Princess

While not as polished as some recent big-screen releases on the same concept, Princess has its own brand of accessible fairy-tale charm for kids and tweens of today.

The modern characters are recognizable types and the princess appears as almost a human version of the best old-school Disney princesses, from her dark curls and dainty tiaras to the succession of gowns that will make any young princess-wannabee's heart beat faster.

A couple of things dragged my score for this flick down a couple of points: 1. The mystery behind the princess takes a long time to come to the fore, and 2. too much screen time is given to the not-very-interesting travails of our hapless hero, most likely to spare the limited CG budget.

Still, the scenery is gorgeous, the princess adorable and determined, and the story touches lightly on the motif that any girl, anywhere, might find her life-mission and her happiness.

William (Kip Pardue) arrives at the home of a west coast friend to couch surf for awhile. His last four jobs have not worked out and, luckily for him, his married pal and his very pregnant wife are more than happy to have him as their guest. Almost immediately, William is invited to attend a special fund raising ball at a nearby castle's grounds. Living at the castle is eccentric Princess Ithaca (Nora Zehetner) who, almost 25, has never had a date and spends most days at home, taking care of the gardens and animals that live on her property. Nevertheless, when the Princess appears, William notes her beauty. It seems the fund raising effort includes an auction for the "last dance" with Ithaca and a lunch date soon after. As the bidding goes higher, William calls out 50 grand! Its his inheritance and his only money. Joy of joy, he wins! Soon, the two are having their dance and making lunch plans. But, there is quite a mystery afoot as something Will said was a code for Ithaca to proclaim him her "searcher". What is that? Glimpses of mythical beings, from mermaids to werewolves to elves, also appear on the grounds of the castle, scaring and confusing Will. Is Ithaca truly interested in him romantically or is William about to be entangled in something more dangerous? This is quite a lovely film for young girls and ladies of all ages. Fantasy fans will enjoy it as well. Pardue and Zehetner make an attractive duo while the secondary cast supports them nicely. Naturally, the sets, costumes, and effects are quite good, as is the direction. As for the script, is has some hard-to-believe moments and far-fetched elements but, well, it is a fantasy, no? Thus, pick out Princess for the crew in the weeks ahead.

RELEASED TO TV IN 2008 and directed by Mark Rosman, "Princess: A Modern Fairytale" is a family flick about an amicable down-on-his-luck Princeton graduate (Kip Pardue) who impulsively bids his last capital on a date with a reclusive "princess" of an odd local chateau (Nora Zehetner). As he falls for her innocent charms he discerns that something decidedly peculiar is going on.

The protagonist has the agreeable appeal of Richard Thomas (aka John Boy in The Waltons), albeit taller. But I found it odd how he just rolled with the weird lingo and other things while dating the princess, like the perpetual talk of some mysterious "searcher." If you can get past that, this is a mildly enjoyable TV fantasy flick with some magic.

The noble manner in which William (Pardue) courts the princess is beautiful and heartwarming - the express opposite of picking up a dubious chick at some sleaze joint. Zehetner is certainly winsome, but doesn't do much for me personally, but there are worthy females on the periphery. The film's decent, but limited by its TV budget and inferior to "Prince Charming" (2001).

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hours & 28 minutes and was shot in Toronto. WRITERS: Heidi Ferrer.

GRADE: C+

I didn't expect much from this movie but it entailed everything you want in a romantic movie... I simply loved it

2 February 2012. This new version of Cinderella takes Anne Hathaway resemblance of The Princess Dairies (2001) and and the more mystical Enchanted (2007) along with a clever plot device to make a decently acted and delivered romantic fantasy. While the CGI special effects by today's standards transparent, this made for television movie is just that, a lower-budgeted version of full length featured films. With three apparent weaknesses including an inexplicable date setting, a brotherly hug which under the circumstances seems overly kind, and one of the cleanest homeless set that looks more like a theatrical set design, the overall movie is enjoyable and even clever in its first half of the movie as the plot twist is revealed, But, later part of the movie seems a little ragged, rushed, and the pacing somewhat uneven. Overall, this is one of those above average entertainment experiences worth catching if it becomes available.