Directed by:
Tommy O'HaverCinematography:
John de BormanCast:
Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes, Aidan McArdle, Joanna Lumley, Lucy Punch, Minnie Driver, Eric Idle, Steve Coogan, Jimi Mistry, Vivica A. Fox (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
On the day of her birth, Ella is given a gift by her Fairy Godmother -- the gift of obedience, which is also a curse. Under no circumstances can Ella refuse anything she is asked to do, no matter how wicked it may be. Tired of being taken advantage of, Ella, with a talking book as her companion, leaves home to find her Fairy Godmother and return her unwanted gift. This simple errand soon turns into an amazing journey filled with ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, elves, and the plotting of Prince Charmont's evil uncle who wants to take over the Crown and rule the kingdom. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (4)
Nice, crazy madness that already showed in 2004 that Anne Hathaway is a great actress and Hugh Dancy is a good second. Without them, it would be a waste. With them, however, it is a fine urban teen fantasy that occasionally entertains with its absurdity. It seems to me that similar crazy comedies used to be made in Hollywood before, but nowadays not even Ella barks after them.
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A really funny and sweet fairy tale that openly borrows from Shrek and The Princess Bride? Far from it... This is a harmless and completely trivial TV fairytale for a weekend morning. There are a couple of decent ideas, but the humor doesn’t work well, the characters are unlikeable and on top of that it looks like a downmarket Hallmark production.
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Maybe a bit of a "sleazy" fairy tale, but a funny one at that, and with Anne Hathaway to boot. But it is lacking a better story, imagination, and an aesthetic improvement...
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A cute and funny spectacle, which is really similar to Shrek and The Princess Bride and far from, say, the latest Snow White from Tarsem Singh. Anne Hathaway is not only charmed, but somehow charming as well, and the casting of the other roles is perfect. I particularly enjoyed Cary Elwes as the conniving uncle and the sensational Lucy Punch as the evil stepsister Hattie. The cover version of ‘‘Somebody To Love" is excellent, Eric Idle... is just Eric Idle.
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