The surprisingly twisty plot skates along with zero friction, giving new meaning to 'Disney on Ice.'
Ice Princess (2005)
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Reviews Counted:28
Fresh:13
Rotten:15
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: This likable Disney film gets points for effort, but can't stick the landing when it comes to originality.
Theatrical Release:Mar 18, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $24,381,334
Synopsis: A teen misfit who never thought she'd fit in discovers her personal edge when she risks it all to pursue her dreams of figure skating, in Disney's inspirational family comedy, ICE PRINCESS. Rising... A teen misfit who never thought she'd fit in discovers her personal edge when she risks it all to pursue her dreams of figure skating, in Disney's inspirational family comedy, ICE PRINCESS. Rising star Michelle Trachtenberg ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "EuroTrip") stars as Casey Carlyle, the brainy bookworm who gives up a life devoted to schoolwork for a thrilling new world of axels, sit spins, best friends, boyfriends and cutthroat competition as she finds herself in the unlikely position of skating for gold. Daring to attempt what she thought was impossible, the once shy and awkward Casey discovers how to literally take flight. Casey is just trying to please her hard-working single mom (JOAN CUSACK), who's got her daughter on the fast track to Harvard, when she decides to do a report on the physics of figure skating. Having fantasized on her backyard pond about becoming an Olympic champion since she was a little girl, Casey is ecstatic, and nervous, to finally have a chance to meet the elite skaters at her local rink. What she doesn't know is that her whole existence is about to be sent for a wild spin when it turns out that Casey's smarts have helped her become a skating prodigy. Now, as she gets the chance to train with champion-in-the-making Gen Harwood (HAYDEN PANETTIERE) and Gen's famously tough coach and mother, Tina (KIM CATTRALL), Casey sets off on a fun, comedic and life-changing adventure that takes her into a world she never expected to experience. Not only does she get a crash course in the glamour, sweat and tears of skating competitions, she also gets her first taste of romance as she falls for Gen's teenage brother, the rink's hunky Zamboni driver, Teddy (TREVOR BLUMAS). As she trains with gritty determination, Casey's confidence begins to soar—but with the big championship looming, she is about to find out if she really has what it takes to leave her old life behind and truly become an ICE PRINCESS. Actors become skaters and skaters become actors in ICE PRINCESS, as Michelle Trachtenberg and Hayden Panettiere are joined on screen by such world-class athletes as five-time World Figure Skating Champion Michelle Kwan and Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano in cameo roles. Walt Disney Pictures presents ICE PRINCESS, directed by Tim Fywell ("I Capture the Castle") from a screenplay by Hadley Davis based on a story by Meg Cabot ("The Princess Diaries") and Davis. Bridget Johnson produces. Karen Glass and Kristin Burr oversaw production for Walt Disney Studios. William W. Wilson III is the executive producer. -- © Walt Disney Pictures [More]
Starring: Michelle Trachtenberg, Kim Cattrall, Joan Cusack, Hayden Panettiere
Starring: Michelle Trachtenberg, Kim Cattrall, Joan Cusack, Hayden Panettiere, Trevor Blumas
Director: Tim Fywell
Director: Tim Fywell
Story: Hadley Davis
Screenwriter: Hadley Davis
Producer: Bridget Johnson
Composer: Christophe Beck
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
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Release:
Jul 19, 2005
Reviews for Ice Princess
There are far too many cringe-inducing clichés and gaping plot holes.
The movie does have a strong sense of the special charisma and beauty of these young demons of grace who ride the thin line between dance and sport with unerring precision.
Trachtenberg is thoroughly believable, an unspoiled charmer. Her rise from clumsy girl to someone brimming with confidence and the author of one heckuva physics project, she's a pretty cool princess to root for.
Watching this week's world figure skating championships in Moscow, one wonders why the scriptwriters went to such artificial lengths. There's drama enough in the sport as it is.
A savvier movie (and script) might have been able to mix some grays into its black and white palette.
Take the teen makeover template, add ice, and you've got the latest piece of pandering entertainment from Walt Disney Pictures.
If you're wondering which way the movie is going, note that it isn't called Quadratic Equation Princess.
Although this is the kind of entertainment designed to send its audience home happy, Ice Princess has its share of stinging moments and has a good deal more edge than one might have expected.
Poor, suffering child; if something doesn't change, and fast, she might wind up studying physics at Harvard.
Harvard President Lawrence Summers recently touched off a firestorm by speculating on why more girls don't display an interest in science. He might consider Tim Fywell's Ice Princess Exhibit A.
All the parents in Ice Princess are pushy. Pushy-pushy-pushy. All the teens are squeaky clean. Squeaky-squeaky-squeaky.
Trachtenberg gives a sweetly compelling performance as Casey, as does the wonderfully kooky Cusack as her mother, but their charms can't save this painfully unoriginal movie from coming out of a triple toe loop and landing flat on its bottom.
Ice Princess proves that it's still possible to teach an old formula a few new tricks.
The movie paints such a gentle picture of the figure skating world that neither we nor Joan can stay resentful for long.
The movie works. I started by clicking off the obligatory scenes, and then somehow the film started to get to me, and I was surprised how entertained I was.
Parents and kids should be heartened to see a G-rated movie that is not dumbed-down or saccharine-sweet.
This tweener fantasy of athletic glory frantically tries to balance a decent sense of values against a market-savvy awareness.
Latest News for Ice Princess
June 17, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: "Fantastic Four" Clobbers Box Office Foes
Fox scored its first number one hit in five months with "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" which grossed an estimated $57.4M on its opening weekend, tripling... More...
January 16, 2006:
"Buffy" Gal to Have a "Black Christmas"
The lovely Ms. Michelle Trachtenberg, last seen as an "Ice Princess" and best known for her work on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," has signed to star in Glen... More...
November 17, 2005:
Oh It's Already Been Broughten (Part 3)
A fresh press release from Universal informs us that there will soon be a "Bring It On 3" to enjoy, but also reminds us that, hey yeah, there WAS a direct-to-video... More...
April 20, 2005:
Cusack and Peet Have a Favorite "Martian"
Described by The Hollywood Reporter as "a cross between E.T. and Parenthood" is the upcoming family film "The Martian Child." John Cusack ("High... More...
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