Film Review: "Ella Enchanted"

Alright, so this movie is a little old, but it's the first time I've seen it so for those of you who are like me and a little behind the curve on certain films here's my 2c.

An entertainingly amusing twist on the typical Cinderella fairy tale. While all the primary elements of the familiar story eventually make an appearance and are present (two step-sisters, fairy godmother, pumpkin, coach, prince charming, glass slippers) some of them (most) find their way into the film in a very unconventional way.

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In this rendition of the story, Ella is a child that is given a "gift" from her fairy godmother at birth. She must obey anything she is directly "told" to do. She can't help but do what she's asked even if she knows it's not right. At one point her sisters discover this secret and exploit it for their own benefit. This sends Ella on a journey to find her irresponsible and often derelict godmother. With a talking book as her guide she befriends an elf along the way and they eventually stumble into the Prince.

As she searches for her godmother to take back the spell she runs into the Princes' uncle who is currently ruling the kingdom while the Prince comes of age. His goal is secretively to destroy the prince and become the king. With the help of Ellas' stepsisters he learns of Ella's "gift" and uses forces her to kill the prince. Of course you'll have to watch to figure out what happens but overall the film is a rolling good time for the whole family. Even my 7 year old son found it entertaining and thoroughly enjoyed it.

A few surprises, Anna Hathaway sings in this film twice and has a surprisingly amazing voice. Why she doesn't sing more is a real head scratcher. I think she actually puts several "POP divas" to shame.

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The blue screen effects are not Peter Jackson quality but are enough to pull off the desired effect. In Lord of the Rings when the hobbits enter the tavern of Bree and are mingling with the tall people it's hard to notice the effects and it's hard to see Elisha Wood and Sean Astin as anything but 3 feet tall. Here in Ella, it's actually pretty easy to see the difference and where the films overlap. This again is a minor gripe though as obviously we're not dealing with a LotR budget.

The fun part of this film are the modern niceties that show up in a medievil way. The man powered, hand cranked wheel that moves the down escalator at the "mall" for example. There is also a fun use of modern music much as in the cult classic "A Knight's Tale". The film ends with a cast performance of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".

"Ella Enchanted" is perhaps a bit of a parody of several popular films and is an "Ever After" meets "Robin Hood" (there's something very King John about Uncle Edgar) and overall this is a fun quirky twist to a classic tale that is fun for everyone.



Watch the trailer:

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