The 10th Kingdom

Plot synopsis:
In a hidden realm, fairy tale characters inhabit nine magical kingdoms where an Evil Queen plots to rule them. She is trapped in the Fourth Kingdom Prison under the rule of Prince Wendell, the spoiled, arrogant grandson of Snow White. Weeks before his coronation ceremony, the Queen enlists the help of the brutal Troll King and his three children to release her before the Prince makes his annual visit to the prison.
Prince Wendell is captured by the Evil Queen, who is his wicked stepmother and turns him into a Golden Retriever while her very own Retriever is transformed into Wendell. In panic, the transformed Prince flees through the Prison and stumbles across a traveling mirror in the basement and is transported to New York City. The Troll King orders his bumbling children Burly, Blabberwort and Bluebell to bring back the escaped Prince while the Queen releases a half-wolf prisoner (who is simply called Wolf) to retrieve him instead.
Meanwhile, regular Manhattan inhabitants, headstrong waitress Virginia Lewis and her oafish father Tony encounter the mishaps caused by the new magical arrivals to the city; including Wolf falling helplessly in love with Virginia and Tony being given six wishes (which he foolishly uses for personal gain and have a tendency to backfire). With Virginia having already determined that the transformed Wendell- whom she calls 'Prince' before learning his identity- is more than a standard dog, Tony uses his last wish to wish for the ability to understand the dog, who urges them to travel back to The Nine Kingdoms with him to break the spell. Tony, feeling responsible for Prince, reluctantly accepts and Virginia and Tony are taken back to the realm through the magic mirror.
At first, Tony and Virginia are desperate to get home with the magic mirror being taken from place to place around the Kingdoms, being cleared out of the prison, taken as a prize for a sheep-rearing contest, and then sold in an auction. The group travel the lands in pursuit of the mirror, facing many dangers and challenges in the process, including Virginia's hair being enchanted to an impossible length, the Queen's Huntsman, and a conspiracy by the descendants of Little Bo Peep to control a town's wishing well. During their journey, Wolf questions his loyalty to the Queen in order to gain favour with the stubborn Virginia and quickly sides with them. This act prompts the Queen to send her relentless and cold-blooded Huntsman to capture the Prince along with Virginia and Tony.
Virginia eventually meets the ghost of Snow White, who reveals she is destined to save the Nine Kingdoms. Tony also recognizes the Queen as his long lost wife and Virginia’s mother. They travel to the castle to stop her, but Wolf seems to have betrayed Tony and Virginia. They are thrown into the dungeons where Tony reveals to Virginia that her mother had been suffering a mental breakdown and had tried to drown Virginia the night she left. The Queen has her imposter Prince Wendell crowned king and then tries to poison all the monarchs who attend the ceremony.
Luckily, Wolf switches the poison for a sleeping potion and everyone escapes unharmed. Virginia must kill the Evil Queen in self-defense, which pains her greatly, while Tony defeats the trolls. The real Prince Wendell turns back into a human and takes the throne, pardoning the trolls to return to their kingdom after the death of their father. Grateful to Tony for all his help, Prince Wendell offers him a job at the palace and Tony accepts. Virginia returns to New York City, accompanied by Wolf.

Tags: comedy, fantasy, murder, alternate reality, good versus evil, psychedelic, romantic

Review: