I've seen this movie probably at least ten times, but I really never get sick of it. It is a Disney film, but it sort of spoofs on all the other Disney films.
Giselle (Amy Adams) is not a princess, yet. She is a country girl with animals as friends. The evil queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) has a stepson, Edward (James Marsden) who will soon inherit her throne, but she doesn't want to give it up. Edward and Giselle can never find each other, but they do. Narissa disguises herself as an old woman and sends Giselle to a place where there are no happy endings, aka current day New York City. Here enters the divorce attorney, Robert (Patrick Dempsey). He is a single-father to Morgan (Rachel Covey) and hates fairy tales, thinking they are stupid and unrealistic. They stumble upon Giselle and Morgan falls in love instantly, clinging to her every word. Robert thinks she is nuts.
The next morning things only get worse, with Giselle cleaning the apartment and using animals to do so. Then Nancy (Idina Menzel), Robert's fiance, arrives and is furious to see Robert with another woman. Giselle is likewise horrified, convinced that Edward will rescue her, which he is in the process of. Along with Edward is Narissa's right hand man, Nathaniel (Timothy Spall), who also harbors a secret crush on the queen and she exploits this. Nathaniel does everything in his power, and uses the supernatural (Narissa has supplied him with poison apples) to do so. In the meantime, Robert and Giselle grow closer together, though he still thinks she's crazy for falling in love with Edward so fast.
By the next morning, Edward has come and Giselle goes off with him, but she is having second thoughts after marrying him and spending the rest of her life with him. She convinces Edward to go on a date, a foreign concept (literally) to him and they meet up with Robert and Nancy at a costume ball later that night. One of the best scenes comes here, with the couples switching partners. But everything good must come to an end, with Narissa, once again as the old lady, coming to break things up. Giselle swallows the poison apple and Edward's kiss doesn't wake her up and Robert can't believe that he is her one true love, but he is. However, upon awaking up, Narissa turns herself into a dragon, still determined to break up the couple, so the epic battle begins. It's great as Giselle ends up rescuing Robert, instead of the other way around. She will stay in New York with Morgan, whom she relates to well, and Robert while Nancy will go off to the fairytale land with Edward.
The film mixes animation (the fairytale world) with live action (New York City), and it works great. The songs, especially the musical number where Giselle explains to Robert about how he will know if she loves him, are fantastic, three of them earning Oscar nominations, though they would all lose. Amy Adams is also brilliant as the cluelessly oblivious to the real world, and fully deserved her Golden Globe nomination. The whole idea of divorce terrifies her and she cries upon learning that a couple is no longer in love for ever and ever. There are also the funny moments with Nathaniel telling the construction workers patching up the manhole between the two worlds that he is seeking a man. Most of the comic relief is provided by the chipmunk, Pip who is trying to save Giselle. No one else can understand why Giselle considers Pip to be a friend and not a pest. When Pip survives a fire at a local pizzeria she is delighted, never mind the weird look from the reporter.
Sure, I could nitpick about this film too, with Giselle being treated like a child by Robert and not an adult, but I choose not to as the film is wonderful and makes me believe in fairy tales all over again. It makes me cry and laugh, sometimes at the same time and I love happy endings. Grade: A-
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