Movie Review:

Ella Enchanted

by Lynn B

If you were under a curse that forced you to always do everyone’s bidding, think of all the trouble you would get into!

In a fairy tale kingdom, Ella (Anne Hathaway), is a feisty young girl who was given the “gift” of perfect obedience when she was a baby. Her fairy godmother Lucinda (Viveca Fox) must have thought it a good idea at the time but it’s ruining Ella’s life. Ella's father (Patrick Bergen), a traveling businessman, marries Dame Olga (Joanna Lumley), the evil stepmother who wants money and social station above all. When her eldest daughter, Hattie (Lucy Punch), figures out that she can order Ella to do just anything, she has a field day ordering the poor girl around. She even forces Ella to break up with her best pal (Bend It Like Beckham’s Parminder Nagra). This launches Ella on a quest to find Lucinda and reverse her curse.

Ella learns that Lucinda is in Giant's Town, so she heads off through the woods and rescues Slannen of Pim (Aidan McArdie), an elf who hates all elfie stuff like singing, dancing, and being joyful. He wants to be a lawyer to open the door for others of his kind. Ella and Slannen have various adventures with ogres, etc. until they are rescued by hottie Prince Charmont (Hugh Dancy) who will soon be king but knows nothing of what his evil uncle Sir Edgar (Cary Elwes) has been doing to wreck and enslave the kingdom.

Of course there is an immediate attraction for Char and Ella who realizes that this guy is in the dark about what is happening to his people and he’s about to be king. She’ll have to get the curse removed and then hope she can wise the prince up before evil Edgar can see that he’ll never become king.

If you liked Shrek then this is sort of a live-action combo version of that film and the Cinderella tale without the cute donkey. There are musical numbers, evil rulers, giants, ogres, elves, a take-charge hero girl and a handsome prince. The movie mixes the old with today’s references; a wooden escalator at the mall, an elf who wants to be a lawyer, etc. Sometimes this is funny, other times it’s just distracting.

Anne Hathaway, who is determined to soon escape her “princess” movie rut, is charming and gutsy as the cursed young woman on a quest. Newcomer Hugh Dancy, soon to be seen as Sir Galahad opposite Keira Knightley in Jerry Bruckheimer’s King Arthur, is an appealing prince. Monty Python’s, Eric Idle is funny as the narrator.

The film, based upon the Newberry award-winning novel by Gail Carson Levine, is about choices and making good ones. What’s inside you is stronger than any spell or negative life circumstance, etc. On this level, the movie succeeds. If you are a tween or young teen, you’ll enjoy Ella more than your older siblings. Although charming, it’s nothing new.

For fairy-tale foolery, 3 out of 5 stars

This film is rated PG

Official Movie Web Site - http://www.miramax.com/ellaenchanted/index.html