Catch the brand new musical film Sneakerella on Disney+, a high-energy movie that puts fun new twists on the 'Cinderella' fairy tale. Super cool sneakers and dance moves to match, as well as some very catchy tunes means this one is guaranteed to be a firm new favourite with tweens and teens.
Do the kids need some downtime in between summer camps and fun holiday activities? There’s a new movie streaming now on Disney+, Sneakerella, that is worth the screen time. There have been many film adaptations of Charles Perrault’s classic fairytale Cinderella. Drew Barrymore, Lily James and Camilla Cabello have all played the title role for the silver and small screens, and with each remake, we seem to be moving in the right direction of diversity and inclusivity.
Sneakerella is no exception and pushes the narrative further with a gender flip of the title role, new talent from a whole range of backgrounds and differing sexual orientations, and we are here for it!
Just like the original fairytale, the themes of kindness and creativity conquering jealousy and selfishness still reign in Sneakerella, but with a fresh twist. El is a shop boy from Queens with dreams of releasing his own sneaker line. True to the original story, but with the genders reversed, we discover that El lost his mother some years before and now lives with his mean stepfather and selfish stepbrothers, who make him do all the work.
The family live above their shoe store, ‘Laces’, and one fateful day the meanies try to stop El from attending the release of brand new sneakers from famous basketballer-turned-shoe-designer Darius King. El and his best friend Sami sneak away from Laces to try and buy themselves a pair, and on the train ride to the city, we see El doodling designs on Sami’s old kicks, revealing his talent as an artist.
This is also an important scene for Sami and for Disney (and we love that it’s on screens in time for Pride Month) – as it is revealed that Sami is gay. As Sami says, ‘you need to kiss a lot of lady frogs before you find a princess’. Disappointingly, we don’t get to meet Sami’s girlfriend, but it was great to see this scene paving the way for future Disney storylines – we’d love to see a sequel featuring Sami as the lead!
While in line for the Darius King sneakers, El meets Kira, and sparks fly. We find out that Kira is actually the daughter of Darius King himself, and it is awesome to have a female in the role of the ‘Princess Charming’ rescuer while also exploring her own place in the world.
The Verdict
Overall, this is a fun weekend watch for tweens and younger teens, loaded with great dance moves and some catchy tunes. Those key themes of following your instincts, working for what you want and believing in yourself are all great messages. The fact they are being delivered by a racially and culturally diverse cast with boundless talent is a win-win.
Sneakerella is streaming now on Disney+
Psst.. If you’re planning to cut down on screen time, plug in your headphones and tune in to our brand new podcast, Growing Pains!
