by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent

In this Birds of Prey meets Joker revenge tale make-over, Emma Stone peels back the eyelids of one Baroness Von Hellman, a vicious-delicious Emma Thompson, who blasts her mad scheme to incorporate rare pelts. Such is the hand-wave plot sum of CRUELLA, opening from Disney on May 28. But wait, demure Emma Stone cranks up the crazy, sets her scenes to broil with She-devil rage worthy of the finest Disney bad girls. 

Yes, Emma Stone goes to the dogs… to snatch them from said Baroness! Oops, spoiler.

Did you not assume it? Teamed up with guttersnipe thieves in this CRUELLA directed by I, Tonya’s Craig Gillespie, Stone kicks off not only an over-the-top reboot of the 101 Dalmatian puppy story of Pongo and Perdita, but gives Disney’s family image a fright. 

Stone’s nut-ella star turn here is why we need an origin story, for what Glenn Close, producer on this CRUELLA and a memorable  Cruella de Vil  herself, calls this breed of “Disney witch.” Our Mod Cruella here does a self-devouring transformation from 1970’s punk con artist to Evil world-wrecking clothier. And it looks like a blast!

Nutella “Estrella” (Emma Stone) blazes to the screen as a wicked fashionista courtesy of the haute couture movie mind of Mad Max: Fury Road genius costumer Jenny Beavan. 

But perhaps there IS a thing as too much self-empowerment, as mayhem and hemlines dominate this picture.

Visit this fashion kennel club on May 28 from Disney. Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, are joined by cast Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and the always wicked-ish Mark Strong. 

Big woof!

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