Although there is no royalty involved in the plot, Walt Disney’s Ice Princess follows along with the studio’s other string of family “princess” movies where you pretty much know how the film is going to end even as it begins.
The movie stars Michelle Trachtenberg as brainy high school student Casey Carlyle who decides to use the physics behind figure skating as her way to get a scholarship to Harvard.
Of course, this also leads to Trachtenberg’s discovery that she has a gift for figure skating, and puts her on a collision course with the dreams that her mother, played by Joan Cusack, has been planning since Casey started kindergarten. Thrown into the mix is Kim Cattrall’s Tina Harwood - a woman that makes even the most evil soccer mom look sane.
In an attempt to further her own daughter’s chances as a figure skater, Harwood tries to sabotage Casey’s natural talent, but then agrees to coach her after she releases that it is Casey’s dream and not the dream of her daughter – don’t you feel all warm and fuzzy.
Ok, there is nothing really wrong with this movie, but there is nothing really great about it. The movie follows every basic Disney family film plot device, and could have honestly been a television movie of the week rather than hitting the big screen.
Trachtenberg does a good job in the movie, but you can’t help but feel the role could have been done by any number of Disney actresses from Anne Hathaway to Hilary Duff.
Her performance is solid in the film, but there is nothing that sets her apart from other films that the studio has cranked out over the past couple of years.
It is a clean family movie and is safe to watch with the kids. It will probably appeal more to the girls than to the boys - which is why Disney also makes movies like The Pacifier.
There are some holes in the film, such as how quickly Trachtenberg picks up some really difficult looking moves, but they don’t ruin the movie.
Ice Princess isn't bad, but doesn't offer anything new
Also, you have to wonder just why Cattrall is more concerned with her daughter’s skating ability than the fact that she is flunking out of math or just how Cusack, who watches her daughter like a hawk, never seems to notice just how much time her Casey is spending on the ice.<!--page-->
Ice Princess Main Menu
Like I said, none of these problems ruin the film or make it any more unbelievable than the actual plot.The movie is not a bad film, but it doesn’t have much to offer in terms of originality and drags from time to time.Since it is a Disney film, we know how it is going to end and are never too concerned for Casey or the “crisis” she faces as she tries to decide between Harvard and skating.
The DVD comes with some pretty decent special features including deleted scenes; an alternate beginning; commentary from some of the actors; and music videos from the film.
Ice Princess special features
Ice Princess is a decent movie that has some laughs in it, but a plot that we have seen too many times lately. The movie, which is rated G and is very clean, is geared more to a female audience, but that doesn’t mean the whole family wouldn’t enjoy it.
Ice Princess is available at Amazon . It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for an August 22 release. Visit the film’s database for more information.
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