There are not many people who have never heard, watched, or read the story of Cinderella. It is a story that we all grow up with. A classic, today the most popular version is probably Disney’s animated version, which was released in 1950. But now it seems that will be pushed aside by the new live action Cinderella, released Friday, March 13.

The summary of this movie is the same as the story has always gone: Ella’s father remarries and after his untimely death, her stepmother and two stepsisters treat as little more than a servant. After waking up covered in soot one morning, they dub her Cinderella. But despite all the cruelty she endures, her heart remains pure and she finds her happy ending.

Upon entering the theater, I couldn’t believe just how packed it was. There wasn’t an empty seat anywhere. And it wasn’t just a bunch of little kids, though there were a fair amount of those. Children, teenagers, and adults of all ages were represented.

Though this was indeed a remake of an old classic, new twists managed to keep it refreshing. The beginning is a little different than normal. Usually all we get about Cinderella’s parents is that her mother died and that her father soon followed. But this time we actually get to kind of meet them and learn more about what kind of people they are.

This was something I really enjoyed about the movie. It made the parents seem so much more real and not just distant figures from Ella’s past. It was also a good way to see where Ella comes from and how she turned out to be so kindhearted and pure.

There was also some insight into the stepmother’s past. This is always an interesting thing to me, to learn more about the “bad guy.” I like being able to understand them better, to understand why they are the way they are. Sometimes it makes it harder to hate the character. In this case, the stepmother was still quite easy to despise. I’m not exactly a big fan of abuse and so that immediately puts her on my bad side.

I really loved how we also got to learn more about the prince. We even get a name for him, which is quite unusual for a Disney prince.

This whole movie was quite witty. A bit of a step back from the Brothers’ Grimm version. It often had the whole theater laughing jubilantly. While I didn’t think I’d hate the movie, I certainly didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did. This is by far my favorite remake of the classic.

So whether you loved the story or not, I really suggest you watch this movie. Even if you’re not really a fan of Cinderella, this new twist just might convert you. A new short, Frozen Fever, accompanies the film and is also quite funny. The moral brought to light in the movie went beyond the usual, “true love conquers all.” This showed that no matter what your situation, you can always come out beautiful and pure so long as you have courage and be kind.