Ella Enchanted Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Get enchanted
This Spring...... All spell breaks loose
Ella (Anne Hathaway) has been cursed by her dimented fairy godmother with the gift of obedience. On the quest to find her godmother again to make her take back the "gift", Ella meets, and reluctantly falls in love with the Prince (Hugh Dancy) of Frell.
| Anne Hathaway | Ella |
| Hugh Dancy | Prince Char |
| Cary Elwes | Sir Edgar |
| Aidan McArdle | Slannen |
| Joanna Lumley | Dame Olga |
| Lucy Punch | Hattie |
| Jennifer Higham | Olive |
| Minnie Driver | Mandy |
| Eric Idle | The Narrator |
| Steve Coogan | Heston the Snake |
| Jimi Mistry | Benny |
| Vivica A. Fox | Lucinda Perryweather |
| Parminder Nagra | Areida |
| Jim Carter | Nish the Ogre |
| Patrick Bergin | Sir Peter |
| Tommy O'Haver |
6.40 out of 10 (7924 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Doesn't quite enchant
posted on 29 Jul 2009Given the recent success of fantasy movies, it was probably inevitable that "Ella Enchanted" would get its turn on the silver screen. Like "Harry Potter," Gail Carson Levine's delightful re-imagining of Cinderella has been popular with both readers and critics, and contains plenty of imagination and engaging characters. One only wishes it had translated to screen better.Levine comes up with a clever explanation for the reason why Ella (played in the film by Anne Hathaway) must slave for her horrid step-family: at her cradle, a well-meaning but rather dim fairy godmother (Vivica A. Fox) granted her the "gift" of obedience, forcing the poor girl to comply with any direct order regardless of how ridiculous or dangerous. Refusing to be resigned to her lot, Ella sets out to return the unwanted gift--and en route, find romance with Prince Charmont ("Char" for short, played by Hugh Dancy).Unfortunately, it is here that the similarities to the source material end. In the film, Ella comes off as far less resourceful and clever as she does in the book, and mostly seems to wind up getting into embarrassing or awkward situations through her enforced compliance. Which is a shame, because Hathaway is a vibrant and talented actress who could have easily imbued the character with more spunk had she been called on to do so. It doesn't help that the screenwriters have seen fit to muddy Ella's quest with a standard-issue villain in the form of Char's Claudius-esquire uncle (Cary Elwes, channeling the spirit of Prince Humperdink and accompanied by a very unconvincing CGI snake), and some business about the oppression of the kingdom's non-humans.Like "Shrek," "Ella Enchanted" takes the fractured fairy-tale route, throwing in sly references and anachronisms at every opportunity. Some of these work (I liked the man-powered escalator in the medieval mall), but more than a few fall flat (mostly Char's squealing fan club, who are perhaps too accurate in their annoying behavior). Hathaway and Dancy play it more or less straight, but everyone else camps it up grandly, especially Elwes. Unfortunately, both Fox and Minnie Driver as Ella's more sensible godmother feel miscast, and Parminder Nagra (the talented star of "Bend it Like Beckham") is virtually wasted as Ella's foreign-born friend."Ella Enchanted" is nice enough to sit through--Hathaway's presence keeps things going, and there are enough nice visuals. But in a genre that in the past few years has seen "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings," and "Shrek"--with "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" among the films on the horizon--it takes more than nice to distinguish oneself in the field.
Terrible
posted on 29 Jul 2009The film version of Ella Enchanted surpassed my expectations alright... I expected it to be bad, and it was definitely much worse than I ever could have imagined.I'm another one of the people who read the book before seeing the movie, so naturally I was very disappointed in the screen adaptation of one of my favorite childhood stories. That aside, I knew when I first saw the preview for the movie that it wouldn't be my kind of thing, nor would I enjoy the Hollywood makeover it seemed to have gotten. So I didn't watch the movie! I refused to see it in the theater and I avoided it until now, when it just so happened to catch me by surprise on TV.Even with my low expectations, this movie still managed to make me so angry I felt the need to create myself an account here on IMDb just to write how let down I was. I thought that the main problem was in the writing itself. I know that a movie based on a book is supposed to represent one person's vision of that book, but I definitely think that this went beyond interpretation and far into the realm of sellout. It is offendingly obvious that not only minor parts of the story, but even the biggest parts have been changed to suit a celebrity-obsessed, media-controlled audience, and of course to make as many people rich as possible.So many things were different that the movie should not be allowed to share the same title as the great book I read when I was younger. I do not recommend this movie to anyone who was even a remote fan of the book, and I give it 1 star out of 10 only because giving 0 stars doesn't count as a rating apparently.
Witty, charming, cheesy and funny... a fun film to watch!
posted on 17 Jul 2009I just came back from this movie after deciding to see the movie for the sake of seeing a movie. It was quite a surprise. With a cast of well known actors, they really did put this movie together well. There were lots of cute and funny moments. Anne Hathaway looks gorgeous throughout the movie, her hair never being out of place. Cary Elwes plays a very despicable bad guy, and he's quite good at it.The costumes and set design for the movie is very creative. It reminded me of being at a Renaissance Festival. Things were so out of place, such as having a shopping mall, and escalators that were powered by two old men. The costumes for the lovable characters weren't anything extravagant, but the people you love to hate sure did have some memorable outfits.The whole movie is a big parody of fairy tales that everyone will find amusing. The singing by Anne Hathaway herself is a very nice touch since she sings so well, and really adds to the amusement of the movie.
lotsa existential Marxist fun (SOME quasi-SPOILERS)
posted on 11 Jul 2009Who'd have thought Ella Enchanted was really about class issues, particularly regarding race relations?The fun fantasy film follows Ella's attempt ostensibly to marry the hunky prince, but primarily what she desires is social reform. All of the ogres, elves, and Giants are oppressed and under-represented by the fascist, speciesist monarchy government led by a sinister, Richard IIIish surrogate King.Luckily, Ella is able to imbue in the literally Charming - if easily coerced - prince enough of a sense of social justice that he can stand up to his evil uncle who plans to usurp the throne for himself.Along the way there's a lot of delightful supporting characters, who populate a landscape rich with gloriously colorful architecture and delightful, often comical special effects that reminded me of what it was like when special effects were fun and actually added something, rather than how they are often used now as a show-stopping spectacle.Anne Hathaway, who has positively unquenchable movie star charisma, is challenged to overcome the deterministic factors that are getting in the way of her attaining what she wants - in this case, a magic spell that makes her obedient. To do so, she is required to garner up the existential energy to shed the deterministic barriers to her freedom and the scene where she does is pleasant and convincing.Most pleasant is the political subtexts that can be read into this film, where the minority communities literally band together to, in essence, overthrow the royal ruling class (of course this is done in a fun, basicaly nonviolent fairy tale fashion). In an election year, it is refreshing to see ideologically progressive films like this, particularly one whose very political agenda is confirmed quite blatantly in the last scene of the film.After Ella has completed her act of political subversion and married the prince to live happily ever after she throws the bouquet (freedom, political action) to the next person who will be asked to do the same task. In this case, that next person is the chick from Bend It Like Beckham, the only actual minority figure in Frell, an otherwise whitewashed community. Basically, the filmmakers are putting a challenge to the working class minority community to carry on the Marx-fueled political action enacted by Ella in the film. By democracy or by any means necessary. An interesting and seductive political message for what looks, on the surface, to be a kids' movie.That said, it isn't perfect. I found the musical numbers unsatisfying; they seemed more like nods to Moulin Rouge! and Shrek than something that director Tommy O'Haver actually wanted desperately to do. The sequences are just not choreographed with the same energy and wit as the rest of the film is. Also, some of the humor falls kind of flat, but God Bless them for trying anyway. There's really no hackneyed, been-there comedic sequences; everything, even the stuff that falls flat, feels pretty fresh.This is the best family-friendly movie I've seen since School of Rock.7/10
a feel good fairy tale
posted on 07 Jul 2009I thought this film was entertaining and fun. It's certainly nothing that makes you say wow but at least it wasn't crap like a lot of movies now days. It's about a girl named Ella whose fairy godmother casts a spell on her to be obedient. Now Ella's around 18 and her father remarries. One of her new stepsisters figures out she has to do what she's told. So she tells Ella to steal and say hurtful things for fun. The sister is also obsessed with Prince Char but guess who he likes instead. Of course, it's Ella who at first isn't fond of the prince because of political matters. The movie tries to be very PC by having Ella wanting to free Orges and elves from "slavery". I know it gets a bit silly with that part. The king is Char's uncle. And he has the silliest thing in the movie that was so out of place, a talking python. But that's the only animal that talks. If they were going that route, then birds, dogs, horses,etc... should have talked also. And no one is shocked by the talking snake. Of course, Ella's curse is used against her. Will she break it? Well, it's a fairy tale so what do you think?BTW: I really liked the music, but Ella should have broken the curse in a more creative way. It leaves you to wonder, why couldn't she have done it earlier? FINAL VERDICT: I thought it was an entertaining 90 minutes and recommend it.
Feeble fable.
posted on 05 Jul 2009Ella Enchanted is a very weak romantic fantasy that annoys more than entertains. Anne Hathaway plays a young girl named Ella who is cursed at birth to do what ever she is told to do, which includes public humiliation and taking care of her bratty sisters. She grows tired of this conduct and tries to rid this curse but in her quest to do so, she runs into a prince who is next in line for the throne but is in danger because of his evil uncle wants to rule the kingdom instead of him. Now this is as simple as the plot goes, and I'm being too kind. The movie is really aimed at children with low attention spans, and the humor to be found here does not hit the mark. Maybe if it was a bit edgier, it could have work better but because it caters to families, it lacks a real source of humor.It would be a decent rental to keep your kids busy for an hour and so but you will fall a sleep if you see it yourself.
Great Movie
posted on 29 Jun 2009I know the movie is nothing at all the Gail Carson Levines magical book, but it is still fantastic. I loved the characters and the plot. I seriously recommend this movie to fans of the book and to anyone who loves a good fairy tale told right. I can't say anything bad about the movie, it is one of those movies you can watch over and over again and never get bored. The characters are witty, smart, funny and very versatile. And the background of the movie is beautiful. As long as you do not compare the movie and the book viewers should be very satisfied. So if your flipping through the channels on TV and see Ella Enchanted you must watch it!
My Daughter Loved This Movie
posted on 29 Jun 2009My daughter loved this movie. It even made her believe in fairy tales. At the end, she was dancing around the room. She liked the plot twists and the way that people were not always what they seemed. She got caught up in the romance of the story and in Ella's self-sacrifice. Personally, I really enjoyed Anne Hathaway's singing scene -- that girl can sing! Sure, there are some flaws -- this was not Minnie Driver's best role, and Gisele Bundchen (sp?) isn't exactly the finest actor out there (and in this role she didn't even look that fabulous which usually takes the edge off any other subpar acting roles.) Anne Hathaway carries the movie. The sweetness of the telling and Anne's convincing, nuanced performance make this a fun movie for both young and old.
Good clean fun for everyone!
posted on 22 May 2009I took two ten-year-old boys to see this. I wondered if it might be too babyish or girly for them, but there was nothing to fear... we all enjoyed it very much! This movie is clean, clever, funny, and has a lively soundtrack that draws from the 70's. It's set in medieval times with lots of references and tie-ins to modern times. There's some fighting, but no real violence and no bloodshed (except for one minor cut on a hunky bicep). This isn't particularly deep or thought-provoking, just spunky good guys on a mission versus really despicable bad guys... a nice way to escape for a couple of hours. It was like "A Knight's Tale" meets "Shrek", and I would recommend this highly as entertaining family fare.
The Listing For ELLA ENCHANTED
posted on 16 May 2009The following is a LIKES/DISLIKES listing for Ella Enchanted.PLEASE NOTE:ALL SPOILERS ARE REPRESENTED WITH **SP** AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SENTENCE.ENJOY.LIKES:1)Anne Hathaway...what a smile2)**SP**The cinematography during the shots of landscape around the kingdom and the ocean horseback riding scene3)**SP**Heidi Klum as a giant, wait a minute, Heidi Klum as anything4)Vivica A. Fox's presence in the film, all too often these types of stories exclude any detection of an African-American existence5)Minnie Driver, a fan since Circle of Friends and Grosse Pointe BlankeDISLIKES:1)Cary Elwes, casted simply because he's of a "royal cinematic pedigree"...The Princess Bride doesn't make up for his character's shortcomings2)Vivica A. Fox's presence in the film, did she have to contribute to the always overbearing, loud-mouth "African-American" illusion that a paranoid White America unfortunately envisions, even in a fairy tale?3)Hathaway's decision to do another princess film in-between the other two, there's talent there but let's hope it's not weighted down by this misguided cash-inFAVORITE MOMENT:**SP**The dance number at the Giant's Pub
Pale compared to Shrek and Shrek 2
posted on 06 May 2009After seeing the trailer some time ago, I really wanted to see this movie, although I *thought* may be a little to old for it. After seeing it, I *know* that I'm to old (for it, I'm actually in my prime).The movie isn't that bad, it's got a strikingly beautiful main actress, the stepsisters were ... really loathsome (good acting ... I hope it *was* acting), and like raisins in a loaf of bread it had some nice ideas and scenes. It probably may even be interesting and good from a pre-teen / pre-logic perspective, but it withers away from a more critical look.There were just too many things with the gift/curse of obedience that defied the inner logic of a story. How is that supposed to work? Either new orders can cancel the aforementioned order, in which case a simple "Tell the truth what happened" would make using her *much more* difficult (and ruin the plot), or there can be orders, that can't get cancelled. In that case, the first thing after the godmother left would the to order the child to follow her own inner judgment/nature from now on and ignore all other following orders unless they agree with her judgment/nature. OK, that would end the movie after six minutes. There is a third option, that orders are to be followed or ignored *as the story demands*, which defies any inner structure of a good story and makes it very incoherent. Unfortunately, this option (and sign of a crappy work) seemed to be used.Also the curse seemed to make even impossible or improbable things possible. She could actually freeze in the air, so the money problems of her father could be solved by a simple "Dig up the largest unclaimed treasure/gold mine in this area." or "Go and win in horse racing." This wouldn't make it such a bad gift after all.I wonder why the writers didn't chose an other way to deal with this gift. She would have to follow the orders, but she could choose *how* to follow them. Like dealing with a devil (or advocate) shows, there are a lot of possible ways to follow an order. If someone says "Bite me." it doesn't necessarily mean "Bite me NOW.", so there would be no need to follow it that moment (and in an other context, this could even be enjoyable for both). The order "Put my clothes in your closet." says nothing about how they end up there (torn to pieces would be a good idea) and "Give me that amulet." doesn't mean that you can't put in in her hand and then crush her hand around it. Seems far fetched? Perhaps, on the other hand she seemed to have this freedom, like the scene practicing her mandolin or gathering poison ivy instead of regular flowers. This would make using or dealing with her *extremely* difficult. On the other hand ... it seems strange that she even survived so long. A simple "Go to hell!" or ".... you" would be devastating (I suppose this critic gets censored if I write a certain four-letter-word everyone knows but everyone seems to be afraid to let it get written - hmmm, why do I have to think about "Harry Potter" all of a sudden?).Compared with other movies, the story pales in contrast with "Shrek" or "Shrek 2". There are some similarities (like throwing the book away), but the quality differences become clear by comparing *how* they treat fairy stories. In Ella they simply copied and rode with the story for some time, like the godmother actually giving gifts, the mother dies, the evil stepmother and her dumb and evil stepsisters ... they simply dip into it and pull out whenever the have the chance to be political correct (which gets annoying - especially when taken to these extremes - an Ogre who has human flesh on his menu would and should eat steel - I mean what was that line about "I let you live to find your food elsewhere." or something like that ... would you let a man-eating "person" run free close to a populated area? What if that "person" searches the next farm and eats the farmer? This is equalism without any reason.). Some things they took from other stories they didn't use well. It's one thing to make a reference to a movie or story, but an other thing to simply steal it without adding an unique touch. This was especially annoying with the would-be King and his adviser the snake. This was a simple copy of "Walt Disney's Robin Hood", even to the look of the would-be king and the behavior of the snake. Blatant thievery from good movies doesn't make a movie better, it just makes it worse.Shrek on the other hand just plays with fairy tales, they didn't actually dip into each separate story for some time but took only the key elements and used them in a creative and unique way. Comparing these two movies is like comparing a child's story with good works of Shakespeare (with the difference, that Shrek even manages to address all ages of the audience from 5 to over 100 which Shakespeare does not).So, all in all this movie wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good either - certainly not as good as it could have been, not even close. It may be good for pre-puberty children, but for older children and adults the forced political correctness and plot holes become extremely annoying.2/10 (one for the main actress, one for the rest)
Great subtle references to other films
posted on 06 May 2009I hadn't read the book, but wasn't expecting much more than just an evening's diversion. I really enjoyed the film for what it was, but got a particular kick out of the several sly references to other films that we all know and love. As they pan away from Eric Idle's first appearance, I heard a cat "mreow!", a la Monty Python movies - coincidence? At one point, going into the dangerous forest, Ella's traveling companion says something to the effect of "You've discovered the sounds that precede the rodent, so that won't be an issue" - smacked of "Princess Bride". :) And the snake ("Heston") reminded me very much of Sir Hiss in Robin Hood (the Disney version). Perhaps I was reading too much into these and other references, but I think the filmmakers were having a bit of fun, tucking in these little gems for those of us older than 18. Cute film; I'll look forward to the DVD so I can hear the director's comments on these scenes.
Surprisingly cute
posted on 26 Apr 2009It seems that many, many commentators disliked this movie because it wasn't at all like the book. Fair enough, I suppose, but movies seldom are. In any case, I haven't read that book, and was blissfully unaware that this film was supposedly adapted from one. I found it surprisingly cute. Many of the campy things hit the mark, like the "medeival modern" anachronistic setting, reminiscent of The Flintstones cartoon wherein it was filled with modern things constructed from prehistoric materials; and the modern songs transposed to the time setting herein. That last was a bit like Moulin Rouge, which annoyed me at first, but then grew on me. I don't believe that I've seen this Anne Hathaway before, but she is intriguing. Her vivacity and wide smile remind me a bit of Julia Roberts. Can't say that I was much impressed with Hugh Dancy or Aiden McArdle. Minnie Driver was most charming as the incompetent fairy, and Vivica Fox was quite amusing as the lush fairy. It's too bad that Parminder Nagra's part was so small, as she always lights up a screen. And Cary Elwes couldn't hide his amusement with the material as he munched on the scenery. I say check this out, if you aren't going to throw a fit over the book.
Great for tweeners and young teens. Mediocre for adults.
posted on 12 Apr 2009I had read that this movie was similar to 'The Princess Bride'--- and it might be. That's why I saw it, anyway. 'Ella' was different to me--- not quite as smug and self-congratulatory as the earlier movie. Not quite as appealing to adults either, however. 'Ella Enchanted' was well done from a technical standpoint-- bright, coherent, watchable, etc. But the plot was lame, and many of the leads were so annoying (think Strawberry Shortcake meets Justin Timberlake), that during the first hour I often felt the urge to walk out. I stayed, though, and the latter portion improved.I was initially dissatisfied with 'Ella', but then thought, Hey-- it's a kids' movie. Tweeners and younger adolescents will probably identify with it, and enjoy it. So, for what it is, a movie for younger audiences, I gave it a 7 out of 10. For general audiences, however (meaning, for adults), it is probably more accurately a 5 out of 10. But that lower rating would be mean spirited, so the 7 sticks.
Makes me want to dance
posted on 19 Mar 2009Perhaps it was because I saw this movie with an Australian bloke, and a New England lady that we found this so wonderful, but probably it was just because we couldn't stop laughing/singing/and dancing in the aisles.This movie has moved to the top of my list of movies to buy when they come out on DVD. Much to the typical plot line of romantic comedy/musical film, this movie incorporated elements of action/suspense/and horror, much to our moving viewing delight. I predict that this is the Must-See-Movie of the pre-summer rush. Take your children, take your grandmother, take your college roommate, none will be disappointed.But do be prepared for Cary Elwes to be the evil villain, although it broke my heart, I'm sure yours will remain intact. Best part of the movie: the elves/ Worst part of the movie: that it wasn't longer.
Horrible Adaptation, but overall a very "feel-good-about-yourself" movie.
posted on 09 Mar 2009SPOILERS Ella Enchanted must truly be one of the worse, most off-story movie adaptation of a wonderful novel. Nevertheless, it is a feel-good film that is enjoyable to watch over and over again, without getting boring.I myself had read the book and was thrilled to hear that there was a movie adaptation. So i brought the DVD, and...sat through the whole film correcting the inaccuracy of the tale. The director was a fool to waste the wonderful storyline in the book. Instead, he transformed the classic, Cinderella-like story into a typical Hollywood cheap crowd-pleaser.The story starts with Ella's curse taking part. It follows some of the things she does, and establishes her character. Then, suddenly out of the blue her kind dad (whom was evil and selfish in the book) marries Dame Olga, whose daughter Olive and Hattie, whom the latter is president of the Prince Char Fan Club. The movie follows through with Ella getting the best of them, and eventually getting serious with Prince Char. And Blah Blah Blah Blah....I despise the director into making up totally unrealistic portrayals of the characters in the book. Hattie, is the President of the made-up Prince Char Fan Club, portraying Prince Char as a hunky, dreamy teen who girls drool over. In fact, in the novel, Char was a soft-spoken, kind guy whom nobody drooled over, and was all serious king-ship business. Also, they portrayed Olive as over-stupid and although she was very comical, i can't help but despise her lack of common knowledge. In the book, she was not THAT dumb. Slannen, who was totally changed in the move, WASN'T an elf who wanted to be a LAWYER! Who had ever heard of a thing like that! Its pure stupidity and comical effects to put him in there. Slannen was a much smaller, supporting role in the novel, being the generous chief Trader in the elves, whom gave Ella some precious gifts. Arieda, another horrible portrayal, wasn't a little girl being pushed around during pre-school. She was an Ayorthian who was Ella's best friend. Parminder Nagra was totally underused and was wrongly pictured. There are lots of other wrong portrayals. READ THE BOOK AND FIND OUT.What i didn't like about this film is the old conventional way the plot follows. I didn't like the way the director took so little from the novel (apart from Ella and Char's characters) and pushed the story into a predictable fairytale. The main characters fall in love, the Evil man dies, the evil stepsisters suffer, the Evil Stepmother loses etc...However, from my not-so-friendly review so far, you would think i hated the movie. Although VERY VERY wrongly portrayed, i finally started to think it wasn't so bad after my 8th screening on my TV. I watched it 8 times, yes, 8 times before it got tolerable. I quite like the singing and i'm a sucker for romance, even if its just fairy-tale Prince-Princess thing.Anne Hathaway was alright as Ella, although she could have been more free-spirited and confident. Hugh Dancy was eye-candy to me...nothing special here except he's very handsome!! I happen to think Anne and Hugh would make a good couple! I enjoyed Slannen's performance and Jimi Mistrys too. Minnie Driver was the one i didn't like. I think this is one of her weakest performances yet. She absolutely sucked as Mandy (not to mention she is supposed to be plump).Overall, solid performances and a very typical fairy tale makes this movie a good one to watch over and over and over again. On rainy nights and sad times, this will cheer you up, although you might groan of predictable-ness. However, this is a very poor adaptation of the book and i would not recommend any one who has read the book to watch this movie. You might just puke.
movie vs. book
posted on 07 Mar 2009While although the movie was cute and at times entertaining it was NOTHING like the book. When I heard about this movie I thought it was going to be at least somewhat close to the novel is is based off of, but no. While the book is a children's book, it is wonderfully written and the story is amazing, I could picture everything in my head, and that is why I was disappointed with the movie. It was not like the book. If you have read the book, this movie will disappoint you greatly, but if you don't then it is not that bad of a movie. However if you do see the movie before reading the book, don't read the book, b/c it will only cause you to be disappointed in the movie.
Excellent and totally enjoyable.Reminiscent of Princess Bride.
posted on 27 Feb 2009Excellent and totally enjoyable..Reminiscent of Princess Bride.The movie gives us a good story and adventure to follow with both humor and sorrow.I took my 7 1/2 year old to it and we both enjoyed it. I plan to find the book and read it with him.Later that night we were listening to a song on the soft rock channel on TV and he heard the song "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and said wasn't that in the movie. It was and it was a great sing in the movie.Hope you all enjoy this great family film.
Very enjoyable - funny, witty, smart, and definitely "enchanting"
posted on 25 Feb 2009I have to agree with Roger Ebert (which I seldom do) on this one: `Ella Enchanted' is the best family film so far this year. I liked it a lot. The writing is smart and witty. The setting is stylistic without feeling plastic-y. The characters are daffy and very likable.When she was a baby, Ella of Frell was given the `gift' (haha) of obedience by the fairy Lucinda. Ella must do exactly as she is told, all the time. As she grows older, her gift (curse, really) poses problems when her widowed father remarries a snotty, stuck-up woman. The woman has two stepdaughters who uncover Ella's secret gift and use it against her. Ella finally decides to go out to find Lucinda and make her take back her gift. Along the way, she campaigns for the rights of ogres, giants, and elves, and falls in love with a handsome prince.A plot like that leaves a lot of room for adaptation to the big screen. Now, I haven't read the book (so I can't say if the movie `lives up' to the book) but I will say that the screenwriters did a terrific job. The script is often funny and very witty. (One of the funniest scenes is when Ella is in the giants' bar and reacting to their orders of `sing', `put some soul into it,' and `dance'.you don't want to miss this scene!) I also thought the pacing was excellent; I never felt bored and the movie lasted just the right amount of time. The look of this movie is also delightful, refreshing and easy on the eyes. Although everything is fairytale-like, from the buildings to the costumes, there is a sense of modernity that adds quirky style to the story.Despite the excellent writing and style, a movie like this can't succeed if we don't like the heroine, Ella. Well, the movie does succeed wonderfully because Anne Hathaway, who plays Ella, is likable, intelligent, charming, and beautiful. She is luminous with a big, funny smile. Hathaway's sweetness is one of the reasons why we are so entertained by the movie. (Imagine if Hilary Duff, who is not likable, not charming, and not as beautiful, played Ella. We'd probably wouldn't feel any sympathy for a ditzy, verbally-challenged, Hilary Duff version of Ella, and the movie would probably be awful.)Another reason this movie is so successful is its wealth of supporting characters. Prince Charmont (Hugh Dancy) is handsome, sweet, and also ver y likable. Dancy's chemistry with Hathaway is quite something to behold; these are two people so likable and sweet that we want very much for them to be together. Also adding to the delightful daffiness of the plot are Slannen the Elf (Aiden McArdle), Benny the Talking Book (Jimi Mistry), the evil Prince Edgar (Cary Elwes), his talking snake Heston, the household fairy Mandy (Minnie Driver), and Ella's two stepsisters Hattie and Olive. Although Hathaway is the clear star of the movie, the supporting characters add a real emotional depth to the story.Music is also a pretty big part of this movie and it works to a large extent, jazzing the movie up and inspiring the characters. This is a really great movie; I think anyone - children and adults - would like it a lot. You'll have a ball.
Just embarrassing...
posted on 12 Aug 2009To think that five pounds I spent could've fed 5 starving children...depressing. I didn't even want to see this movie in the 1st place. I was edging towards seeing "The incredible s" but my friend said it would be to childish so she insisted we saw this. I no longer speak to that friend. This is just about the most predictable movie ever, and as for the humour there wasn't a single laugh in the whole film. It was a brilliant idea for a movie and it could have been great. But it's just no more than a missed opportunity. However, I think girls about 4-7 will enjoy it but anyone older will just feel embarrassed about seeing this...ashamed even...