The presence of such normally amusing actors as Eric Idle, Joanna Lumley and the star of "The Princess Bride," Cary Elwes, might lead audiences to expect great things from "Ella Enchanted." But the film fails to deliver the goods in oh-so-many ways.
This flat-footed, tongue-in-cheek fantasy never really manages to garner more than a chuckle, despite its amusing premise, and at least a couple of promising gags.
However, the film is too self-aware of itself (you can practically feel filmmaker Tommy O'Haver's elbow-nudges during every bad pun and pop-culture reference). And most of the jokes fall so completely flat that you almost expect to hear a clunk after each one.
The title character is Ella of Frell (Anne Hathaway), a free-thinking young woman who finds herself under an obedience spell (thanks to an inept fairy godmother, Lucinda). As a result, she does whatever she's told.
Ella manages to conceal that secret from most people, until her wicked stepsister (Lucy Punch) discovers her secret and orders her to alienate her best friend (Parminder Nagra), and to stay away from Prince Charmont (Hugh Dancy), who's taken an interest in our heroine.
That proves to be more than Ella can take, so she heads off to find Lucinda (Vivica A. Fox) and have her remove the curse once and for all. Along the way, she reunites with the prince and the two get closer. However, there's another obstacle standing in the way of their relationship, Prince Regent Edgar (Elwes), the prince's controlling uncle, who's not pleased to see his puppet — er, nephew — starting to think for himself.
This material — a loose adaptation of Gail Carson Levine's award-winning children's book — has potential, but O'Haver's broad, over-the-top approach is clearly all wrong. He undercuts the cast, especially Hathaway, whose performance is too often simply in the service of leaden jokes that are waiting for a rimshot or done-to-death parodies, including a "Matrix" spoof. (Also, the out-of-tune musical number at the end features some of the most cringe-inducing warbling this side of TV's "American Idol.")
"Ella Enchanted" is rated PG for violence (swordplay and some brawling, most of it done for laughs), crude humor and references (including a flatulence gag) and some mild profanity. Running time: 95 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com