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Cinderella III: A Twist in Time is the second and final direct-to-video sequel of the 1950 Walt Disney Pictures animated classic Cinderella. Canonically, it is a continuation of the original Cinderella, rather than Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, though due to its unusual chronological sequencing it acknowledges the events of Cinderella II: Dreams Come True by using some of its characters. The film was released on February 6, 2007, and rated G by the MPAA.

The film is directed by Frank Nissen and features the voices of Jennifer Hale and Susanne Blakeslee. For the UK release of the film, it was simply titled Cinderella: A Twist in Time, without any mention of it being a sequel. It made its world television premiere on Toon Disney on December 3, 2007.

Plot[]

It has been a year since Cinderella married the Prince. Both of them head to the forest to attend their wedding anniversary that the mice and Fairy Godmother have prepared for them. Meanwhile, Anastasia and Drizella, who are currently taking over Cinderella's chores at the household, are not having a good time. Anastasia manages to follow Cinderella and the Prince to where the anniversary is being held. Figuring out that it was magic that gave Cinderella her "happily ever after", she swipes the Fairy Godmother's wand when she drops it. Anastasia returns home quickly and shows it to Lady Tremaine and her sister, both thinking it's just a stick and she has lost her mind.

The Fairy Godmother shows up and attempts to get the wand back from Anastasia, who accidentally turns her into a statue. Impressed, Lady Tremaine takes the wand and reverses time to undo Cinderella's happily ever after by going back to the events at the end of the first movie, in a bid to once again make Cinderella's life a misery. She makes what was originally a tiny shoe that can fit in one of Anastasia's toes, fit Anastasia's big foot with her magic. Cinderella, being locked in her tower, was shortly after freed just to see Anastasia and Drizella leaving. While speaking with Cinderella as she's about to give her the other glass slipper she pulls out, Lady Tremaine snatches it with her staff and shatters it. Furious, Lady Tremaine confronts Cinderella and does not allow her to approach the Prince or the palace, but allows her to clean up this mess. When Lady Tremaine leaves, this leads Jaq and Gus to appear and for a heartbroken Cinderella to sing "More Than a Dream". Gus and Jaq try cheering her up, Jaq saying that "Princey knows he danced with Cinderelley last night!" and gives Cinderella the idea to go to see the Prince and convince him that they danced together.

Skipping back to the stepfamily, they've arrived at the castle, where the Prince is speaking while sword fighting with his father. They go into discussion about how the King was immediately smitten by his Queen, the Prince's mother, who had passed away years before. With Anastasia arriving, the Prince is, at first, glad as he thinks it's the girl he danced with (Cinderella), but slightly disappointed when seeing Anastasia. He tells her that she and her family will get an escort home, but Lady Tremaine uses the wand to make him forget who he really danced with and marry Anastasia that night. The Prince falls under the spell and, believing he danced with Anastasia, proposes to her with a ring. Anastasia goes hyper and accepts his proposal.

Meanwhile, Gus and Jaq have witnessed this event from a lamp high above in the room since they got inside with Cinderella, who claimed to be the royal mouse catcher to get inside. After viewing Lady Tremaine casting the spell on the Prince, they rush off to tell Cinderella. Later on, Cinderella is seen confronting the Prince and both are confused, the Prince thinking he danced with Anastasia yet Cinderella knows the truth. She is cut short from saying what really happened and forced to go find the mice (Jaq and Gus) that have come into the castle. Cinderella is placed in the cellar where she seems to heartbrokened over the Prince not recognizing her until Gus and Jaq tell her what Lady Tremaine had done to him. Now realizing what really happened, Cinderella sets on getting the wand back.

Anastasia and the Prince soon have a moment where they dance in a waltz and Anastasia is repeatedly stepping on his foot by accident. She is shown to be a bit clumsy when it comes to dancing. Everyone watches as they are worried what would happen if Anastasia falls (including the probability of the glass slipper shattering apart), but instead, as she begins to trip backwards, she lands on her backside. The slipper does not break, and nobody has got hurt. While the Duke takes the Prince out after the waltz is over, the King summons Anastasia into another room and tells her about his late wife. He gave her the Queen's most treasured possession, which is a seashell. Both the King and Queen were walking one day on a beach, unaware of one another, when they reached for the same seashell at the same time. Their hands met and they fell in love. He allows Anastasia to keep the shell, who is smitten with it instantly. Back with the Prince, he tells the Duke that he felt nothing when his hand connected with Anastasia's, and is once again confused. Jaq and Gus get into the room where the stepfamily is staying and Lucifer's tail manages to get caught on fire, prompting the famous line "Someone put out the cat!" coming into play. Anastasia throws a pillow against him and whams him right into the wall, the stepmother demanding that someone calls the housekeeper. Cinderella arrives in disguise with a castle maid bonnet covering her eyes and hair.

Lady Tremaine pulls the bonnet off to reveal Cinderella. Jaq and Gus get the wand, and the three make a run for it down the halls while being chased by guards. Jaq and Gus use the magic from the wand. They transform Lucifer into a jack in the box first, then a mini-sized Lucifer, then back to normal while he's in the mouse hole. Cinderella makes it to a staircase where the Prince appears; Cinderella's attempt to break the spell on him so he would remember who he really danced with is cut off when the guards get to her, and Lady Tremaine takes back the wand. Cinderella manages to put her hand over the Prince's, which has him shocked and now baffled. Lady Tremaine orders Cinderella to be on the next ship in exile from the kingdom.

In the late afternoon, the Prince is seen talking to his father, but then goes into a small fitting room. He speaks with Jaq and Gus, who perform the song "At the Ball" explaining that he danced with Cinderella and that he is under a spell. This causes him to hurry out the room and to the stairs where he confronts his father, who forbids him from stepping down the stairs more. The Prince agrees, only to jump out the window and climb down the vines (technically obeying his father), then gets on his horse and demands one of the guards to tell him where Cinderella is. He rushes off to her rescue so she won't be sent away for good, the King allowing this to happen when he sees it. While the Prince is on his way to save Cinderella, the boat for her banishment is ready to leave. Heartbroken from her failure to be with the Prince again, she abroads the ship with the belief that her dreams would never come true at all. The Prince and his trusty steed race after the boat, where they end up running through a lighthouse and the horse gets scared of heights. The Prince is seen flying onto the boat and using a small blade against the sail to soften his fall. He sees Cinderella and places his hand against hers and knows it was her who he danced with, thus breaking Lady Tremaine's spell and he proposes to Cinderella, who happily accepts.

They return to the castle, and the King orders for Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella to be brought into custody. They vanish, and the Prince says that it is Cinderella who he wants to marry. When Cinderella is in front of a mirror getting ready for her wedding, Lady Tremaine enters the room with Anastasia... now looking identical to Cinderella's appearance. A concerned Cinderella asks Anastasia if she would truly be happy with this, even going as far as to ask her if she even loves the Prince. Fearing Cinderella could conjure a change of heart, Lady Tremaine then teleports her into a pumpkin carriage. Jaq and Gus jump in to help her, only to be teleported to the carriage after her. This carriage is an evil one and a human version of Lucifer appears as the driver after Lady Tremaine gave him the order to have Cinderella, Jaq and Gus be killed. The three escape from the pumpkin carriage as well as Lucifer, who is restored to his cat form after he fell into a lake when he is being knocked off the carriage by Cinderella, and ride back on the horse that was used to pull the carriage.

Cinderella makes it back to the wedding just in time to witness, to her surprise, Anastasia (still using Cinderella's appearance) saying "I don't" after she came to realize that she doesn't truly love the Prince. Furious, Lady Tremaine and Drizella reveal themselves to confront Anastasia, who declares she only wants to be loved for herself, not because of a magic spell. The King orders his guards to seize Lady Tremaine. With no fear, Lady Tremaine immediately uses the wand to turn all the guards into various animals as they lunge for her. She proceeds to do the same to Anastasia with Drizella telling her to turn Anastasia into a toad. Determined to defend Anastasia for her honesty and save the whole kingdom, Cinderella jumps in front of her and forbids her stepmother to use any more magic. When a unfazed Lady Tremaine attempts to turn both Cinderella and Anastasia into toads, the Prince steps in and uses his sword to reflect the spell. It hits both Lady Tremaine and Drizella, causing them to disappear and reappear in the cellar as toads.

Anastasia reunites Cinderella with the Prince, then she picks up the wand and transforms herself back to her normal appearance. She gives the wand to Cinderella, who forgives her by thanking her, and the two reconcile, putting their animosity firmly behind them. Both Cinderella and Anastasia bring back the Fairy Godmother from her stoned state. Anastasia attempts to give the seashell back to the King believing she doesn't deserve it, only for him to let her keep it by saying, "Everyone deserves true love". The Fairy Godmother offers to undo Lady Tremaine's change of events, but the couple decides to keep everything as it is, and the offer goes unheard of. Cinderella and the Prince proceed to re-live their wedding, living happily ever after once again.

The ending credits show several paintings depicting the main cast before showing the mid-credits scene that shows both Drizella and Lady Tremaine being restored to their human forms, but in the exact same servant dress they forced Cinderella to wear and with brooms, indicating that they will now work in the palace as servants, much to their horror.

Voice Cast[]

Because nearly five decades had passed since the original Disney film, most of the new voice cast from the previous sequel Cinderella II: Dreams Come True returned to reprise their roles in this film.

Additional Voices[]

Uncredited[]

Production[]

This film was Walt Disney Television Animation Australia's final feature (the studio was closed and equipment auctioned off once Cinderella III's production completed in July 2006). Unlike the previous sequel, Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, which was mostly made in Japan (that studio also closed shortly after completing Cinderella II), Cinderella III's animators were given meticulous model sheets and extensive live-action sequences for animation reference.

Soundtrack[]

Main article: Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (soundtrack)

The original songs contained in the body of the film, including "Perfectly Perfect," "More Than a Dream" (and its reprise) and "At the Ball" were written by frequent Disney songwriters Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. Hayden Panettiere performed the end credits song, "I Still Believe," and a music video was created as a DVD bonus feature. The original score was composed by Joel McNeely.

Release[]

Cinderella III: A Twist in Time was released on February 6, 2007 and went back to the Disney Vault on January 31, 2008. The film was re-released on Blu-ray/DVD in a 2-Movie Collection with Cinderella II: Dreams Come True on November 20, 2012, and reprinted as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive (including a Digital copy) on June 25, 2019.

Features[]

  • Games and Activities
    • Bibbidi-Bobbidi Game
    • Cinderella's Ballroom (DVD-ROM)
  • Music and More
    • "I Still Believe" Music Video By: Hayden Panettiere
  • Backstage Disney
    • Backstage At Disney Cruise Line's "Twice Charmed"
    • First Look at the new DVD, "Disney Princess Enchanted Tales"

Reception[]

Cinderella III received a mostly positive response among the six critics compiled at Rotten Tomatoes, who gave it a 75% rating, and the film scores 71% among users at Rotten Tomatoes.

Slate magazine writer Dan Kois uses Cinderella III to defend the merits of Disney's straight-to-video sequels, after Disney announced they were eliminating production of any more sequels. Kois points out that in Cinderella III, the wicked stepsister (Anastasia) - originally an "oafish caricature" - finally becomes a fully fleshed-out character, and some of the absurdity of the original film is gently mocked.

However, many fans of the original Cinderella, are very upset with this third installment of the series. Many have noted numerous similarities between the film's premise and that of Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story, a Broadway-style stage musical created by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment that currently runs on the Disney Cruise Line. The Nostalgia Chick rated it as the #1 "least-awful" Disney sequel.

Despite this, Cinderella III has been received better than most other Disney sequels of its nature and is at least "approved of" by some of the Cinderella fanbase. Fan approval has increased dramatically in recent years, however.

Trivia[]

  • Since this is a continuation of the first movie, this movie likely took place before Cinderella II: Dreams Come True because Anastasia lived happily ever after in that one.
  • Prior to being brainwashed by Lady Tremaine, Prince Charming admits he hadn't thought a random girl could fit the slipper. This is ironic as any girl whose shoe size was the same as Cinderella's could wear the glass slipper.
  • Due to Lady Tremaine's interference with the timeline, the events of the second movie Dreams Come True never happened, but some events may still come to pass.
    • However, several fans and filmmakers said that the film may not be canon due to the strong changes.
    • It is also speculated that the producers of this movie may have simply chosen to ignore the events of Dreams Come True, as Lady Tremaine is seen forcing Anastasia and Drizella to do many of Cinderella's old chores in her absence. This could be seen as a rewrite of the first film's aftermath, where neither of Cinderella's stepsisters were able to escape, and may also explain Anastasia's lovesickness at the beginning.
  • Bruno the bloodhound from the first two films is most likely absent in the film due to budget limitations.
  • Whenever Lady Tremaine and Drizella use the magic wand, the magic is green; this perhaps reflects their negative personalities and jealousies.
    • The magic Anastasia uses, on the other hand, is always white, as it better reflects her softening personality.
  • Lady Tremaine was either too cheap or couldn't afford to hire help after Cinderella moved out, and thus forced her daughters to take care of the chores.
  • Lucifer's fate was never revealed.
  • This film showcased most of the character’s development, especially the King and Anastasia
  • Certain plot points in the film's climax (such as Cinderella witnessing Anastasia saying 'I...don't', and the subsequent reconciliation between the two) were removed from most novelized adaptations.
  • This is the first Direct-to-DVD film to contain the new Walt Disney Pictures logo from 2006 onwards.
  • Due to the enlargement of the glass slipper to fit Anastasia's foot by Lady Tremaine, a noticeable clanking sound can be heard from it throughout the first half of the film, particularly in the scenes of Anastasia fitting the slipper, and the scene of Anastasia and Prince Charming dancing.
    • For some reason, when the enlarged glass slipper slips into Anatasia's foot, three of her toes fold inside the slipper as seen in some shots. Despite this, she doesn’t seem to be in any amount of excruciating pain.
  • Over the credits, several parodies of paintings are shown, such as one of Edvard Munch's The Scream featuring the Grand Duke, and Gus in a parody of The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough.
  • When Cinderella disguises herself as one of the castle maids tending the Tremaines' room, her voice sounds just like that of Ms. Keane from The Powerpuff Girls, because they have the same voice actress (Jennifer Hale).

Release[]

Cinderella III: A Twist in Time was originally released in February 2007. It was also included in the October 2012 Cinderella trilogy.

Gallery[]

External links[]

v - e - d
Cinderella logo
Media
Films: Cinderella (video/soundtrack) • Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (video) • Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (video/soundtrack) • Cinderella (2015 film) (video/soundtrack)

Shows: A Poem Is...Chibi Tiny Tales
Video Games: Disney Princess (video game)Cinderella's DollhouseCinderella: Magical DreamsDisney Princess: Enchanted JourneyKingdom Hearts Birth by SleepDisney InfinityDisney Princess: My Fairytale AdventureDisney Magical WorldCinderella Free FallDisney Emoji Blitz
Books: Royal WeddingsDisney Princess Beginnings
Cancelled projects: Cinderella Stories
Albums: The Lost Chords: Cinderella

Disney Parks
Castle of Magical DreamsCinderella's Fairy Tale HallCinderella CastleCinderella Castle Mystery TourDisney Animation BuildingFairy Tale ForestIt's a Small WorldMickey Mouse RevuePrince Charming Regal CarrouselPrincess PavilionStorybook Land Canal Boats

Entertainment: Cinderella's Surprise CelebrationCinderellabration: Lights of RomanceDisney's BelieveDisney Dreams: An Enchanted ClassicDream Along with MickeyFantasmic!Mickey and the MagicianMickey and the Wondrous BookMickey's Gift of DreamsMickey's Magical CelebrationMickey's Magical Music WorldOne Man's Dream II: The Magic Lives On!Royal Princess Music CelebrationThe Starlit Princess WaltzTwice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story
Restaurants: Cinderella's Royal Table
Shops: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
Parades: Celebrate A Dream Come True ParadeDisney's Dreams On Parade: Moving OnDisney's FantillusionDisney's Magical Moments ParadeDisney's Party ExpressDisney Carnivale ParadeDisney on ParadeDisney Stars on ParadeDreaming Up!Festival of Fantasy ParadeFlights of Fantasy ParadeHappiness is Here ParadeJubilation!Magic HappensMain Street Electrical ParadeMickey's Rainy Day ExpressMickey's Soundsational ParadePaint The Night ParadeSpectroMagicThe Wonderful World of Disney ParadeVillains Cursed CaravanNightfall Glow • Minnie's Tiara of Dreams
Fireworks: Disney EnchantmentDisney in the StarsFantasy in the SkyMagic, Music and MayhemMagical: Disney's New Nighttime Spectacular of Magical CelebrationsMomentousOnce Upon a TimeRemember... Dreams Come TrueWishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney DreamsWonderful World of AnimationWondrous Journeys
Spring: Disney Pirate or Princess: Make Your Choice
Summer: Club Mouse BeatMickey's WaterWorks
Halloween: Disney Villains Wicked GatheringFrightfully Fun ParadeHocus Pocus Villain SpelltacularIt's Good to be Bad with the Disney VillainsMickey's Boo-to-You Halloween ParadeVillains Dance Party
Christmas: A Christmas Fantasy ParadeCinderella's Holiday WishDisney Winter Magic CavalcadeRoyal Christmas Wishes

Characters
Original: CinderellaJaq and GusPerla and SuzyMiceBirdsPrince CharmingFairy GodmotherBrunoMajorCinderella's FatherLady TremaineAnastasia TremaineDrizella TremaineLuciferThe KingThe Grand DukeHeraldMaryRoyal Guards

Sequels: Pom-PomPrudenceBeatrice and DaphneCountess Le GrandeThe BakerFlower VendorThe Queen
Remake: Cinderella's MotherLizard FootmenMr. GooseCaptainTown CrierSir Francis Tremaine
Deleted: JabberProfessor LeFoofSpink

Locations
Cinderella's CastleCinderella's ChâteauVillageKing's Castle
Objects
Glass SlipperPumpkinPumpkin CoachMagic WandCinderella's Dress
Songs
Films: CinderellaA Dream is a Wish Your Heart MakesSing, Sweet NightingaleWork Song (Cinderelly, Cinderelly)Bibbidi-Bobbidi-BooSo This is LovePut It TogetherFollow Your HeartThe World Is Looking Up to YouIt's What's Inside That CountsPerfectly PerfectMore Than a DreamI DoAt the BallI Still BelieveLavender's BlueStrong

Deleted: Dancing on a CloudThe Cinderella Work SongThe Face That I See in the NightThe Dress That My Mother WoreSing a Little, Dream a LittleI'm in the Middle of a MuddleThe Mouse SongI Lost My Heart At the Ball
Twice Charmed: All Because of a ShoeIt's Never Too LateIn a MomentBelieve in Me
Miscellaneous: The Art of Dressing Well

See also
As Told by Emoji
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