Sleeping Beauty Meets Snow White Meets Cinderella

Rating: 7/10 (17 August 2008)

In this fish-out-of-water Disney comedy, a cartoon princess (Amy Adams) residing in a bucolic fantasy world is sent to modern-day New York by her evil future mother-in-law, played in delightfully wicked fashion by Susan Sarandon. The princess's fiancé, Prince Edward (James Marsden) leaps into our world to rescue her. Meanwile, the princess, now flesh and blood and thoroughly lost in Manhattan, is taken in by a starchy but compassionate divorce lawyer (Pat Dempsey) who is himself divorced with a small daughter. Pretty soon, the evil queen also hits the bricks in hot pursuit of the princess. You can guess the rest. The film begins with a gorgeously animated segment that perfectly imitates the angular style of Disney's 1956 SLEEPING BEAUTY. The live action segment, which takes up most of the rest of this expensive production, never quite achieves the excitement and humor of the cartoon, and viewers are likely to get restless long before the conclusion. There are some intentionally sappy songs and a big dance number in Central Park, and I have to say the special effects throughout were top notch. While Adams as the live-action princess is no raving beauty, she brings a huge amount of energy and a sense of fun to her slightly daffy character. Disney made a very smart move in hiring a competent actress rather than a simple looker for the lead role. Another nice touch: the legendary Julie Andrews narrates. I gave the movie a fairly high rating mainly for that opening animated sequence and Adams' wonderful, wide-eyed NF.