Ella Enchanted (2004)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Tommy O'Haver

Writers (WGA):

Gail Carson Levine (novel)
Laurie Craig (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

9 April 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Get enchanted

Plot:

Ella is under a spell to be constantly obedient, a fact she must hide from her new step-family in order to protect the prince of the land, her friend for whom she's falling.

Plot Keywords:

Prince | Obedience | Ogre | Quest | Fairy Godmother

Awards:

1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 14	4:00 PM	ABCF
Sun. Nov. 15	1:30 PM	ABCF

Cast

Anne Hathaway	...	Ella
Hugh Dancy	...	Char
Cary Elwes	...	Edgar
Aidan McArdle	...	Slannen
Joanna Lumley	...	Dame Olga
Lucy Punch	...	Hattie
Jennifer Higham	...	Olive
Minnie Driver	...	Mandy
Eric Idle	...	Narrator
Steve Coogan	...	Heston (voice)
Jimi Mistry	...	Benny
Vivica A. Fox	...	Lucinda
Parminder Nagra	...	Areida
Jim Carter	...	Nish
Patrick Bergin	...	Sir Peter

MPAA:

Rated PG for some crude humor and language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA | Ireland | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #40090) | Malaysia:U | Netherlands:6 | Portugal:M/6 | Germany:o.Al. | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:G | Finland:K-7 | Ireland:PG | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios - Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Several references are made to Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) including "It's only a scratch" and the line about rabbits rarely attacking anyone. Eric Idle, of course, is the narrator and one of the members of the Monty Python team.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Slannen the elf frees Ella from prison, Ella opens Benny to find out where Edgar is. When she opens the book she opens to the first page. In the next shot the book's pages have been opened to the middle.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Fairy tales tell, as their labels imply / Stories of magic, of creatures that fly / With giants and dragons and ogres and elves / And inanimate objects that speak for themselves / There's romance and danger and plotting of schemes / There's good guys...

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Magical World of 'Ella Enchanted' (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Sona Sona

This almost works...

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.