Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Anne Hathaway | ... | ||
Hugh Dancy | ... | ||
Cary Elwes | ... | ||
Aidan McArdle | ... | ||
Joanna Lumley | ... | ||
Lucy Punch | ... | ||
Jennifer Higham | ... | ||
Minnie Driver | ... | ||
Eric Idle | ... |
Narrator
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Steve Coogan | ... |
Heston
(voice)
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Jimi Mistry | ... | ||
Vivica A. Fox | ... | ||
Parminder Nagra | ... |
Areida
|
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Jim Carter | ... |
Nish
|
|
Patrick Bergin | ... |
Sir Peter
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Based on Gail Carson Levine's award winning novel, this is the story of Ella, a young woman who was given a "gift" of obedience by a fairy named Lucinda. She must obey anything anyone tells her to do. When her mother passes away, she is cared for by her thoughtless and greedy father who remarries a loathsome woman with two treacherous daughters. This modern-day, fantasy Cinderella story features fairies, ogres and elves...as well as a hero in the guise of Prince Charmont, whom Ella falls in love with. Unlike Cinderella though, she must depend on herself and her intelligence to get her through her troubles and find Lucinda in order for her "curse" to be broken! Written by M. C. Gomez
The story of young Ella who was given the gift of obedience is a very frustrating movie, it should be wild and charming and funny and the best thing since sliced bread, or if not sliced bread then The Princess Bride, but some how it doesn't quite work as whole.
The cast is game, the special effects are good and the direction seems to be mostly on target, but somewhere along the way the movie decided to be too hip, too happening, too many things all at once. Its a comedy, fantasy, adventure, musical and a few other things all at the same time. It has timeless humor and humor that is in danger of dating very badly. It feels some times like a TV movie for kids and at other times something that should be on the big screen for everyone. It doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. Somehow I think that there were too many people with too many ideas (good ideas) but no one to say too much is a bad thing.
I like this movie a lot, the pieces much more than the whole, but I can't help but wanting to beat up everyone involved in it because this should be so much better.
Six out of ten. Wait for video.