Lacks the adult appeal of classics like "The Princess Bride"

Rating: 5/10 (3 July 2008)

Starting off a standard Walt Disney cartoon and then transforming into a live action movie, this is the story of 'true love' and those that would seek to deny it for their own reasons.
The one seeking to deny others the chance of true love is the handsome Prince Edward's step-mother, Queen Narissa (voiced and then played by Susan Sarandon). She's a nasty piece of work because she fears losing her title as "Queen" if her step-son marries the likely lass that has taken his fancy-Giselle. Hence, by magic the evil step-mother banishes Giselle to non-cartoon New York, in order to separate the would be lovers.
My main problem with this movie and the reason I am giving it a low score is that this movie is very much pitched towards children and lacks the cross-over appeal of such great "G" rated movies like "The princess bride" and "The Incredibles" (the former a classic and delightful comedy/fairy-tale, whilst the latter was a cartoon that I saw without great expectations and which impressed me). The latter films provide a reason to have kids!
The actress playing/voicing Giselle, along with the other fairytale originating characters, play the live action scenes as if they were in a pantomime. It's a performance pitched at the very youngest of audiences.
On the other hand, oddly, you get a very dour and "realist" performance by Patrick Dempsey (of the medicated soap "Grey's Anatomy", I think)-playing a character who complicates the situation with the would be lovers.
At times I felt this movie tending to drag and I found myself cringing at some of the musical numbers (I'm not that into musicals though). However, in the movie's favour, there were a around a handful of laughs to be had. The film does poke fun at the whole "fairytale" genre at times.
There were a lot children at this screening and whilst they weren't riotously entertained they did enjoy some musical numbers and jokes.
For the kiddies.