Anne Hathaway is the cheery spark in this glitzy girl's fantasy story from screenwriters Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith ("Legally Blonde").
Ella Enchanted (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 110
Fresh: 54
Rotten:56
Average Rating: 5.5/10
Consensus: Hathaway is a charming heroine, but the simple storyline gets overwhelmed by silly gimmickry.
Theatrical Release:Apr 9, 2004 Wide
Box Office: $22,811,339
Synopsis: Similar to SHREK and THE PRINCESS BRIDE, this fantasy adventure, based on a book by Gail Carson Levine, combines fairy tale with sly, 21st century pop humor. Teenage Ella (THE PRINCESS DIARIES'... Similar to SHREK and THE PRINCESS BRIDE, this fantasy adventure, based on a book by Gail Carson Levine, combines fairy tale with sly, 21st century pop humor. Teenage Ella (THE PRINCESS DIARIES' Anne Hathaway) lives in Frell, a magical place where humans, fairies, ogres, and other mythical folk peacefully coexist. However, when power-mad Prince Regent Edgar (Cary Elwes) passes laws that segregate humans from everyone else, Ella becomes determined to win equal rights for all. This task presents a challenge for anyone, but especially for Ella, who at birth was given the dubious gift of obedience by Lucinda (Vivica A. Fox), a fairy with an attitude. When she finds an ally, and love interest, in the almost-king Prince Charmont (Hugh Dancy), she invokes the ire of her witchy stepsister Hattie (Lucy Punch), who has figured out that Ella must obey any command. Between avoiding her stepsister, trying to break the spell, and restoring justice to the kingdom, will Ella find time for true love? The talented cast, featuring Eric Idle, Minnie Driver, Joanna Lumley, and Jimi Mistry, play up the jokes, including heartthrob posters of Prince Charmont from "Medieval Teen" magazine and a Middle Ages mall. Contemporary music, including songs sung by star Hathaway such as "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," and riotously colorful dance numbers, complement the anachronistic humor. With its mix of SLEEPING BEAUTY, CINDERELLA, and classic teen irony, ELLA ENCHANTED provides a timeless heroine. [More]
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Joanna Lumley, Cary Elwes
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Joanna Lumley, Cary Elwes, Steve Coogan, Eric Idle, Vivica A. Fox, Minnie Driver
Director: Tommy O'Haver
Director: Tommy O'Haver
Screenwriter: Laurie Craig, Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith, Michele J. Wolf, Jennifer Heath
Studio: Miramax Films
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Release:
Aug 24, 2004
Reviews for Ella Enchanted
The Narrator begins and ends the story talking about how fairy tales transport us to another place, but the sad fact is that Ella lets us stay right where we are.
Avoids a misstep common among girl-empowerment flicks, which often emasculate the male lead to make the heroine truly heroic manages to make both leads appealing.
The idea of mixing the modern with the medieval is a dubious Mulligan's stew -- and annoys quickly.
'El público seguramente quedará encantado por la inocencia, el humor y la magia de una película a la que seguramente el tiempo dará el lugar que merece.'
Mesmo pecando por ser convencional demais, este é um filme charmoso e bem-intencionado – e certamente fará grande sucesso entre as crianças.
A thoroughly charming performer with a bracing freshness about her that carries the film, [Hathaway] establishes credible chemistry with Brit thesp Dancy.
A sweet little anachronistic musical fairy tale along the lines of 'Shrek.'
Someone should tell O’Haver and the gaggle of writers it took to write this unenchanted mess that updated doesn’t have to mean washed-up and dumbed-down.
It looks tiring for a movie to flaunt its sense of irony as eagerly as Ella Enchanted while remaining so naive.
Looks an awful lot like "Shrek," down to the funky closing dance sequence.
An overcalculated fusion of Shrek and The Princess Bride with all the smarts replaced by smartass.
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