It’s time for the damsel to save the prince

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Lily James is Cinderella in Disney’s live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale, “Cinderella.” (Jonathan Olley/Disney/TNS)

After almost a full school year of neglecting the movie theaters, the first flick on my to-do list this break is already decided.

The live-action “Cinderella” movie opens on Friday and I’m not ashamed to say that I will be there.

Kenneth Branagh’s interpretation of the classic fairy tale appears to have grown and changed to fit with the times. One can only hope that the messages it contains are similarly updated.

The animated “Cinderella” movie features a blandly kind and hardworking protagonist who is rescued from an unfair family situation first by a benevolent fairy godmother, then by being beautiful enough to inspire a blandly stubborn prince to search an entire countryside for someone with her shoe size.

While it features catchy music (especially in the stage version) and is visually interesting, there’s not much in the way of life lessons.

“Frozen” and other recent Disney animated movies have done a better job of allowing Disney heroines to drive some of the action. My hope is that the live-action version carries that momentum forward.

The new movie looks, according to the most recent trailers, like it includes an element of Cinderella rescuing her (officially nameless) prince, played by Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden, right back.

The newest trailer hints that the prince is similarly trapped by his birth – to the point where he’s not allowed to just choose who he marries, at least – which may help flesh out the relationship between the two a bit.

Aside from that, the movie itself looks gorgeous. I’m familiar with Branagh for his movie adaptations of Shakespeare films, which have had amazing costume and set design.

”Cinderella” doesn’t look like it will disappoint in that category. The trailers make it look like Branagh’s editor turned the color saturation all the way up, making everything from the iconic poufy ball gown and shoes to the forest and fields super intense.

In other words, I’m hopeful that this movie will be the grown-up, modernized version the child within me wants and the adult I am now deserves to see.

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