Happily N'Ever After (2007) Synopsis:
Inspired by the classic Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales (the second best-selling book in the world, after the Bible), this feature CGI comedy explores what would happen if the balance of good and evil were set out of whack in Fairy Tale Land.
Tired of the status quo, an unholy alliance of bad guys led by Frieda, Cinderella's evil stepmother, takes on the good guys. Cinderella (aka Ella) starts out as a damsel in distress (your typical Prince dreamer), but when her own fairy tale takes a radical left turn she is forced to form and eventually lead a resistance group without her Prince Charming.
Set against a backdrop of fractured fairy tales spinning wildly out of control, Ella and her unknown true love Rick, the palace dishwasher, ultimately must choose their own destinies in a world of happy endings gone wrong.
The race for control of the kingdom is on, and the power mad Frieda, fuelled by a total disdain for goodness, is set to change the age-old storyline to "Happily N'Ever After"!
Happily N'Ever After (2007) Movie Review:
Cinderella’s wicked stepmother can’t stand to see her stepdaughter being happy. Given the opportunity to ruin things for our heroine, she leaps at the chance in “Happily N’Ever After,” an animated movie with lots of high-powered voice talent but not much charm or pizzazz.
When Fairy Tale Land’s golf-loving wizard (voiced by George Carlin) goes on vacation, his two inept assistants, Munk (voiced by Wallace Shawn) and Mambo (voiced by Andy Dick), have trouble keeping things running smoothly. Why? Two reasons: they mess up outrageously while fiddling with the scales of justice, and -- most of all --- because Frieda (voiced by Sigourney Weaver), the villainous stepmother mentioned above, takes over. She steals a magic staff that’s used by the wizard to help balance good and evil in the kingdom. Naturally, Frieda wants evil to triumph, so she calls on trolls, giants, witches, wolves and the other “bad guys” from all the fairy tales to join in her nefarious cause.
Frieda’s goal involves making sure that unhappiness reigns, especially for Cinderella -- nicknamed “Ella” (voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar) -- and Prince Humperdink (voiced by Patrick Warburton), who’s a far cry from the Prince Charming we’ve come to know and love in other versions of the traditional Cinderella story. No wonder Ella ends up with eyes for Rick (voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.), a mere dishwasher, rather than for the not-so-bright-but-very-handsome Prince. However, Ella isn’t the only target here. Familiar characters like Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, and Jack (of Beanstalk fame) also get zapped by Frieda’s malevolent magic.
Who can stop Frieda’s dastardly plans? Ella thinks the Prince will save everyone. But Ella soon discovers that it’s she and Rick who must defeat the self-annointed Empress of Evil and her nasty gang.
I’m usually quite entertained while watching films that poke fun at fairy tales. “Hoodwinked” and those wonderful “Shrek” movies show what can happen when everything works in such projects. Unfortunately, “Happily N’Ever After” disappointed me because of its serious lack of charm. The only sequences in this film that delighted me were the fairy godmother’s funny mistakes as she helps Ella get ready for the Prince’s Ball and the seven dwarfs preparing to fight “The Big One.” In the latter scenes, these little guys get die-hard tough after changing into camoflauge uniforms and then manning huge cannon-like weapons that shoot sharp diamonds at the enemy. Very clever!
Although the animation in “Happily N’Ever After” looks a bit too weird for me, it’s probably fitting for a story like this. The female characters display ridiculously tiny waists; the castle appears more like Salvador Dali’s version of a silo than a palace; Frieda resembles Uma Thurman but talks like Sigourney Weaver -- which annoyed me considerably while the wicked stepmother was on screen.
Some young children might enjoy this cynical twist on an old fairy tale. However, their parents may be more interested in how soon the movie will be over than whether or not it ends happily.
Our Rating: 
User Rating: 
Log in to rate this movie
Happily N'Ever After (2007) review written by: Betty Jo Tucker
12th October, 2008 
