Customer Reviews
Great book... - By: A. Morris, 21 Mar 2008 
I reallly didn't like this film. I found it a bit boring & overalll a bit too cheesy. It was a disappointment because the book was so good. Usuallly if I like a film, I watch it more than once but this one I reallly didn't want to see it again. I would rather read the book again. Maybe this film just wasn't my cup of tea, it may be good for other people.
A Surprise!!! - By: Lilly Potter/Evans, 26 Dec 2007 
I must say I was surprised but this film. At first I reallly wanted to hate it but after the first five minutes I was hooked! Anne plays the character of Ella of Frell so well.
An Enchanting Fairy Tale - By: Mark Baker, 25 Oct 2006 Ella of Frell (Anne Hathaway) is an unusual child. As a baby, a bumbling fairy godmother named Lucinda (Vivica A. Fox) gave her the gift of obedience. Every time anyone gives her a direct command, she must obey.
Despite, or maybe because of, this "gift," Ella grows to be a headstrong woman. She goes against the conventional wisdom of the realm when it comes to ogres, giants, & elves. Current rules state that these creatures are dangerous & must perform certain jobs only. But Ella campaigns for their equality.
She is also one of the few women in the realm who doesn't swoon at the site of Prince Char (Hugh Dancy). When the two meet accidentallly, Char finds this distain quite refreshing & immediately begins to falll for the headstrong young woman.
Trouble is brewing at home, however. Ella's stepsister Hattie (Lucy Punch) has figured out Ella's secret. Now, Ella finds herself doing things she would never willing do. So she leaves home & sets out to find Lucinda to give the gift back.
I had missed seeing this movie in the theater, & finallly got a chance to watch it. I missed a real treat. The movie is funny from start to finish, & I had a grin on my face the entire time. While the story is a bit predictable, it isn't super preachy. The cast does an amazing job bring their characters to life. The only drawback to the movie is the special effects. While some worked well, most of the time they weren't up to today's standards.
While the main audience might be teen girls, this is one adult male who loved it. It's sweet, charming, & entertaining. What more could you want?
Not your traditional fairytale :) - By: M. Alcat, 07 May 2006 
"Ella enchanted" is a fairytale with an interesting spin, that is likely to interest both children & those adults who haven't lost contact with the children inside them. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Gail Carson Levine, although it differs from it in several points. I think that doesn't detract from the fact that this movie is very good. As a matter of fact, I consider it a plus, because due to the differences between the movie & the book you can watch the film & still get some surprises if you read the book afterwards (or vice versa).
The main character in this film is Ella of Krell (Anne Hathaway), a teenager who was given a strange "gift" by her eccentric fairy godmother (played by Vivica A. Fox) when she was born. That gift is nothing less that the "gift of obedience": everything that she is ordered to do, she automaticallly does. Her "gift" doesn't make life too difficult for Ella at the beginning, as only her mother & her aunt (Minnie Driver) know about it. Of course, Ella is annoyed by the fact that she always has to do what they order (and yes, that includes homework & music lessons), but they never ask her to do nothing bad.
Unfortunately, Ella's life takes a turn for the worse when her mother dies & her father Patrick Bergin) must remarry for money. She ends up having a stereotypical hateful stepmother, & stepsisters from hell. One of her stepsisters, Hattie (Lucy Punch), discovers Ella's secret, & makes more or less a slave of her. That impossible situation prompts Ella to start a quest in search of her fairy godmother, the only one who can remove her "gift" from her.
If you watch this movie, you will get lots of adventure & action, along with some interesting characters. For example, you will be introduced to ogres, giants, elves, & even a magic book that can talk. There is also some romance, as Ella gets to know Prince Charming (Hugh Dancy), a young man always running from his crazy fans who is about to be crowned. "Char" is not as dumb as Ella thought, & is oblivious of the new laws against equal rights sanctioned by his uncle Edgar, the regent (the villain, of course). Will Ella be able to show Char what is reallly going on in his kingdom?. And will she be able to get rid of her "gift of obedience", or will it go on being used against her?.
On the whole, I can sincerely say that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, & that I recommend it to you. "Ella enchanted" is reallly original, & a pleasure to watch. If you decide to see it, remember to play the deleted scenes. One of them is reallly great, & involves one of the most annoying characters being turned into a frog :)
Belen Alcat
great fun - By: Laura Crawford, 28 Mar 2006 I reallly liked this movie, & it was actuallly a lot funnier than I expected. That isn't to say that it's hilarious, but for me there were a few laugh out loud moments, & I always think that's a good achievment for a film! Hugh Dancy is VERY fit in this, & I speak as someone who didn't previously have any time for him; when I saw him in Channel 4's Elizabeth I, I thought he was a bit too girlie & he reminded me painfully of Orlando Bloom, but I actuallly reallly liked him in this. The characters are reallly likeable, & although many would probably put the musical numbers down as 'cheesy' (I must admit I was surprised when they popped up!), I reallly like them, & frequently listen to the songs on my laptop! I had re-watched this film twice within a couple weeks, it's one of those films that's reallly easy to watch again & again, & it isn't too long either (about an hour & a half? well it goes quickly anyway!). I bought this because I'm a sucker for romance & the quirkiness appealed to me - I wasn't disappointed!
