Disney's Divinity wrote:
I do think this version of the character is a little cheesy. I think Cinderella in the animated film comes across more educated and more dignified; Ella has more of a little girl quality to her. The moment of her dancing in the attic is the one my favorite reviewer really went bonkers over, which is why that scene always sticks out in my memory.

I don't know, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would when I watched it again.
I think I hate that moment because it is Cinderella we're talking about. I love the character and I hate how she gets bashed constantly for being passive and lazy when she's not. However, that brief moment makes it look like she is. Had it been Aurora or Snow White, I would be okay with it but I have a problem with it because it is Cinderella who has a clear history for being seen as a bad role model.
People who don't know the Disney animated version very well often forget or overlook the fact that she tries to fight back by trying to get out of the room. However, in this version, she doesn't try at all and that bothers me because it gives those same people more tools to destroy the character. As I mentioned in another post, one of the reasons I adore her character is because she has very sarcastic moments and is well aware of her step sisters foolishness but those moments are almost entirely erased in the remake.
Also, the way that scene is handled bothers me because the climax is toned down drastically. Cinderella is a fairy tale without monsters or witches so the tension that arise in the climax is quite important but it is toned down completely in the remake. There is no tension at all and that is a shame.
I'd like to mention that I do like this remake however just like all of them I have some big issues with it. I think I would have adored it if Kenneth had included all those deleted scenes that make not only the character of Cinderella a more rounded one but also the story flow a much stronger one.
It is quite unfair that Cinderella is the only remake that doesn't hit the two hour mark while pretty much all the others do.