Got a lot going for it...

Rating: 7/10 (26 March 2008)

I warned against spoilers because honestly I'm not sure what some people consider one.
The good news is, this is a lot like a trip to Disneyland without the lines. The bad news is, it's also like a trip there without any rides. In short, it has all the cloying sickly sweetness of the theme park in spite of trying to laugh at itself. It could be quite a good movie, in fact, I suppose it is quite a good movie. However, in spoofing some of the most common elements of fairy tales, or their Disney versions more so, they have still put in huge amounts of the sparkly candy floss cuteness that their other princessy movies ram down our throats in abundance.
Having been to Disneyland sometimes frequently with my children here in Orange County, I can tell you that it just brings back the feeling of sitting in front of the speakers while the parade roars by, munching churros when you'd rather have pizza, regretting the souvenirs and wondering how hard it's going to be to get to the tram and hike through the parking structure. If you have issues with corny movie music, you'll have trouble here too. I understand that a lot of it is supposed to be a joke, but danged if it doesn't feel sincere.
And with all that said first to help clear my head of the shock of all that sugar, I have to say that otherwise it was delightful. Not too deep, mind you, but a lot of fun. Susan Sarandon was brilliantly cast, just flawless in her performance. Evil with just the right touch of humor. Giselle was totally believable as the Disney princess, from her looks to her portrayal. James Marsden was a joy, even when he sang. He was just about the funniest thing in the film. The sight of him in full puff-sleeved period dress wearing a Statue of Liberty foam souvenir headband just got funnier the longer I looked at him. Also a highlight, the evil henchman calling Dr. Laura about his relationship with the witch. He is told to find out how she really feels about him. Cue the witch walking up and saying, "Hello, worthless."
If you like eating straight sugar or watching the motion picture equivalent and know enough about fairy tales to get common jokes about them, there's a good chance you can enjoy this movie without having to fast-forward the songs.