'ENCHANTED' SPELL WILL ONLY AFFECT ANNE'S FANS.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic 'ELLA ENCHANTED'' is the kind of movie that you want to like more than you actually do. It's hard to cast stones against this girl-power Cinderella tale, what with its positive message, spunky spunk·y adj. spunk·i·er, spunk·i·est Informal Spirited; plucky. spunk  i·ly adv. heroine and inoffensive whimsy whim·sy also whim·sey n. pl. whim·sies also whim·seys 1. An odd or fanciful idea; a whim. 2. A quaint or fanciful quality: stories full of whimsy. . But let me open up my bag of rocks anyway. How do you solve a problem like ``Ella''? Well, if you're going to update Gail Carson Levine's well-liked novel for today's young women, you might want to hire a writer and director to come up with a coherent, consistent vision. ``Ella'' comes to us by way of five writers, and it shows. The movie can't decide if it wants to be a ``Shrek''-like satire or a whimsical ``Princess Bride'' swashbuckler; so it gives us a diluted version of both, complete with gags about O.J. Simpson and Rodney King Rodney Glen King (born April 9, 1965 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an African-American taxicab driver who was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers (Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno and Sargent Stacey Koon) after being chased for speeding. that feel like they were written before medieval times. Five (credited) writers and you're riffing on Johnnie Cochran? Take my wife - please! Oh well. It's best not to get too worked up about it and just enjoy the movie's few inspired moments, such as when Eric Idle drops by and sings a song, or when a bitter elf bemoans his predestined pre·des·tine tr.v. pre·des·tined, pre·des·tin·ing, pre·des·tines 1. To fix upon, decide, or decree in advance; foreordain. 2. Theology To foreordain or elect by divine will or decree. fate of singing and dancing for The Man, which, in the film's world, usually involves taking some kitschy '70s song, marrying it to a benign dance beat and turning it into something that Britney Spears might have sung back in her Mouseketeer days. Ella (Anne Hathaway) is cursed. (The girl, not the movie. No more stone-throwing for now.) A fairy (Vivica Fox) cast a spell on Ella when she was a baby (why, we don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. ), giving her the ``gift of obedience.'' Ella does what she is told. Any and all phrases - ``bite me,'' ``stuff your face,'' ``hop to it'' - are taken literally, which results in much embarrassment, as well as a life generally spent doing things she doesn't want to do. An evil stepmother (``Absolutely Fabulous' '' Joanna Lumley) and a couple of spoiled stepsisters (Lucy Punch, Jennifer Higham) exploit Ella's predicament, forcing her to hit the road, find the fairy and remove the curse. (What took her so long?) On the way, Ella becomes involved with a cute prince (Hugh Dancy) and the aforementioned disgruntled dis·grun·tle tr.v. dis·grun·tled, dis·grun·tling, dis·grun·tles To make discontented. [dis- + gruntle, to grumble (from Middle English gruntelen; see elf (Aidan McArdle) and also finds herself in the middle of a weird subplot sub·plot n. 1. A plot subordinate to the main plot of a literary work or film. Also called counterplot, underplot. 2. A subdivision of a plot of land, especially a plot used for experimental purposes. involving the segregation of ogres and giants. Hathaway, with her perfect hair, impossibly brown eyes and admirable willingness to make herself look foolish, is the film's saving grace. ``Ella'' may be haphazardly conceived, but it's never horrible, largely thanks to her. Enchanted en·chant tr.v. en·chant·ed, en·chant·ing, en·chants 1. To cast a spell over; bewitch. 2. To attract and delight; entrance. See Synonyms at charm. , no, but I wouldn't begrudge be·grudge tr.v. be·grudged, be·grudg·ing, be·grudg·es 1. To envy the possession or enjoyment of: She begrudged him his youth. See Synonyms at envy. 2. any young girl from thinking so. Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com ELLA ENCHANTED - Two and one half stars (PG: some crude humor and language) Starring: Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Vivica Fox. Director: Tommy O'Shaver. Running time: 1 hr. 40 min. Playing: Wide release. In a nutshell: Part ``Shrek,'' part ``Princess Bride'' - without the wit or charm of either. But young girls may be enchanted all the same. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: While trying to rid herself of a curse, Anne Hathaway's character meets a prince (Hugh Dancy) in ``Ella Enchanted.'' |
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