“Not another Cinderella story,” my husband complained to me before we sat down to watch the Cinderella III: A Twist in Time DVD. Fortunately, both of us were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed this new Disney sequel to the classic fairy tale. With its lovely original songs, appealing animation, gentle humor and creative storytelling, the movie offers quality entertainment for youngsters and parents alike. Also, the bonus features include fun activities which should make the kids happy after viewing the film.

Our story begins when Cinderella (voiced by Jennifer Hale) and Prince Charming (voiced by C. D. Barnes) are about to celebrate one year of their very happy marriage. However, the evil Stepmother (voiced by Susanne Blakeslee) manages to steal Fairy Godmother’s magic wand, then use it to send everyone back in time. And, yikes, she arranges for Anastasia (voiced by Tress MacNeille), Cinderella’s stepsister (Drizella is the other stepsister), to be the one the glass slipper fits. Naturally, this changes everything. The Prince doesn’t recognize Cinderella because he’s been magically manipulated into thinking he danced with Anastasia at the famous ball.

What will Cinderella do to solve this diabolical twist in time? Seek help from her amusing rodent friends, Gus (voiced by Corey Burton) and Jaq (voiced by Rob Paulsen), of course. The humorous antics of these little creatures keep things moving along nicely, and one of their scenes had me laughing quite loudly as they put on a vaudeville show to let the Prince know what was really happening. Naturally, Lucifer, the wicked cat belonging to Cinderella’s step family, tries to foil Gus and Jaq at every turn. But, happily, Lucifer soon gets his well-deserved comeuppance.

The Cinderella III songs by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner delighted me, especially the opening number. “The biggest challenge we faced in the picture was to create an opening number that reminded the audience of what happened in the original film as well as setting up the stakes, characters and thematic ideas that would be explored in Part III,” explains Zachary. Mission accomplished! I also loved “At the Ball,” a zippy number sung by Gus and Jaq.

Included among the fine bonus features are such items as: a “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo” game in which players give the wand to various characters in the movie; “Cinderella’s Ballroom,” where viewers find beautiful gowns and can choreograph different ballroom dances; and a music video with popular Hayden Panettiere (the cheerleader in Heroes) performing the end credits song, “I Still Believe.”     

Cinderella III: A Twist in Time is an excellent follow-up to Disney's beloved 1950 Cinderella movie.

(Released by Walt Disney Pictures and rated “G” as suitable for all ages.)