cinderella briefly touches the Prince's hand and he begins to recognize her. Lady Tremaine orders Cinderella exiled from the kingdom by ship. Jaq and Gus find the Prince and explain the whole story to him; Cinderella's bluebirds then arrive with the repaired other slipper as proof. The Prince rushes off to intercept the ship just as it leaves port. The Prince embraces Cinderella and his true memories return. He asks her to marry him, and she accepts.

The Prince brings Cinderella back to the palace and explains everything to the King and the Grand Duke. The King orders the Stepmother and her daughters arrested, but they escape using the wand. As Cinderella prepares for her wedding, Lady Tremaine emerges with Anastasia, who has been magically transformed into a doppelgänger of Cinderella. Lady Tremaine traps Cinderella in a twisted version of her pumpkin carriage, with Lucifer transformed into its coachman. With the help of Jaq and Gus, the three escape before the carriage is driven off a cliff, and ride back on the carriage's horse.

Cinderella makes it back to the wedding just in time. To her amazement, Anastasia–realizing she wants to be loved for herself and that she doesn't truly love him–declines to marry the Prince. Enraged, Lady Tremaine and Drizella reveal themselves. The king orders Lady Tremaine to be arrested, but she defends herself by transforming the guards into various animals. As Lady Tremaine is about to turn on Anastasia, Cinderella steps in to protect her. The Prince defends them both by deflecting the spell off his sword back at Lady Tremaine and Drizella; the two of them disappear and then reappear in the cellar as toads.

Anastasia reunites Cinderella with the Prince and picks up the wand to return to her normal self. She then attempts to return the seashell to the king who lets her keep it, asserting that she too deserves true love. Cinderella and Anastasia reconcile and together restore the Fairy Godmother; she offers to undo Lady Tremaine's change of events, but sees that Cinderella and the Prince are happy enough being married on that day and continuing on from there.

In a mid-credits scene, Drizella and Lady Tremaine are restored to their human forms, but are both now dressed in Cinderella's rags, much to their horror.

Production

This film was Disney Australia's final feature (the studio was closed and equipment auctioned off once Cinderella III production completed in July 2006).[4] Cinderella III: A Twist in Time was additional production services Toon City Animation, Inc., Manila, Philippines.

Cast

Soundtrack

The original songs contained in the body of the film, including "Perfectly Perfect," "More than a Dream" and "At the Ball" were written by frequent Disney songwriters Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. Hayden Panettiere performed the end credits song, "I Still Believe," and a music video was created as a DVD bonus feature. An official soundtrack has yet to be released.

Release

Cinderella III: A Twist in Time was released on DVD on February 6, 2007. The film returned to the Disney Vault on January 31, 2008. The film was released on Blu-ray on November 20, 2012 in a two-movie collection with Cinderella II: Dreams Come True.

Features

  • Games and Activities

Bibbidi-Bobbidi Game

Cinderella's Ballroom (DVD-ROM)

  • Music and More

"I Still Believe" Music Video By: Hayden Panettiere

  • Backstage Disney

Backstage At Disney Cruise Line's "Twice Charmed"

First Look At The New DVD, "Disney Princess Enchanted Tales"

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 75% based on eight reviews, with an average rating of 6.03/10.[5] It was reviewed more positively compared to its predecessor, Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, which scored an 11% critical approval rating.[6]

Slate magazine writer Dan Kois uses Cinderella III to defend the merits of Disney's straight-to-video sequels, after Disney announced they were eliminating production of any more sequels.[7] Kois points out that in Cinderella III, the wicked stepsister (Anastasia)—originally an "oafish caricature"—finally becomes a fully fleshed-out character, and some of the absurdity of the original film is gently mocked.[8]

Many have noted numerous similarities between the film's premise and that of Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story, a Broadway-style stage musical created by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment that was running on the Disney Cruise Line as of 2007.[9]

References
  1. https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8c2b133a
  2. https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8c2b133a
  3. "Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007)". Allmovie. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  4. Grimm, Nick (July 27, 2005). "Disney cans Australian animation operation". ABC News Online. Archived from the original on July 30, 2005. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  5. "Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  6. "Cinderella II: Dreams Come True". Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  7. "Disney ditching its direct-to-DVD sequels", Chicago Sun Times, June 29, 2007, archived from the original on August 24, 2007
  8. Kois, Dan (July 17, 2007), "Why Bambi II Is Better Than Bambi: And why Disney shouldn't kill the straight-to-DVD sequel.", Slate, archived from the original on August 22, 2007
  9. Strong, Josh (January 23, 2007), "Director Frank Nissen on Cinderella III", Animated Views
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