Plot: What’s it about?
Mary Santiago (Selena Gomez) has been through a lot in her young life, after the death of her mother, she was taken in by Dominique (Jane Lynch), who knew her mother well. Dominique was once a popular pop star, but her fame has started to fade and she has turned bitter. Mary is a talented dancer, but she is held back by not only Dominique, but her two daughters Britt (Emily Perkins) and Bree (Katherine Isabelle). When Mary is accepted to a prestigious dance school, the news is hidden from her, so that she will remain under her step family’s thumb. But when pop star Joey Parker (Andrew Seeley) arrives at school and promises a spot in his new video to the winner of a dance contest, nothing can stop Mary’s ambition. But with the odds stacked against her, can Mary rise above and make her dreams come true?
As part of the Warner Premiere line, Another Cinderella Story serves as a direct to home video sequel, a concept which doesn’t hold much promise. The original A Cinderella Story was no masterpiece, but Hilary Duff was still chipper enough to watch, even if the plot was stale and predictable. In this sequel, the lead is given to Selena Gomez, another Disney Channel talent, but she doesn’t seem as capable as Duff was. She turns in a decent effort, but she lacks the charisma to make us forget how predictable and dull the story has become. You can tell the production values were slashed for this sequel, as the film doesn’t look that polished and the cast doesn’t provide much depth. If you’re in the target demographic, Another Cinderella Story might hold some entertainment, but even then, there are so many better options out there.
Video: How does it look?
Another Cinderella Story is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. For a brand new release, this transfer is rather bland and not much of an upgrade over the DVD. The image is clearer and brighter, but the move up isn’t as expansive as I wanted, not even close. The visuals look good, but never great and while detail is solid, it doesn’t pop off the screen. But colors look bold and contrast is up to snuff, so those areas are covered. In the end, not the level of visual performance I expected, but a solid middle of the road presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
In a disappointing move, Warner has only included a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, so no upgrade from the DVD in this area. I have no idea why this would be done, but let’s hope Warner doesn’t stick with this approach for long. The track is decent, but not the kind of audio experience we expect from high definition. The surrounds provide some presence, but outside of the music, not a lot of depth is here to be heard. The dialogue is clear and crisp however, which is great news. This disc also includes a Spanish language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a slew of brief, promotional featurettes, a music video, and two sing-a-long versions of songs.
