Popkorn Junkie

Movie review for the film The Princess Diaries starring Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway.
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Note: This film has a G rating.

Junkie Rating:

This film received 2 pops out of 4 pops.This film received 2 pops out of 4 pops.This film received 2 pops out of 4 pops.This film received 2 pops out of 4 pops.
 
Cast and Credits

Garry Marshall (Director)
Julie Andrews (Queen Clarisse Renaldi) 
Anne Hathaway (Mia Thermopolis) 
Hector Elizondo (Joe) 
Heather Matarazzo (Lilly Moscovitz) 
Mandy Moore (Lana Thomas) 
Caroline Goodall (Mia's Mom, Helen) 
Robert Schwartzman (Michael Moscovitz) 
Terry Wayne (Clark) 
Visit the official Princess Diaries website

 

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The original motion picture sound track

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The novel

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      OK, I know your initial feeling when walking into "Princess Diaries":  This is a cute, G-rated comedy.  How good can it be?  Well, after watching "Shrek" and "Osmosis Jones" I realized something many seem to overlook:  It IS possible to make a family comedy that's as appealing--if not more--to adults as it is to children. 
 
     Garry Marshall (director) pretty much took on this project because he wanted to make a movie he can take his children to.  I saw him on "Hollywood Squares" virtually flaunting the film's G-rating.  And I hear a lot of butt kissing reviews from people who said that this film "doesn't even feel like it's G-rated."  Yeah, right! 
 
      I'm not going to be too hard on this pleasant modern fairly tale.  It is watchable and mildly amusing.  Not the type of film you can "hate."  But the story wallows in predictability, scooping up every possible fairly tale, love story and teen movie cliché.  In the tradition of "She's All That" we're introduced to an attractive female lead, who wears a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and suddenly we're supposed to think she's ugly.  We're supposed to understand why everyone around is treating her like an ogre.  As the antagonist, we have Mandy Moore as the ultimately stereotypical cheerleader/popular girl in school who looks down upon everyone in sight because she's so hot, and everyone looks up to her because she's so hot.  Yet everyone in the audience hates her guts.  What an irony!  We have a Backstreet Boys reject as Mia's (Anne Hathaway) schoolboy crush.  She dreams about him all the time, despite the fact that he's as subtle as a fire hydrant, not to mention a complete jerk.  And we have Mia's best friend's (Heather Matarazzo) brother, who's an outcast just like her--despite the fact that he's also quite attractive--and had the hots for her the day their eyes met.  I think you can sum up the whole plot structure right there.  
 
      The comedy is often flat, predictable and forced.  It seems as if the writers were thinking, "You know, since this is a kid's movie we may as well sink to the lowest common denominator in comedy."  I only got a few intermittent chuckles from this script.  I'm not asking for subtlety, damn it!  Even lightweight entertainment needs a certain degree of wit.  
 
      On a more positive note.....it's nice to see Julie Andrews on screen after all these years.  Her performance is superb, despite a low-level script.  She has the same on-screen charm she had back in "The Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins."  We also have Garry Marshall regular, the great Hector Elizondo.  He's fun and entertaining, as always.  Another saving grace is Larry Miller, who steals the show like usual.  He's very funny as the flamboyant Italian fashion expert, who gives Mia the magic makeover.  
 
      Anne Hathaway, though extremely beautiful, is phony in her performance.  She's never quite convincing as a geek or a princess.  And her performance is desperate and over-the-top.
 
      Was I taking this movie too seriously?  Of course not.  I wasn't taking "Shrek" seriously.  I wasn't taking "Osmosis Jones" seriously.  The difference is I got tons of laughs out of those films and only a few from this one.  "The Princess Diaries" will naturally appeal greatly to the 12 and under crowd.  For older folks...unless you haven't been to the movies in three decades, you shouldn't feel as enchanted as your 8-year-old daughter.


     -- Matt ( 2 out of 4 pops )

 

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Other Junkie's opinions.....

      Patsy ( 2 out of 4 pops )

      "The Princess Diaries" was a pretty cute movie.  It's basically modern a cross between "My Fair Lady" and "Cinderella" in a San Francisco private high school setting.  The story is obvious-- nerdy girl finds out she's a princess, gets a makeover, and becomes popular and happy.  What bothered me was that Mia, the "nerdy girl", is actually a pretty cool person.  Just because she has frizzy hair and glasses we're supposed to think she's a dork?!  Whatever, that is so lame and Disney should know better....I mean, what does that say about society?  If you're not perfect looking then you're a loser?  Great message.  Anyway, the story wasn't original and got a little boring near the middle; it was really obvious that the story had to be stretched a little to make the movie longer.  Since "The Princess Diaries" was rated G and not animated I have to give it a little credit for being as mildly entertaining as it was.  Little girls will like this movie, so take your little princess see it...but make sure she knows that being cool is being yourself! :)