A young girl called Estella tragically loses her mother before escaping to London and falling in with two young grifters called Jasper and Horace. Ten years later they are a perfect team with Estella using her fashion design skills to aid their criminal enterprise. 

Cruella is hands down the best of Disney’s efforts at creating live action versions of all their famous creations. Acting as a prequel of sorts to 101 Dalmations it is a perfect showcase of the larger than life titular villain. With the main bulk of the plot set in the 1970’s fashion industry it is a punk rock version of The Devil Wears Prada. 

As a young girl Estella, played brilliantly by Tipper Seifert-Cleveland has a cruel streak. One that her mother refers to as Cruella taking over from Estella. Trying to take her mothers guidance as an adult she tries to suppress the tendency of Cruella coming out, that is until she gets a job in the fashion industry under the legendary Baroness. Someone who in order to surpass she believes that she needs Cruella rather than Estella. 

There is a lot to love about this film but at the top of the list has to be the costumes which are dazzlingly inventive and brilliant. My favourite involves Cruella being dumped out of a rubbish truck before driving away with a train made of rubbish. After the costumes probably comes the amazing soundtrack. It seemed like every couple of minutes another absolute classic song would play over the action and in one scene there is a pop up fashion show set to rock music. Then there are the brilliant acting performances. Emma Stone is sensational playing two roles as Estella and her alter ego Cruella. Or is it the other way round? She gives both characters brilliant accents and plays the role with manic verve. Emma Thompson nearly steals the show as The Baroness. A fashion queen even more demanding than Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly. And then there is Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser as Jasper and Horace. Both of their characters have warmth and charm peppered into the humour of their antics. And they brilliantly hint at the characters in the original animated film. And then of course there are the dogs who work alongside all of the human characters that will be a sure fire hit with the children watching. 

I absolutely loved this film. It’s stylish, entertaining, reverential but not bound by its inspiration and filled with great moments. 

Stick around for a mid credits sequence as well for a further nod to the source material.