Movie Review
In 2001 The Princess Diaries became a surprise hit by building on the universal princess fantasies of young girls everywhere. In it, we learned that the clumsy, awkward American teenager Mia Thermopolis was none other than the long lost princess of a tiny European country called Genovia.
Flash-forward several years and the transformed Mia, now turning 21, is due to lớn assume the crown from her grandmother, the reigning queen. One hitch: The scheming Count Mabrey wants his nephew to become king & for the royal line lớn pass khổng lồ his own family. Thus, he prods the Genovian Parliament khổng lồ observe an ancient law that requires the queen to lớn be married.
In other words, if Mia doesn’t marry in 30 days, she won’t become queen. Khổng lồ make matters worse, Mabrey’s nephew, Sir Nicholas, is the đáng yêu guy she was crushing on at the royal ball. Now, he’s trying khổng lồ steal her crown.
With the help of Mia’s high school friend, Lilly, and a couple of silly servant girls, the queen fires up a hunt for a suitable king for Mia, landing on the near-perfect English Duke Andrew. But will Mia be able to go through with an arranged marriage? & will she be able to lớn win over the people of Genovia in spite of her brash American ways?
Positive Elements
As Mia’s mentor, role model and grandmother, Queen Clarisse is almost always kind, positive & encouraging. She generally treats both her servants and her enemies with respect và patience. She speaks lovingly of her late husband, the king. She genuinely wants Mia lớn make choices that are the best for her.
Though Mia struggles to get things right, she doesn’t give up. She works at showing the grace và kindness her grandmother emulates, as well as learning her leadership skills. She recognizes the suffering of some orphans in Genovia & works to lớn get an orphanage built for them. She also stands up khổng lồ Parliament for what she believes is right. (Not all moviegoers will agree with her position, though.)
Spiritual Elements
There seems khổng lồ be a connection between church & throne in Genovia. Every time the late king is mentioned, everyone present chants (to comic effect), “May he rest in peace.” Both the royal wedding & the coronation are performed by a bishop in full robes.
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Sexual Content
While looking through photos of potential marriage partners for the princess, one man is said to have a boyfriend, implying that he is gay. Aside from that unfortunate wink at an immoral lifestyle, PD2‘s limited sex quotient remains playful at worst. A 12-year-old prince who wears cologne dances with Mia và asks if he can blow in her ear. Several ladies, including the queen, longingly look at a photo of Prince William of England.
Mia kisses Duke Andrew and Sir Nicholas on various occasions. She also sneaks out of the castle with Sir Nicholas (remember, she’s no longer a teenager) và the two cốt truyện a lãng mạn evening by a lake, where they dance. Eventually, they fall asleep in each other’s arms (they’re fully clothed) and don’t wake until morning. A press photographer gets đoạn phim of them waking up, và the ensuing scandal implies they were doing more than sleeping; they weren’t.
Violent Content
Mia intentionally stomps on a man’s foot with the heel of her shoe, causing him pain. A rubber snake is used khổng lồ spook a horse Mia is riding, leading lớn comic embarrassment for her.
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Drug and Alcohol Content
Friends toast Mia at her birthday party. Drinks are seen in people’s hands in a few other scenes.
Other Negative Elements
Mia displays (mildly) negative and/or disrespectful attitudes toward Parliament, Count Mabrey, Sir Nicholas and even the queen. Lilly also has a penchant for treating others with disrespect, including uttering a threat about the TV gossip personality who continually looks to lớn expose the goings-on of the palace.
Conclusion
Based on a popular series of books by Meg Cabot, the first Princess Diaries film found its target thanks lớn Anne Hathaway’s funny & winning performance, a decent script that understood the girl next door’s princess heart, và nice turns from most of the cast, including the regal Julie Andrews. The film didn’t make many “10 best” lists, but it landed near the top of the princess pack.
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement reunites much of the original team, but it is several steps less charming & funny than the first film. To start with, it’s not based on one of Cabot’s books but is an original story by Gina Wendkos và Shonda Rhimes that seems to thua its grip on the characters.
Gone is the awkward, self-doubting adolescent brought to familiar life by Hathaway, now replaced with the self-assured (arrogant?) college graduate. Instead of struggling with her reluctance lớn assume the throne, Mia now carries a sense of entitlement và can’t believe how unfair it is that anyone would challenge that. Hathaway is still likable, but less so.
In addition, director Garry Marshall seems khổng lồ be less than focused on the business at hand. You get the sense while watching some of his films that he’s kind of making things up as he goes along, inserting scenes và dialogue as if brainstormed on the set. The resulting clumsy plot, trudging pace and sluggish performances suggest a movie that should be on the Disney Channel instead of at the megaplex.
The only true star in this semi-enchanted sky is Julie Andrews, now 68, who brings class & a royal bearing to lớn the silliness. She even sings briefly for the first time onscreen since she lost her full voice to throat surgery in 1997.
So, the film is likely khổng lồ be ravaged by critics (me included), but princess-lovers everywhere are still going lớn adore it. Come on, it’s about a princess. In a castle. & a wedding. <Spoiler Warning> That’s why I’m confounded with its ending. Rather than delivering the culmination of a royal engagement, the filmmakers decided khổng lồ make the case for women’s empowerment, having Mia take a high-noon stand for the crown instead of relying on a king lớn get her there.
While it’s a noble notion lớn impress on little girls that they don’t have to have a husband khổng lồ be all that they can be, some girls may latch onto the idea that they should avoid finding success with the help of a husband or even that they should avoid being under the authority of a man, at all. If you indulge your tween’s fixation with princesses by cracking mở cửa this princess’s second diary—it is rated G after all!—impress on her that the line between choosing to be a whole person apart from marriage và rejecting the biblical mã sản phẩm for husband và wife is sometimes a slim one. Discuss the ideals of modern romance and the tradition of arranged marriages. Explore what it takes to be a good leader, develop inner character và avoid compromising situations. Crusty film critics aside, those teaching opportunities (if taken full advantage of) coupled with a near total lack of objectionable nội dung will make lots of families wish Genovia was more than just a fairy tale destination.
Parents, get practical information from a biblical worldview khổng lồ help guide media decisions for your kids!
