Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Cruella review says Disney’s new origin story of the legendary villainess is a fiendish delight and just what we need right now.

You could stay home and pay the $29.99 Premiere Access fee to watch Cruella on Disney+, but the madness, the wildness the decadence and the spectacle of this Disney villainess origin story make it so worth a splurge at your local cineplex. It’s one you really want to catch in all its fabulous glory on a great big screen with the best possible sound system.

Deliciously wicked craziness reigns through most of the film, and it’s just so freeing to be able to giggle or even guffaw in public again!

With gleeful elan, Cruella realizes its full potential in a 70’s set film about dueling fashion designers, family upheaval, crime, loyalty, ego and dogs. Rest assured that no Dalmatians, nor any facsimiles thereof, were harmed to make this movie.

It’s great fun finding answers to many of the questions you’ve had about Cruella, ie what’s with the black and white hair, her passion for fashion, her issues with Dalmatians and her twisted family tree. We watch with fascination as her dark side (Cruella) and light side (Estella) struggle for dominance. You can guess which one emerges victorious.

The Emmas behind it all are sublime. Emma Stone and Emma Thompson duke it out in oversize rolls they were born to play, and they’re clearly having the time of their lives, as do we as we when we watch the brazen new upstart try to bring the esteemed veteran designer to her knees. Spoiler alert: they both fight dirty…very dirty.

But the fashion and the music also have starring roles. That trash truck frock alone is worth the price of admission. Glory in the glamor of the gowns at the galas, the perhaps too numerous galas, and start making plans now for your next Halloween costume.

Meanwhile, since the movie takes place in London during the 70’s, a groovy soundtrack was created, with the likes of the Zombies, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Queen, ELO, Blondie, The Clash, the Doors, the BeeGees and Nancy Sinatra, to name just a few of the 48 tracks. Then to top it all off, Florence and the Machine wrote the haunting theme song, “Call Me Cruella.” Find an abbreviated version here.

The delicious little truth about Cruella is that it’s good, clean, wholesome, fashionable fun, even if there is a certain punk edge to it. About as randy as it gets is when Cruella drops an F-bomb (‘fart’ or should we say ‘faaaht’), in a very regal British accent.

Some folks are already crying for a sequel— there’s such a wealth of plot points to explore, and we learn that Cruella is quite the multidimensional character. But in the meantime, you’ll love what they’ve done with the pace.

Rated PG-13

2 Hours 14 minutes

If Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Cruella review convinced you to see it in a theater, find out where it’s playing nearby at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Cruella review says Disney’s new origin story of the legendary villainess is a fiendish delight and just what we need right now.