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Ella Enchanted

Play trailer Poster for Ella Enchanted PG Released Apr 9, 2004 1h 41m Kids & Family Romance Comedy Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
51% Tomatometer 115 Reviews 57% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
As a baby, Ella (Anne Hathaway) receives a visit from Lucinda (Vivica A. Fox), her fairy godmother, and is bestowed with a magical talent that requires her to obey anything that she is told to do. This proves to be more of a curse than a blessing, particularly once her mother dies and she is forced to live with the cruel Dame Olga (Joanna Lumley). Eventually, Ella embarks on a journey to find Lucinda and break the spell, accompanied by the handsome Prince Charmont (Hugh Dancy).
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Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted

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Critics Consensus

Hathaway is a charming heroine, but the simple storyline gets overwhelmed by silly gimmickry.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media Endearing, enduring, with just a few bits of crude humor Rated: 4/5 Dec 24, 2010 Full Review Empire Magazine Rated: 3/5 Apr 1, 2006 Full Review Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films Avoids a misstep common among girl-empowerment flicks, which often emasculate the male lead to make the heroine truly heroic… manages to make both leads appealing. Rated: B Sep 16, 2004 Full Review Steve Warren Southern Voice (Atlanta) The result isn’t consistently enchanting, but it is quite amusing in spite of its unevenness. Rated: 3.5/4 May 7, 2023 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …For kids bored with repeated viewings of Frozen and Tangled, Ella Enchanted is a worthy next step; chunky and easy to watch, it’s got some hidden depths well worth exploring… Rated: 3/5 Oct 13, 2022 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Anne Hathaway is the cheery spark in this glitzy girl's fantasy story from screenwriters Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith ("Legally Blonde"). Rated: C+ May 4, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ralph R Ella Enchanted is a whimsical fairy tale that manages to stand out, even if it doesn't quite reach perfection. The first act does a great job introducing the characters, setting up the plot, and establishing the unique charm of this world. The second act keeps a solid pace, building on the adventure and humor, and it all leads to a satisfying climax in the final act. While the cinematography and editing aren't flawless, they don't detract from the experience either, they're just there, doing their job without standing out. What really sets this movie apart is its message about consent, autonomy, and freedom. These themes hit differently today than they did in 2004. Sure, the whimsical elements might feel over-the-top or gimmicky at times, but they also give the movie a unique personality. It's a fun watch that knows exactly what it's trying to say and follows through on that. For a film directed by Tommy O'Haver, who doesn't have a big name or portfolio, it's a respectable effort. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/05/25 Full Review Cudalbu R Simple but at the same time charming in it's way. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/03/25 Full Review SkyRo P "Ella Enchanted" is a film featuring Anne Hathaway in the titular role, presenting a unique twist on the classic Cinderella story. In this version, a fairy godmother, played by Vivica Fox, casts a spell on Ella as a baby, compelling her to be obedient and follow orders. This leads to some outlandish scenarios, such as when she encounters ridiculous trolls who, in a bizarre turn of events, attempt to cook and eat her after telling her to stay still. The narrative takes numerous twists and turns, showcasing the burdens of Ella's "gift," which almost puts the prince's life in jeopardy when she nearly stabs him with a knife. The film retains key elements of the traditional fairy tale—like the fairy godmother, the evil stepsisters, and the wicked stepmother—but adds a fresh perspective that could have been relatable and enjoyable. However, I found the film lacking in several areas, particularly in its costuming and character development. The fairies, despite being life-sized, didn’t have much creativity in their design, and the portrayal of characters who were supposed to be small felt inconsistent. For example, when Ella meets giants, everyone else suddenly appears tiny, which was confusing and detracted from the film's world-building. Instead of showcasing diverse characters working together for a common goal, it felt like the same journey was repeated without a clear message or growth. While I hadn't seen the film before, I was familiar with its reputation and even own the soundtrack, primarily for Kelly Clarkson’s contributions, as I’ve always appreciated how her music fits into movies. Unfortunately, I found that "Ella Enchanted" didn’t live up to the hype surrounding it. I might have enjoyed it more if I had watched it as a child, but as an adult, it felt somewhat underwhelming. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 12/30/24 Full Review Maria L I loved watching this movie growing up. It became a classic for us. Now as adults every few years we come back to this film as it brings nostalgia. I find it odd many grown men criticized this film. It was never meant for y'all. This movie is for young girls and teens. This movie would have been scored much higher if it wasn't for all these grown men leaving their unnecessarily bad ratings. Many don't know that this is actually based on a children's book published in 1997 that won the Newbery award, "The most distinguished contribution to American literature for children", the following year. Key word "literature for children". It's a fun entertaining retelling of cinderella. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/16/24 Full Review Audience Member Watch amazing full movie online on https://glamcinema.com/ Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/20/24 Full Review S D So painfully boring and unfunny Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis As a baby, Ella (Anne Hathaway) receives a visit from Lucinda (Vivica A. Fox), her fairy godmother, and is bestowed with a magical talent that requires her to obey anything that she is told to do. This proves to be more of a curse than a blessing, particularly once her mother dies and she is forced to live with the cruel Dame Olga (Joanna Lumley). Eventually, Ella embarks on a journey to find Lucinda and break the spell, accompanied by the handsome Prince Charmont (Hugh Dancy).
Director
Tommy O'Haver
Producer
Jane Startz
Screenwriter
Karen McCullah, Laurie Craig, Jennifer Heath, Michelle Wolff, Gail Carson Levine
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Jane Startz Productions, Miramax Films, Blessington Film Productions, Momentum Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Kids & Family, Romance, Comedy, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 9, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 17, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.9M
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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