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Review #360 of 365
Movie Review of Happily N'Ever After (2007) [PG] 87 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $9.00
Where Viewed: Colorado Cinemas Cherry Creek 8, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 7 January 2007
Time: 7:20 p.m.
Film's Official Website
DVD Release Date: unscheduled
Directed by: Paul J. Bolger (debut)
Written by: Robert Moreland (Thunder Pig)
Featured Voice Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Sigourney Weaver (Infamous) • Sarah Michelle Gellar (The Return) • Freddie Prinze Jr. ("Boston Legal") • Andy Dick (Employee of the Month) • Wallace Shawn ("Crossing Jordan") • Patrick Warburton (Hoodwinked) • Michael McShane (Holly Hobbie and Friends: Christmas Wishes) • George Carlin (Cars)
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
The producer of Shrek and Shrek 2 has the dubious honor of releasing the first animated film of 2007 on the 'fairytail' end of what was inarguably the best year in the history of film for the genre of animated films. One thing the film has going for it box office-wise is a virtual dearth of competition during its weekend of release and most kids have already seen Happy Feet twelve times. Unfortunately, despite unusually grand 3D CGI animation that is fresh, inviting, and hip, the story is recycled from already-recycled animated film plots. Take the aforementioned Shrek, sift in a pound of 2006's first animated film of the year, Hoodwinked, toss in Shrek 2, douse it with a little of the Emperor's New Groove, season it with the old "Fractured Fairytales" from "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show", and out will come Happily N'Ever After. Much like the Shrek plots, H.N.A. takes on all fairytales, not just one. Here we learn that the reason for the good 'fairytale endings' of which we all grew so fond as wee people, is that a mighty wizard (voiced by George Carlin) keeps the balance between good an evil perfectly aligned using a special magical scale in Prince Humperdink's castle. Humperdink (voiced by Patrick Warburton) happens also to be the handsome prince after whom Ella, short for Cinderella (voiced by Ah Elle Ellar short for Sarah Michelle Gellar), lusts passionately much to the chagrin of royal servant to the Prince, a dude with a fiercely cool animated coif and much more obvious love interest for the very modern and hip Ella named Rick (voiced by Sara Michelle Gellar's real life husband Freddie Prinze, Jr.).
"The animation is superb, imaginative, luxurious, and pleasing eye candy. … too bad that the story is too predictable, overstuffed, and redundant."
All is well in Fairytale Land until the Wizard decides to go to Scotland on vacation to play golf leaving his two sidekicks Mambo, sort of a purple hipcat (voiced by Andy Dick), and Munk, sort of an orange miniature hippo-pig (voiced by Wallace Shawn), in charge. Munk is the dutiful and loyal sidekick, while Mambo is the troublemaker. They are the Goofus and Gallant of the kingdom. As Munk works tirelessly to maintain the chamber, Mambo fools around and causes trouble. He messes with the balance and makes it harder for each classic fairytale protagonist to reach that happy ending.
Rick and Ella? Does the star-struck couple have a chance?(Click Still Photo to Purchase)
At this, he has great fun. Eventually, however, he pushes too hard and knocks the magic orb of stories of its levitating orbit causing chaos and eventually revealing to Ella's wicked step mother, Frieda (voiced by Sigourney Weaver) the existence of the chamber and the magical staff and orb that keep the balance in all stories. Frieda, smelling opportunity, climbs the 400 stairs to the top of the castle, battles with Munk and Mambo over the staff, and eventually wrests control of the entire kingdom from its previous magic. As he learns she can bring woe and misery to each story, she does so with delight bringing all of her victims to their knees and then all of the stories' villains to the castle to do her evil bidding. Of course, her first and foremost priority will be to find and destroy Ella so that her daughter can marry the Prince and allow her to move into the castle! Poor Ella is so convinced that the Prince, whom fell for her at the ball after her Fairy Godmother turned into a beauty, can save the day and restore order by defeating Frieda. So, she spends a long time searching for him. Rick, on the other hand, believes that he and Ella can defeat Frieda without the Prince. Eventually, he will have to put his feelings aside to find the Prince and let him succeed or fail on his own before Ella might believe he's not as great as he's been cracked up to be opening the door of opportunity for Rick.
Prince Humperdink takes a regal look at his subjects.(Click Still Photo to Purchase)
The animation is superb, imaginative, luxurious, and pleasing eye candy. It's obvious the care and attention the animators put to details, inside jokes for grownups, and giving the film a unique style. The voicecasting for this film was also excellent. I don't know exactly how they did it, but the voices don't sound exactly like the real people. This is most notable with Sigourney Weaver whose amazingly distinctive voice is only recognizable at certain expressions. This added authenticity to the characters because it's easy when the voice actor is so obviously XYZ famous person to stop seeing the animated character and start seeing the real actor. If I hadn't known from advanced information who most of the voice actors were, I would have had a very hard time guessing most of them. Freddie Prinz Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar, also were outstanding as were Andy Dick and Wallace Shawn. It's only too bad that the story is too predictable, overstuffed, and redundant. I'd almost rather just see a remake of Cinderella, Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty. This collision of fairytales with a modern spin has been done too many times now to be as clever or as entertaining. Given the incredible stories of last year from Monster House to Happy Feet to Cars (which I still think was the best movie of 2006), I know there are writers out there with new stories and ideas to tell. The time has arrived where only the best and most innovative new stories will enter the ranks as legends of the animated film genre, and as the best films of last year demonstrated, perhaps the days of fairytales,fractured or modernized ones, are numbered. They've just been done too many times to be thought clever or entertaining N'ever again.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Happily N'Ever After (2007)
Cast Members
Sigourney Weaver
• Sarah Michelle Gellar • Freddie Prinze Jr.Andy Dick
• Wallace Shawn • Michael McShanePatrick Warburton
• George CarlinDirector
Paul J. Bolger
Writer
Robert Moreland
Happily N'Ever After (2007) Review-lite [150-word cap]
The producer of Shrek and Shrek 2 holds the dubious honor of releasing the first animated film of 2007 on the 'fairytail' end of what was inarguably the best year in the history of animated films. Unfortunately, despite unusually grand 3D CGI animation that is fresh, inviting, inventive, and hip, the story is recycled from already-recycled animated film plots. Like an old "Fractured Fairytales" episode from "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show", Happily N'Ever After takes us places we've just been too often before. It's obvious the care and attention the animators put to details, inside jokes, and giving the film a unique style. The voicecasting with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sigourney Weaver, and Freddie Prinz, Jr. also was excellent. Sadly, the story is too predictable, overstuffed, and redundant. This collision of fairytales with a modern spin has been done too many times to be thought clever or entertaining N'ever again.
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