The Swan Princess [Special Edition] [DVD] [1994]

The Swan Princess is an animated, musical adaption of the fairy tale, "Swan Lake." An aging king (Dakin Matthews) and a widowed queen (Sandy Duncan) arrange a marriage between his only daughter and her only son, despite the two children's initial dislike of one another. Eventually they fall in love, but the evil sorcerer Rothbart (Jack Palance), desiring the throne for himself, enchants the princess Odette (Michelle Nicastro). She is a swan by day, and becomes a woman only when the moon rises. Prince Derek (Howard McGillin) refuses to accept another bride and continues to search for his lost love. When he finds her, Derek must fight the sorcerer to free her from the spell. Winner of the Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence and the Parent's Choice Award, this adventure exhibits high quality animation and a blend of romantic and humorous musical numbers. The animal characters are fun without being too cute, including Jean-Bob the frog who thinks he is a prince, given voice by John Cleese. The subtle layering of spiritual symbolism makes this film intelligent enough for adults to enjoy as well as children.~Lucinda Ramsey