Ella Enchanted preview out

[stacer]

http://www.miramax.com/ellaenchanted/

This is based on a middle-grade retelling of Cinderella, one of the best retellings I've ever read. In fact, if I did have to pick a favorite book (and that's very hard for me), this would be it. Looks like they've changed the storyline quite a bit toward the end, but I guess I can live with it. I'm excited about it coming out.

[fuzzyoctopus]

I'm not hearing good things about it, and I'm annoyed at how old "Ella" is.  So since my husband could care less about it, I think we'll be skipping this one.

[stacer]

Yeah, it's what's her name from the Princess Diaries--she's certainly no 13 or 14 year old that grows up at the end.

I guess I should clarify--I'm excited about the possibility of it, but the trailer has me a little uneasy at all the changes. But I'll go see it and see how they did. I do fear, though, that it'll be rather like the movie version of Tuck Everlasting.

[fuzzyoctopus]

Since you love the book so much, I trust your judgement on this one so I'll let you be the guinea pig, er, movie critic.  

[Sminja]

Oh, god, don't remind me of that awful movie rendition of Tuck Everlasting. The book was decent, and pretty short, but the movie was just....no...

[stacer]

The biggest problem I see in the trailer is that they make Ella be some Jackie Chan-esque girl, when in the book there's none of that. She's the kind that solves things with her brain, and they seem to be making it into an action flick for kids. Certainly there's adventure, but she gets herself out of troubles with ogres by using their persuasive speech against them, not by beating htem up. That, and they seem to have added something about someone trying to take the Prince's crown, and I don't remember that happening.

The problem I have with kids' books made into movies is that so often the movie makers believe what's in the book isn't enough. Certainly you need to add things so that it's not just the same thing (look at Harry Potter), but I think you can interpret while still being true to the book. You certainly don't have to add bathroom humor for it to be appealing to any audience, kid or adult, which is my biggest annoyance when it comes to movies made for kids. I think Holes and LotR are the best examples of books interpreted well as films, but usally it's more disappointing than not.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

hrm... a "persuasive speech" doesn't seem like cinematic material to me. Not for the youngsters.

[Sminja]

I can't stand it when they do stuff like that to movies. Sometimes it puts wonderful books to shame.

[42]

well, the initial reviews don't bode well for it, but it's also early in the whole review game.

[stacer]

Yeah, I've been looking at RT's reviews. It doesn't look good at all. From the critic's descriptions, it's not just loosely based on the book, it's BARELY based on the book. RT gives it 22% right now. Not good.

We've ended up postponing our outing to see it because of scheduling conflicts, and I'm thinking I might just not see it at all at this point.

[House of Mustard]

Eric Snider had this to say:

"The travesty of the film -- which I hasten to add would be a bad movie even without comparing it to its source material -- isn't quite on the level of "The Cat in the Hat," but it is a crass whoring-out of a once-lovely story."

[stacer]

That's the impression I get from the reviews. All the reviews lambast the movie for being too like all the other Cinderella/fairy tale movies while trying to make fun of them at the same time. Yet, from the plot description, the only thing they've kept from the book is the fact that Ella must be obedient. EVERY single other detail about plot that I read is in strict opposition to what actually happened in the book--which is really quite original. Her father doesn't remarry, for example, till after he's sent Ella off to finishing school and Ella runs away from finishing school to find the fairy who cursed her--who, by the way, is not her fairy godmother as the movie seems to have made her. Her fairy godmother is someone else entirely. And in the movie they do the typical "first they hate each other, then they love each other" 10 things I hate about you/taming of the shrew type of thing. In the book Ella and Char are the best of friends.

So, read the book. It's really really good.

I have a feeling I'm not going to see this ever. I'd like the book to be untarnished by the movie if it's that bad.

Mustard, what's the link for the Eric Snyder review?

[House of Mustard]

http://www.ericdsnider.com/view.php?mrkey=2005&PHPSESSID=e27a1c3e20fb832f6899b17d8f8c0c3d

[Fellfrosch]

Ebert gave the movie 3.5 stars, and says it's the best family film of the year.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I was going to say something about Ebert potentially being retarded. But then I decided I don't like any critic, and since this is a case of two critics disagreeing, either one of them could be retarded.