You have heard the story a thousand times. The evil step mother, the vile step sisters, the handsome prince, and the glass slipper. Cinderella’s story has been told in everything from animation to modern day retelling.

Which makes it seem that nothing new could be added to her story. Yet the new Cinderella movie manages to recapture the magic of this underdog fairy tale.

With Lily James as Cinderella and Richard Madden as the prince, the movie adds a great amount of substance to the story. It allows the prince and Cinderella to develop a natural chemistry, helping you root for them as they fall in love.

Not only that, it shows the evil stepmother in a new light, giving her motives and recognizing that she is a human being, although a very nasty one.

The visual effects are stunning, with iconic scenes such as the dress transformation redone in stunning detail. The costumes are fun and vibrant, and match each character’s personality.

The movie brings feelings of nostalgia, with its classic story, and doesn’t feel the need to add dark or edgy twists.

Disney has been doing live-action adaptations of some of its favorite fairy tales and Cinderella was a huge success. While some may complain that the story was too predictable, others will praise how it stayed true to its animated counter part.

Overall, it’s a great family movie that does a wonderful job of re-imagining the story while keeping it a childhood favorite.