ever after

Happily N'ever After (Widescreen Edition)
$14.98
Happily Never After / B000O58ZHQ

*Spoilers*

I kind of get the impression that "Happily Never After" was born after some marketing executives decided that the colossal success of Shrek stemmed mostly out of a 'mixed up fairy tales' plotline with constant references to known childhood tales, because that's what the movie feels like: a cheap, stripped-down version of "Shrek" with all the cleverness, emotion, and wit accidentally left out in the rush to video.

Perhaps I'm being unfair - I also get the impression that "Happily Never After" is a movie made for children, not adults, and thus I am not the target audience. And I'll admit that if you're just looking for something mindless and colorful to plop the kids in front of for the evening, you could pick a lot worse than "Happily Never After". But they'll get no points for originality from me - there's nothing here that hasn't already been done before, and better.

You'd really think that a 'mixed up fairy tale' type of movie could feature a strong heroine, and indeed "Shrek" certainly fit that bill, but I guess the makers of "Happily Never After" felt they weren't being classically "Disney" enough and decided to import the values of the 50's and 60's into their foray. The character of 'Ella' is painfully weak and insipid, and while the movie COULD have made the point that it's better to make your own destiny rather than wait around for fate to hand you some glass slippers and a ticket to the ball, as Rogers and Hammerstein did so well in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, they perplexingly choose not to. While Ella does get a couple of good kicks in against the baddies, the majority of her role is to slouch about waiting for someone to come marry her. Oh, sure, the movie swaps Prince Charming for the sweet and deserving servant boy, but in the end, Ella is still defined by her marriage to a "prince charming", just with the criteria for what constitutes the perfect husband swapped around.

A word should be said about the voice acting, and that word is, "HUH?". What happened here? I don't expect miracles from Geller or Prinze Jr., but Weaver is an incredible actress and yet all her lines sound painfully phoned-in. Rather than believe that she's somehow losing her touch, however, I choose to think that she shared my disdain for the plot and chose to convey her feelings via intentionally crummy voice-acting. Having now gotten all that out of my system, I have to note that the re-characterization of the seven dwarves as militia-style survivalists was one of the most amusing things I've seen in a children's movie lately, and was definitely the high point of the movie for me.

As I said before, "Happily Never After" is a movie that most young children will enjoy, and most parents will find tedious and stale. If you can get past the lackluster character of Ella, this isn't a terrible movie to pop in for the kids. But, really, I'd rather just show them "Shrek" a second time. Or, better yet, The Spiderwick Chronicles, where girls not only get to help with the action, they wield genuine swords.

Ever After - A Cinderella Story
$14.98
Cinderella stands squarely among the most re-told stories. Dozens of variations exist, but nearly all stay close to the basics: poor but hardworking girl, cruel step-family, and a magical boost into the prince's affections. This time, however, we skip the magic and see a lot of hard work on Cinderella's part, plus a little righteous collusion by the housekeepers still loyal to her and her late father. I like that - instead of magic, we see intelligence and determination; instead of a magical fairy godmother, we're treated to larcenous devotion by the staff that she has treated honorably. The conclusion means that much more when it comes from personal strength (and a strong throwing arm) rather than an effortless wave of a wand.

Huston does her usual spectacular job as wicked stepmother, and Megan Dodds does beautifully as the stepsister you love to hate. Barrymore really makes this movie, though, with just the right Charlie's Angel edge to the dutiful daughter. Not every movie can be one for the ages, though. Still, this one pulls well away from the pack through careful choice of which conventions need to be followed, and which need thorough flouting.

-- wiredweird

Ever After
$14.98
This is a chick flick. It's a wonderful Cinderella story that tweaks the historical imagination! The cinematography is beautiful! I'd recommend to everyone, even though I'm pretty certain that the guys won't be interested.

Ever After: A Cinderella Story
$14.98
Cinderella stands squarely among the most re-told stories. Dozens of variations exist, but nearly all stay close to the basics: poor but hardworking girl, cruel step-family, and a magical boost into the prince's affections. This time, however, we skip the magic and see a lot of hard work on Cinderella's part, plus a little righteous collusion by the housekeepers still loyal to her and her late father. I like that - instead of magic, we see intelligence and determination; instead of a magical fairy godmother, we're treated to larcenous devotion by the staff that she has treated honorably. The conclusion means that much more when it comes from personal strength (and a strong throwing arm) rather than an effortless wave of a wand.

Huston does her usual spectacular job as wicked stepmother, and Megan Dodds does beautifully as the stepsister you love to hate. Barrymore really makes this movie, though, with just the right Charlie's Angel edge to the dutiful daughter. Not every movie can be one for the ages, though. Still, this one pulls well away from the pack through careful choice of which conventions need to be followed, and which need thorough flouting.

-- wiredweird