If you knew me back in the day, I had a big crush on Hilary Duff (can’t deny it). I even own A Cinderella Story, where she is the star. Fast forward many years later, and I find out my wife also loves the Cinderella Story franchise. Since I am all about making lists and crossing titles off, I needed to see the rest of the movies to finish out the collection.
A young Selena Gomez takes center stage in Another Cinderella Story, released four years after the original. I didn’t quite think that there would be a better lead actress or a better story than the first one, but I was wrong.
I really liked Gomez’s performance in this one. She is talented and has a brilliant singing voice to win the coveted competition she was afraid to enter. The only hurdle in her way is her evil stepmom, played by Jane Lynch.
Despite all the obstacles, Gomez ends up falling for the Hollywood star who is hosting the competition. Although they come from different social circles, the pair have undeniable chemistry on and off the dance floor.
If you thought Cinderella had an evil mom in other movies and versions of the story, you haven’t seen anything yet. Lynch’s storyline runs parallel with Gomez’s, and even though they share many intersecting points, they were both well developed.
Like I mentioned before, I thought I’d be hard-pressed to enjoy a sequel more than the original. For me, there was a lot to like about this film, and many parts of it just clicked for me. I won’t say this is the best entry of the franchise; however, it was one I thoroughly enjoyed, more than I ever expected. 7/10
Ten Stars or Less 