rince Charming takes a new look at an old tale.
A marriage has been arranged between Prince John (Maguire) and a princess of
another kingdom to end a war whose cause few can remember.
Unfortunately, the young prince has a roving eye and can't seem to keep from
helping a damsel in distress.
On the day he is to be married, Prince John is caught in a compromising
situation, much to the distress of his squire, Rodney (Short), and his father.
It also breaks the heart of his bride-to-be, the beautiful Princess Gwendolyn.
Rather than have the war continue, the king agrees to let his son be judged by
the king and queen of the other kingdom. They decide the only suitable
punishment is a "frogging," a magical process which transforms Prince John and
Rodney into frogs for eternity, or until the wayward prince can get a maiden
to kiss and later marry him.
Five hundred years later, the two frogs still live near the castle. With
the help of a mischievous little boy, they find themselves in New York City's
Central Park. It's a brand new world for the 15th-century frogs, full of
strange new wonders and maidens. Prince John nearly gets a kiss from the
streetwise Kate (Applegate), but instead it's Broadway diva Margo (Peters) who
plants the kiss and transforms the two frogs back into human form.
According to the curse, once transformed, Prince John has only five days to
woo and marry the girl. The two men enlist Kate to help them find Margo.
Unfortunately, while John knows he must marry Margo or he and Rodney will
spend the rest of eternity as frogs, he starts to fall for Kate. With his
days numbered, John must decide if it's to be marriage to one he does not love
as a man or true love as a frog.
A charming tale of true love
TNT's two-hour movie Prince Charming is indeed a charming tale of
true love, even if it is silly and way too sweet. This modern-day fairy tale
mixes romantic comedy with charming fantasy, as well as some nice frog special
effects. It adds up to a very entertaining film that stays focused on the tale
it's trying to tell.
At its core, Prince Charming is a love story that believes in the
fairy tale of true love. The slick script pulls the characters in just the
right directions. And while the characters could be deeper—we never find
out anything more about Kate other than that she drives a horse carriage—it
doesn't seem to matter. We know Kate believes in true love, even if she
doesn't think she'll ever find it, and that's enough.
There are not villains or heroes here, and even the actors in the smaller
roles get a few moments to breathe some life into their characters. Maguire as
Prince John is believable as a cad, frog and prince, while Short as Rodney
reins in his naturally broad comic style to hit just the right note as the put-upon servant. Applegate's Kate comes across as a real person, and Peters, in
what could have been a cliched role as the aging diva, makes us remember that
she is a fine actress who should get more film work than she does.
The one final element that really brings Prince Charming together
is the special-effect frogs. In a film about people turning into frogs, if
this had been poorly done, it could have hurt the film. But the frogs are just
realistic enough to work well with the rest of the action, keeping the film's
tone intact. It all adds up to a romantic tale that just might make you want
to believe in the fairy tale.
