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Special Features
- Read along: Odette's Book of Wonderful Friends
- Games: Help Odette Prepare for Her Wedding, Practice Practice Practice!
- Sing alongs
Editorial Reviews
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Customer Reviews
The real reason I'm reviewing is because there's a particular review that totally bashes this movie that rather infuriated me. I would like to state here and now that this is a children's movie, and therefore of course it has holes in it. But I've noticed that a lot of things in real life have holes in them as well; nothing is perfect. And I'm also appalled that a mother who watched this movie through to make sure it was all right for her kids even suggested that the evil villain kill Odette and marry her double. Why didn't the villain of Barbie's Swan Lake just kill the Prince instead of bothering to leave him alive? That whole CHILDREN'S MOVIE thing comes to mind...
Personally, I love just about every song in this movie. I find all the characters fun to watch, and no matter how many times I see the film I always forget that Derek's friend gets lost in the forest... I also find it quite charming that for once, a princess doesn't fall in love with the prince IN 10 SECONDS! Oh my gosh, WHAT a concept that Derek and Odette have known each other for YEARS instead of MINUTES and therefore have an actual UNDERSTANDING between one another instead of love based on appearances. I also like that Odette, for all that she loves Derek, originally protests marrying him because he says he loves her only for her beauty. Do I hear a message being sent to audiences? That looks aren't all that matter? Why, yes! And do I hear Derek telling Odette that he loves her "for her kindness and her courage" at the end when he's finally able to put it into words? Yes, those are his exact words.
I have seen the Barbie version of Swan Lake, and while it is cute and charming in its own right, I found the Swan Princess much more memorable. And what The Princess and the Pauper had to do with this movie I'm unsure...
Princess Odette (Michelle Nicastro)and Prince Derek (Howard McGillin) are betrothed from an early age by their parents in the hopes that their two kingdoms will be united. The only problem is - the two can't stand each other. However, unlike most other romance movies where the hero and heroine go through many trials before realising they're in love, Odette and Derek fall for each other within the opening five minutes of the film as they grow from child to adult during the opening song. However, due to Derek's claims that Odette's beauty is the only thing that matters to him, Odette rejects his marriage proposal and she and her father return home to their kingdom. They do not get far however - the evil Count Rothbart (Jack Palance) is waiting for them, and transforms into a terrifying beast and kidnaps Odette, changing her into a swan. At the reclusive lake that Odette is taken to, Odette learns that she is a swan every day, except for an hour each night when she changes back into human form. The only way to break this curse is for her one true love to make a vow of everlasting love and prove it to the world. Rothbart's reasons for kidnapping Odette are to force her into marriage so that he might take over the kingdom. Odette refuses, convinced that Derek will save her, and with her animal friends Speed the turtle, Jean-Bob (John Cleese) the frog and Puffin the (what else?) puffin they lure Derek to the lake to witness her metamorphosis for himself. Reunited, the lovers make a plan - tomorrow night at his mother's ball Derek will give Odette his vow of everlasting love. However, Rothbart is one step ahead of him and imprisons Odette, sending his disguised servant to the palace in her place...
The protagonists Odette and Derek are a satisfactory hero and heroine for the story. Odette is the typical fairytale princess (blonde hair, blue eyes, etc) but has some very twenty-first century ideals - she refuses to marry Derek if all he sees is his beauty (though strangely enough she is singing a few minutes later about how much she loves him) and takes it into her on hands (or wings) to bring Derek to the lake. Derek, however is an imbecile. Among other things he insults his bride-to-be, nearly kills her, and then confesses his love to another woman. His redeeming features are his singing voice and his heroic athletic abilities with a bow and arrow.
The secondary characters are far more enjoyable - Odette's animal friends will appeal mostly to kids - the heroic Scottish Puffin, the slow but steady Speed, and (cleverly following the fairytale of the Frog Prince) the snobbish and proud Jean-Bob who believes all he has to do to be transformed into a prince is to be kissed by a fair maiden. Adults should warm to Derek's flustering and hysterical mother Queen Uberta, who comes across as the typical interferring and meddling mother, and Derek's consort, the wry and sarcastic Rogers. Also worth noting is Derek's best friend, the cowardly Brom who inevitably swallows his fears to save the day.
The Swan Princess is on the whole an enjoyable, traditional fairytale with all the components one would expect. Great songs, good animation, successfully funny jokes and an interesting story with only a plot holes all contribute to this. A few scenes got on my nerves, such as Rothbart's techni-colour, disco-like musical number and the down-right tacky beauty-pagent style of the ball, but the last twenty minutes of the movie - including Odette's escape from the prison, the imposter-Odette drawing Derek's attention from the desparate swan at the windows, and Derek's final fight with Rothbart more than make up for it. This movie is a must for all fairytale lovers.
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