A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits

Just as you have guessed there is yet another direct movie based on I'm a sucker for any well done Cinderella flick. Okay, my first shock was an unrecognizable Jennifer Tilly. Once I accepted the fact that she is comfortable, at age 58 or so, with her current persona I was fine with it. After all, she's playing a wicket step mother, right? The step sisters were a hoot. The fact that we have a Cinderella play within the Cinderella movie was also a nice twist. Sofia Carson playing step daughter Tessa did a fine job, especially when singing. Fun cast, madcap finale and some really awesome musical numbers plus pretty good dancing made this a Cinderella fun feast. The make-up artist friend to Bella was also right on the mark. Musical, madcap Cinderella and crew did well. Oh, Prince charming, a current teen heart throb in the play within the play also did a fine job. Fun all around.

I loved the fact that Tessa/Bella was a woman mechanic and a pretty one too! I wish I had gotten some 'grease' education as well because then I might be able to troubleshoot and fix lots of my family's deadbeat cars. Maybe it's not too late to learn, but then I wonder how my nails would ever survive their femininity. I did help change the breaks on my very first car, but that was years ago and I doubt I could do it again all by myself. A woman can imagine though! So, back to the movie, I thought it was good. I would watch it again because the ending was a bit distracted when my family came home. It's a plain, cute, family film with not a lot of depth to it. I thought it was a Disney made-for-TV movie, but I looked and it was Warner Brothers and I watched it on the Freeform channel. I'd rather watch this than a low-budget B-rated movie that just makes no sense why it was put on film. At least it's a fantasy. Solid 6 star rating from me!

The past few movies in this franchise have had good acting, story lines, (and music in the last two). This story follows none of what made the other Cinderella movies like able. As much as I want to love Sofia Carson I can't do it because of this movie. Her character is supposed to exude emotions other than smiling and she doesn't deliver as well as her predecessors have. From the moment it begins, the movie's story doesn't go in a cohesive order that allows for a fluid telling. The upside though, is that the step sisters make up for the lack of solid story line with their laughable antics. I was saddened to go into this movie with high hopes and be given something that makes the franchise fall apart. I will watch the past three movies with a newfound love for Disney stars that were able to truly act. I hope the next ones work out better than this.

This is kind of different from the other installtments of Cinderella Story.

The evil stepmother is exhilarating, not as "evil" as the other films, I really laughed at most of her exaggerations, those were really funny and comedic, in their own silly way.

Sofia Carson, on the other hand, does a great job, as usual, we all know her.

She's got a great attitude and delivers some real feelings with her particular voice and her gorgeus dance moves and backstory.

Also, the chemistry with her and the loved one is palpable and sincere, which is never forgone, in minor romantic comedy music flicks.

You have to take movies like these as they are and enjoy them for WHAT they are, even if not a masterpiece. So, it's not a 10 out of 10 but it's nice and light, nevertheless. I give it a 6.

A Cindrella Story: If the Shoe Fits isn't a great movie, but it isn't a horrible one either. The plot recycles a lot of material we've already seen. However, it's not unexpected in this type of movie. If you like the other films in the series, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. The actors did an okay job given the material. Overall, this film was cheesy and cute, just like previous installments.