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Sarah Michelle Gellar - "Happily N’Ever After" Movie - Gospelcom.net Review

Phil Boatwright

Saturday 27 January 2007, by Webmaster

Animated comedy from Lionsgate, with the voices of Sigourney Weaver, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Patrick Warburton. Written by Rob Moreland. Directed by Paul Bolgar.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Cinderella’s wicked stepmother takes control of the Fairy Tale world, creating havoc for all who dwell there, including the Seven Dwarfs, Little Red Riding Hood, and of course, Cindi. A wizard goes on vacation, leaving his two comic underlings in charge and telling them to maintain a balance of good and evil. But one of his minions is bored with all the happy endings until he learns what can happen when evil takes charge.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Those newly taken with light and sound coming from enormous flat screens will be the ones most enthralled, while older viewers may find the story subversive and the animation lackluster. That said, I didn’t find it as dismal as a great many reviews have proclaimed. Because it’s January, when we critics are used to the studios bringing out all the films that wouldn’t qualify for Oscar attention (many call this the dumping ground month), sometimes we are a bit too critical of new releases.

What lessons are incorporated seem confusing and lost in the comic (semi-comic) antics. But it has an interesting twist. Cinderella thinks she’s supposed to get the prince, not realizing that the commoner next door is the real hero.

First-time director Paul Bolgar and writer Rob Moreland (1998’s Ground Control, which examined the high-pressure world of air traffic controllers) don’t do anything outstanding, but they do try to entertain. And with character actors Wallace Shawn and Andy Dick as the inept servants of the wizard, well, there are bound to be at least a few funny moments. Kids at the matinee where I saw this one seemed to enjoy it, getting the biggest kick out of the self-centered (also inept) prince.

I was entertained and generally it takes more than light and sound coming from enormous flat screens to do that.