Let me start out by saying: I am a Brendan Frasier fan. I am not a hardcore Brendan Frasier fan, but I have been known to watch Brendan Frasier movies simply because I know he is in them. This list would include The Mummy, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Blast from the Past and Encino Man.
That being said, I think I owe it all to this little gem of a movie, George of the Jungle, and this movie has probably become one of my favorite movies of all time, in that stealthy, Princess Bride sort of way. You know: whenever you ask someone what their favorite movie is, they never say, "The Princess Bride", but whenever you mention it everyone says, "I love that movie!"
The Good:
- Brendan Frasier brings everything to this movie. Not only his goofiness, but his willingness to really sink in to the spirit of the character and, frankly, make a ham of himself
- Leslie Mann (Ursula), Thomas Haden Church (Lyle), John Cleese (Ape), and all the rest of the supporting actors likewise give themselves over to the roles and the genre and contribute to a totally cheesy but utterly worthwhile movie.
- Kids love this movie. Or at least, my kids love this movie, which is what matters to me. I can't tell you how many Saturday mornings this movie has gotten me through, because invariably mentioning George of the Jungle results in me being able to 'nap' on the couch for 90 minute while the kids bounce and jump.
- The movie is totally clean. Thanks to the genre of the movie, the worst word spoken on screen is 'poopie' - uttered by the horrible, stinky, really bad guy, Lyle. There are a couple of fart gags, but I don't have a problem with that.
- The soundtrack is excellent, and if it wasn't 'rare' (read 'expensive) I would own a copy.
- Okay, scratch that. I found a used 'good' copy on Amazon for under $9 with shipping. Buying....NOW.
The Bad:
- I got nothing.
Best Scene:
Okay, the best scene in the entire movie is the seduction scene at the waterfall. Once again, Brendan Frasier wholly commits to his role, and the background music (Marvin Gaye's "Let's get it on") comes in at the perfect moment.
Don't Miss:
- Lyle calling Kwame ("Quah-may") "Quaym".
Quotable Lines:
- "Funny lookin' fella." and also "Somethin' wrong with this fella!" - George
- "George go investigate!" - George
- "Meanwhile, at a very large and expensive waterfall set..." - Narrator
- "Pretty DARN good!" - George
- "Thank you Gunter, Gunner, Hans, Franz, and Phil." - Lyle
Personal Note:
Those of you who know my brother will find this funny: when the movie came out, the lead character was favorably compared with him, especially since he had just bleached his (long) hair for prom, and was prone to running around barefoot, although not (usually) bare-chested or sporting a 'butt-flap'.
Final Grade:
Overall, I'd have to give this movie an A+. The only way this movie fails is if you are looking for a serious or deep movie. Since that is rarely the case with me, I can find no fault with it, and whole-heartedly recommend it for your movie library.
Showing posts with label movie review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie review. Show all posts
2008-12-25
Gaaaaaaaaaay
Okay, fair warning. I have a disclaimer up on this blog that I might utter the occasional vulgarity, and I've never taken advantage of it yet, but I just got done watching Prince Caspian (I know, I know, it's only been out since May or something) and I am officially shitting on this movie.
*ahem*
shit shit shitty shit shit!
Okay, I understand artistic license. I understand rewriting, adding and deleting things that make the movie move fast enough to fit enough of the story into the time alotted. I understand cutting out and/or rewriting most of Trumpkin's flashback and the back story with Caspian. I understand that visual effects can be tweaked at the microscopic level until the director is perfectly satisfied, whereas dialogue relies on the ability of the actors to deliver it and (more importantly) the director to direct it. But COME ON!!1!
This is how I imagine the discussions went when they were putting this movie together:
"Okay, so we have this book that's pretty popular, and we already did the first one as a movie and it did pretty well, so we're going to do this one now too, I guess. The setting is okay, we'll keep that. And there are some really good moments in the plot. We'll keep those, and pad them out with a bunch of good CG and stuff, yeah. The characters are okay, but they're not angsty enough. Emo is all the rage now, so lets emo them up, but maybe with a touch of rage and teenage angst. Yeah, angst! That's what this book needs! Ooh, and angst goes really well with fighting, so we'll throw in a bunch of that. Oh, I guess there's already a bunch of that. Oh well, that fighting is crap. We'll and add a bunch more, so that we can make the characters more angsty!"
Note that the following points contain spoilers for those of you who have read the book but not seen the movie and still care.
GRRRRRRR.
- The kids discovering Caire Paravel (sp?) - Compressed
- The scene with the white witch, the hag and the werewolf - Altered
- The 'harrowing of the shire' - as it were at the end of the book. (You know, with the schoolkids turning into pigs, &c.) - Cut
- Susan: "I didn't really want to come to Narnia anyway! Waah!"
- The Narnian council on the dancing lawn - Mangled
- Lucy not saying "I told you so," or more appropriately, Peter congratulating Lucy on not saying "I told you so": CUT
- Lucy's vision of Aslan and the trees: Destroyed
- Lucy telling the others that she had to go with Aslan whether they followed or not: CUT
- Trumpkin's first encounter with Aslan: Mashed
- Peter acting like a high-king, and not some angry, testosterone high pissant, anxious to get into a pissing contest at every opportunity: TOTALLY DESTROYED
- The end of the duel between Peter and Miraz - Mangled = "His life is not mine to take. But it is Caspian's! Here ya go buddy! Derm-dee-derm-derm."
- Xena - I mean "Susan" - The Warrior Princess - WTF!!!?
- Um, yeah, the whole middle third of the movie with them attacking Miraz' castle - WTF x 2!
- No, seriously, I couldn't stop wanting to slam my forehead into a brick wall throughout the entirity of that 'act'. I mean, C'MON!! - WTF again.
- And REALLY? Miraz' wife SHOOTS Caspian? REALLY!?!>!
- "I know, let's give the Narnians FIGHTER JETS! Yeah! We can have DWARVES, hanging from GRYPHONS, shooting their BOWS and ARROWS! It'll be KICK-ASS! And then- and THEN, we can give the Telmarines ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS! YEAH! DOUBLE KICK-ASS!!!"
- "OOH! OOH! And we'll have the fawns doing PARKOUR!!@!" - {writer wets himself}
- "And let's have the NARNIANS destroy Aslan's How, as part of this grand strategy, even though all of the angstiness of this miserably rewritten plot revolves around how they have NO STRATEGY! YEAH!!"
- "WE HAVE TO GO FIND ASLAN!!!" - WTFingF!
- Susan and Caspian - The star crossed lovers. I guess it's forgivable, but still...
- "Yeah, that little door they walk through in the book is SOOO CG-poor. Let's make it a TREE!!" - Boooo
- And WTF was up with that MUSIC? Singing? SINGING!? What is this, a DISNEY MOV- Oooooh, riiiight.
- Remember in Fellowship of the Ring, when they made it to Lothlorien, and everything is supposed to be golden and bright, and instead Peter Jackson did the whole thing like it was in moonlight? Think of that, and you have the exact opposite of what happened with the scene with Lusy and the trees.I really REALLY wish they had had the balls to just do the scene, with Lucy, and the dancing trees, and Aslan, and the moonlight, and everything not quite solid enough to be sure, but so so close.
- The River King or whatever he is asking Aslan to loose his bonds, at which point the bridge is destoyed. I was waiting for that line. What ev.
- No Bacchus? Forgiveable, I suppose, but disappointing that they left out the whole 'fun' part. And besides, as an uncle I feel bad for JP's namesake being left out.
- The TREES! The trees are supposed to sweep across the landscape like a sea, not like a scraggly little mob!
- Oh Reepicheep. Oh poor, poor Reepicheep. You were such a cool character. And then this movie happened. And Lucy summed it up all to well: You were very cute. With your little, big, manly voice that sounded nothing like the way it was described in the book. *sigh*
It's like they spent the whole time rewriting the script to build up to this great scene, but the scene never came.
And finally, let's take out any insinuation at all that Aslan knows what he's doing and is in control of things. You know, we have to prove ourselves to him, and it's up to us, even though we're not enough. Let's take out any touch of good theology that that crazy old Christian guy who wrote the book migh have put into it, and instead let's make it about self esteem and feeling good!
Okay, I'll stop now. But let me just say this one last thing: If you haven't already seen the movie, just....just don't. Wait until Dawn Treader comes out. Maybe - apparently Disney isn't going to be involved in this one - just maybe it won't suck. Which would be nice, because it isn't my least favorite of the Narnia books like PC is.
*ahem*
shit shit shitty shit shit!
Okay, I understand artistic license. I understand rewriting, adding and deleting things that make the movie move fast enough to fit enough of the story into the time alotted. I understand cutting out and/or rewriting most of Trumpkin's flashback and the back story with Caspian. I understand that visual effects can be tweaked at the microscopic level until the director is perfectly satisfied, whereas dialogue relies on the ability of the actors to deliver it and (more importantly) the director to direct it. But COME ON!!1!
This is how I imagine the discussions went when they were putting this movie together:
"Okay, so we have this book that's pretty popular, and we already did the first one as a movie and it did pretty well, so we're going to do this one now too, I guess. The setting is okay, we'll keep that. And there are some really good moments in the plot. We'll keep those, and pad them out with a bunch of good CG and stuff, yeah. The characters are okay, but they're not angsty enough. Emo is all the rage now, so lets emo them up, but maybe with a touch of rage and teenage angst. Yeah, angst! That's what this book needs! Ooh, and angst goes really well with fighting, so we'll throw in a bunch of that. Oh, I guess there's already a bunch of that. Oh well, that fighting is crap. We'll and add a bunch more, so that we can make the characters more angsty!"
Note that the following points contain spoilers for those of you who have read the book but not seen the movie and still care.
GRRRRRRR.
Forgivable edits:
- The kids discovering Caire Paravel (sp?) - Compressed
- The scene with the white witch, the hag and the werewolf - Altered
- The 'harrowing of the shire' - as it were at the end of the book. (You know, with the schoolkids turning into pigs, &c.) - Cut
Key scenes/dialogue points that they should have just left intact:
- Susan: "I didn't really want to come to Narnia anyway! Waah!"
- The Narnian council on the dancing lawn - Mangled
- Lucy not saying "I told you so," or more appropriately, Peter congratulating Lucy on not saying "I told you so": CUT
- Lucy's vision of Aslan and the trees: Destroyed
- Lucy telling the others that she had to go with Aslan whether they followed or not: CUT
- Trumpkin's first encounter with Aslan: Mashed
- Peter acting like a high-king, and not some angry, testosterone high pissant, anxious to get into a pissing contest at every opportunity: TOTALLY DESTROYED
- The end of the duel between Peter and Miraz - Mangled = "His life is not mine to take. But it is Caspian's! Here ya go buddy! Derm-dee-derm-derm."
Stupid additions:
- Xena - I mean "Susan" - The Warrior Princess - WTF!!!?
- Um, yeah, the whole middle third of the movie with them attacking Miraz' castle - WTF x 2!
- No, seriously, I couldn't stop wanting to slam my forehead into a brick wall throughout the entirity of that 'act'. I mean, C'MON!! - WTF again.
- And REALLY? Miraz' wife SHOOTS Caspian? REALLY!?!>!
- "I know, let's give the Narnians FIGHTER JETS! Yeah! We can have DWARVES, hanging from GRYPHONS, shooting their BOWS and ARROWS! It'll be KICK-ASS! And then- and THEN, we can give the Telmarines ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS! YEAH! DOUBLE KICK-ASS!!!"
- "OOH! OOH! And we'll have the fawns doing PARKOUR!!@!" - {writer wets himself}
- "And let's have the NARNIANS destroy Aslan's How, as part of this grand strategy, even though all of the angstiness of this miserably rewritten plot revolves around how they have NO STRATEGY! YEAH!!"
- "WE HAVE TO GO FIND ASLAN!!!" - WTFingF!
- Susan and Caspian - The star crossed lovers. I guess it's forgivable, but still...
- "Yeah, that little door they walk through in the book is SOOO CG-poor. Let's make it a TREE!!" - Boooo
- And WTF was up with that MUSIC? Singing? SINGING!? What is this, a DISNEY MOV- Oooooh, riiiight.
Scenes/lines I really wanted to see done well and was left with blue (eye) balls:
- Remember in Fellowship of the Ring, when they made it to Lothlorien, and everything is supposed to be golden and bright, and instead Peter Jackson did the whole thing like it was in moonlight? Think of that, and you have the exact opposite of what happened with the scene with Lusy and the trees.I really REALLY wish they had had the balls to just do the scene, with Lucy, and the dancing trees, and Aslan, and the moonlight, and everything not quite solid enough to be sure, but so so close.
- The River King or whatever he is asking Aslan to loose his bonds, at which point the bridge is destoyed. I was waiting for that line. What ev.
- No Bacchus? Forgiveable, I suppose, but disappointing that they left out the whole 'fun' part. And besides, as an uncle I feel bad for JP's namesake being left out.
- The TREES! The trees are supposed to sweep across the landscape like a sea, not like a scraggly little mob!
- Oh Reepicheep. Oh poor, poor Reepicheep. You were such a cool character. And then this movie happened. And Lucy summed it up all to well: You were very cute. With your little, big, manly voice that sounded nothing like the way it was described in the book. *sigh*
It's like they spent the whole time rewriting the script to build up to this great scene, but the scene never came.
And finally, let's take out any insinuation at all that Aslan knows what he's doing and is in control of things. You know, we have to prove ourselves to him, and it's up to us, even though we're not enough. Let's take out any touch of good theology that that crazy old Christian guy who wrote the book migh have put into it, and instead let's make it about self esteem and feeling good!
Okay, I'll stop now. But let me just say this one last thing: If you haven't already seen the movie, just....just don't. Wait until Dawn Treader comes out. Maybe - apparently Disney isn't going to be involved in this one - just maybe it won't suck. Which would be nice, because it isn't my least favorite of the Narnia books like PC is.
2008-12-01
More thoughts on Star Wars
I already posted about why John Williams is the man. Here are a couple more thoughts about why Old Star Wars (OSW - episodes iv, v and vi) is and will probably always be better than New Star Wars (NSW - episodes i, ii and aiaiai):
But I noticed in OSW (pronounce 'ohsue') that Lucas almost completely avoids accents. Yes, there are a few notable exceptions: The Imperial Moffs and officers speak with a British accent; the Rebels speak with a flat, American accent (which goes unnoticed by us Americans, but I'm sure the Brits pick up on it). Rather, in OSW Lucas leans more on language to get across the differences in race. In the cantina in the semi-beginning of Ep IV, Greedo and Han carry out a bilingual dialogue; Jabba the Hutt speaks Huttese; Chewie...doesn't really 'speak' so much as rumble; even R2 has his own 'language' that requires C-3PO's translations most of the time.
This leads me to two conclusions:
1) OSW was written toward a more adult audience, who were expected to be able to read the subtitles. This idea is also reflected in the slightly darker look of the movies (contrast any scene in OSW with any scene from Naboo in Ep I), the more mature/developed characters (contrast the old, serious, but peaceful Obi-wan with the young, grumpy, almost comical Obi-wan), and the somewhat sex-charged dialogue between Han and Leia (contrast with just about any conversation anywhere between Anakin and Padmedala).
2) By virtue of actually having a role to fill, C-3PO avoids falling into the same category as Jar Jar Binks : that of the annoying side-kick with no real purpose but comedy. Instead, C-3PO is a vital part of the group's communications with several important characters: Jabba, the Ewoks, R2, etc. If Jar Jar had had a redeeming role to fill, perhaps he would have fallen more into the droid's 'annoying but loveable' category, rather than becoming the bane of the first movie.
3) Lucas, if you're going to make movies aimed at a younger audience, you should really leave out the dismemberment followed by burning. Wife and I were both rather dismayed to see kids in the audience at the end of Ep III.
I know, everone who wishes he were a Jedi will disagree with me. But watching the trilogy for the first time as adults, wife and I were both struck by how funny the banter between the two is as Han tries to convince Leia that she's in love with him, and Leia tries to convince Han that she's not.
Pontification the First
I have heard several people complain about the 'accentual stereotyping' done by Lucas in NSW (pronounced 'ensue', if you will): The Gungans speak a form of pidgin that stereotypes them as indigenous, ignorant, tribal people; the evil Galactic Trade Federation speaks with a heavy 'Asian' accent; the unshaven, brutal, slave-owning Watto speaks with a Middle-Eastern accent. I could hear the stereotyping, but it never bothered me because, while I don't believe in all of Lucas' visions, I don't think he did it to be malicious, but rather that he did it because that's the stereotype that lives in his mind, and as such it's how his vision played out.But I noticed in OSW (pronounce 'ohsue') that Lucas almost completely avoids accents. Yes, there are a few notable exceptions: The Imperial Moffs and officers speak with a British accent; the Rebels speak with a flat, American accent (which goes unnoticed by us Americans, but I'm sure the Brits pick up on it). Rather, in OSW Lucas leans more on language to get across the differences in race. In the cantina in the semi-beginning of Ep IV, Greedo and Han carry out a bilingual dialogue; Jabba the Hutt speaks Huttese; Chewie...doesn't really 'speak' so much as rumble; even R2 has his own 'language' that requires C-3PO's translations most of the time.
This leads me to two conclusions:
1) OSW was written toward a more adult audience, who were expected to be able to read the subtitles. This idea is also reflected in the slightly darker look of the movies (contrast any scene in OSW with any scene from Naboo in Ep I), the more mature/developed characters (contrast the old, serious, but peaceful Obi-wan with the young, grumpy, almost comical Obi-wan), and the somewhat sex-charged dialogue between Han and Leia (contrast with just about any conversation anywhere between Anakin and Padmedala).
2) By virtue of actually having a role to fill, C-3PO avoids falling into the same category as Jar Jar Binks : that of the annoying side-kick with no real purpose but comedy. Instead, C-3PO is a vital part of the group's communications with several important characters: Jabba, the Ewoks, R2, etc. If Jar Jar had had a redeeming role to fill, perhaps he would have fallen more into the droid's 'annoying but loveable' category, rather than becoming the bane of the first movie.
3) Lucas, if you're going to make movies aimed at a younger audience, you should really leave out the dismemberment followed by burning. Wife and I were both rather dismayed to see kids in the audience at the end of Ep III.
Pontification the Second
Han and Leia are the best part of the movies.I know, everone who wishes he were a Jedi will disagree with me. But watching the trilogy for the first time as adults, wife and I were both struck by how funny the banter between the two is as Han tries to convince Leia that she's in love with him, and Leia tries to convince Han that she's not.
2007-12-06
Movie Review: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Last night we watched the first Tomb Raider movie (yes, they apparently made a sequel), and I have to say that it is almost everything I expected. The almost lies in the fact that they didn't pay nearly as much attention to Angelina Jolie's breasts as one might have expected them to. But I get ahead of myself.
Some time in the mid 90's, Core Design created a brilliant game starring Lara Croft, the female version of Indiana Jones, sans whip, and plus guns. As I noted, the first game was brilliant (at least what I played of it) with great (for the time) visuals, fun game play, clever puzzles, and the occasional pistol-whipping of random animals like killer bears and wolves and stuff.
The following games - as my impression lies - became less and less about puzzles and more and more about shooting things and, yes, Lara's breasts. Hence the eventual nickname adopted for the series: Boob Raider.
Apon hearing about the original Tomb Raider movie several years ago, my friends and I never questioned that there would be two stars: Angelina's right and left breasts. And as such, attempting to at least give the impression of not being wholly driven by sexual urges, we never went to see it.
So when my wife checked it out of the library last night, I figured it might actually be fun to watch. I mean, Angelina Jolie isn't actually a bad actress, for all that she tends to get cast for her looks.
I have to say that the movie has everything that such a movie should have: reasonably bad acting, cheesy dialog, obviously fake stunts, excessive special effects, crazy gadgets, magical talismans (talismen?), a sappy attempt to make the main character 'deep', and lots of stuff getting destroyed. In fact, I would say that rather than the stars being various anatomical tidbits, the real star of the show was Angelina Jolie's ability to keep a straight face. You could probably make a drinking game out of it: Any time Lara smirks when someone destroys something, take a drink; no, that would be excessive...
This movie has nothing to recommend it unless you are looking for a good kampy romp co-starring Daniel Craig (the most recent James Bond) with a really bad American accent. Also, bear in mind that it may promote destructive tendencies, since Lara apparently has a hard time not destroying anything she touches.
I give this movie 3 Cheeses, since it really can't qualify for a Sneeze rating, either positive or negative.
Oh, and in case you're wondering: Yes, the shorts + holsters do look as dorky in real life as they did in the game.
Some time in the mid 90's, Core Design created a brilliant game starring Lara Croft, the female version of Indiana Jones, sans whip, and plus guns. As I noted, the first game was brilliant (at least what I played of it) with great (for the time) visuals, fun game play, clever puzzles, and the occasional pistol-whipping of random animals like killer bears and wolves and stuff.
The following games - as my impression lies - became less and less about puzzles and more and more about shooting things and, yes, Lara's breasts. Hence the eventual nickname adopted for the series: Boob Raider.
Apon hearing about the original Tomb Raider movie several years ago, my friends and I never questioned that there would be two stars: Angelina's right and left breasts. And as such, attempting to at least give the impression of not being wholly driven by sexual urges, we never went to see it.
So when my wife checked it out of the library last night, I figured it might actually be fun to watch. I mean, Angelina Jolie isn't actually a bad actress, for all that she tends to get cast for her looks.
I have to say that the movie has everything that such a movie should have: reasonably bad acting, cheesy dialog, obviously fake stunts, excessive special effects, crazy gadgets, magical talismans (talismen?), a sappy attempt to make the main character 'deep', and lots of stuff getting destroyed. In fact, I would say that rather than the stars being various anatomical tidbits, the real star of the show was Angelina Jolie's ability to keep a straight face. You could probably make a drinking game out of it: Any time Lara smirks when someone destroys something, take a drink; no, that would be excessive...
This movie has nothing to recommend it unless you are looking for a good kampy romp co-starring Daniel Craig (the most recent James Bond) with a really bad American accent. Also, bear in mind that it may promote destructive tendencies, since Lara apparently has a hard time not destroying anything she touches.
I give this movie 3 Cheeses, since it really can't qualify for a Sneeze rating, either positive or negative.
Oh, and in case you're wondering: Yes, the shorts + holsters do look as dorky in real life as they did in the game.
2007-11-26
Movie Recommendation: Enchanted - 3 sneezes
Well, we had a rare opportunity to go to a real movie at a real theatre this weekend, and at Jess' recommendation we went to see the new release Enchanted, and at this point I think I can wholeheartedly recommend the movie.
Story: 2 Sneezes - a little predictable, but not to bad regardless
Technical Details: 2 Sneezes - good music, good visual effects
Acting: 3 Sneezes - excellent role-playing by the fairytale characters
Humor: 3 Sneezes - several good laugh out loud moments
Family Friendly: 2 Sneezes - Good morals, good parenting
It begins in a perfect spoof of any Disney fairy tale movie, right down to the 2d, hand-drawn animation, and the princess-to-be in her woodland house with her woodland animal friends singing about love. But 15 minutes into the movie, the princess is thrown down an enchanted well and ends up in live-action New York City. The plot unfolds as the prince attempts to rescue her, and the people she meets in NYC try to help who they think is a very nice nutjob.
High points of the movie include:
- Acting: Amy Adams (Giselle) and James Marsden (Prince Edward, also played Cyclops in X-Men) do an excellent job of wholeheartedly throwing themselves into the roles of a fairlytale princess and prince in real life. And Patrick Dempsey does a good job of playing the skeptical New Yorker who is trying to be nice while still being a good dad.
- Morals: In true classic Disney form, no one sleeps with anyone else in the movie, and it does a decent job in handling divorce and even the idea of "happily ever after". The dad character is actually portrayed as a good father and a worthy hero. SPOILER:Even though the guy from NY is dating someone while he falls in love with the princess, they are not engaged, so there aren't even any vows broken END SPOILER
- The film does a good job of making evil evil and good good.
I'm suppose I should caveat that the ending might be a little scary for little kids, since the evil queen turns into a dragon, but children over the age of five would probably be okay, since there is nothing particularly grotesque about it (she is a very pretty evil magic dragon).
Story: 2 Sneezes - a little predictable, but not to bad regardless
Technical Details: 2 Sneezes - good music, good visual effects
Acting: 3 Sneezes - excellent role-playing by the fairytale characters
Humor: 3 Sneezes - several good laugh out loud moments
Family Friendly: 2 Sneezes - Good morals, good parenting
It begins in a perfect spoof of any Disney fairy tale movie, right down to the 2d, hand-drawn animation, and the princess-to-be in her woodland house with her woodland animal friends singing about love. But 15 minutes into the movie, the princess is thrown down an enchanted well and ends up in live-action New York City. The plot unfolds as the prince attempts to rescue her, and the people she meets in NYC try to help who they think is a very nice nutjob.
High points of the movie include:
- Acting: Amy Adams (Giselle) and James Marsden (Prince Edward, also played Cyclops in X-Men) do an excellent job of wholeheartedly throwing themselves into the roles of a fairlytale princess and prince in real life. And Patrick Dempsey does a good job of playing the skeptical New Yorker who is trying to be nice while still being a good dad.
- Morals: In true classic Disney form, no one sleeps with anyone else in the movie, and it does a decent job in handling divorce and even the idea of "happily ever after". The dad character is actually portrayed as a good father and a worthy hero. SPOILER:Even though the guy from NY is dating someone while he falls in love with the princess, they are not engaged, so there aren't even any vows broken END SPOILER
- The film does a good job of making evil evil and good good.
I'm suppose I should caveat that the ending might be a little scary for little kids, since the evil queen turns into a dragon, but children over the age of five would probably be okay, since there is nothing particularly grotesque about it (she is a very pretty evil magic dragon).
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