Happily N'Ever After (2006)

Directors:

Paul Bolger
Yvette Kaplan

Writers:

Douglas Langdale (additional writer)
Robert Moreland (writer)

Release Date:

5 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Don't Let Your Hair Down. Don't Go To The Ball. Don't Visit Grandma.

Plot:

An alliance of evil-doers, led by Frieda, looks to take over Fairy Tale Land. But when Ella realizes her stepmother is out to ruin her storybook existence, she takes a dramatic turn and blossoms into the leader of the resistance effort.

Plot Keywords:

Cinderella | Princess | Based On Fairy Tale | Computer Animation | Rapunzel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

George Carlin	...	The Wizard (voice)
John Di Maggio	...	Dwarf 1 / Dwarf 2 / Giant (voice) (as John De Maggio)
Andy Dick	...	Mambo (voice)
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Ella (voice)
Lisa Kaplan	...	Fairy Godmother (voice)
Jill Talley	...	Stepsister 2 / Witch 2 / Baby's Mother (voice) (as Jill Talley Kenny)
Tom Kenny	...	Amigo 3 / Dwarf 3 / Messenger / Wolf 2 (voice) (as Tom J. Kenny)
Tress MacNeille	...	Witch 1 (voice) (as Tress Mac Neille)
Michael McShane	...	Rumplestiltskin (voice)
Rob Paulsen	...	Amigo 2 (voice) (as Robert F. Paulsen III)
Jon Polito	...	Wolf 1 (voice) (as John Polito)
Freddie Prinze Jr.	...	Rick (voice)
Phil Proctor	...	Amigo 1 (voice) (as Philip G. Proctor)
Wallace Shawn	...	Munk (voice)
Kath Soucie	...	Stepsister 1 / Baby / Red Riding Hood (voice) (as Kath E. Soucie)

Also Known As:

Es war k'einmal im Märchenland (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild action and rude humor.

Runtime:

75 min | USA:87 min | 66 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

USA:PG | Singapore:G | Hong Kong:I | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:Atp | Ireland:G | Portugal:M/6 | Germany:o.Al. | Peru:PT | South Korea:All | New Zealand:G | Finland:K-7 | Sweden:7 | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

BAF Berlin Animation Film

Trivia:

Most of the backgrounds in the film are not animated, but are actually paintings.

Quotes:

Rick: What's goin' on?
Mambo: [watching Prince Humperdink storm the castle] There's the dashing prince, he's charging, he's wielding his noble sword, with... with fiery determination, he's falling off, he's falling off the steed, he fell off... he's on the ground now, he's on the ground, he's lookin' for his noble sword...
Rick: I'm almost startin' to feel sorry for the guy!
Mambo: He's feeling around, is that, he has a stick,
[Humperdink shrieks]
Mambo: oh... ooh, they're kicking him now... and they're laughing, they're laughing at him, and they're, he, oh, he just... got... captured...

Movie Connections:

References Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Soundtrack:

Sneaking In

Disappointing

While this had some good points, there were many weaknesses. The characters didn't always fit their voices and the animation was pretty weak. Freddie Prinze, Jr.'s character, Rick, looked like Justin Timberlake, for some unknown reason. Characters walked as if they were automatons, not with the fluidity of humans. And Sarah Michell Gellar, while I'm a big fan of hers from her Buffy days, seemed bored the whole time. In fact, her (Cinder)Ella spoke with the same stilted simplicity as the robot Buffy from Season Five of the series. The monumental talents of George Carlin were wasted in such a small role. The whole thing seemed as if it were a rushed rip-off of Shrek and Hoodwinked.