The Swan Princess (1994) User Reviews (80)

A good, watchable movie despite its flaws.

[Raven-49 · 7/10 · 25 April 1999]

Compared to previous attempts by competing studios to break Disney's stranglehold on the animated film market, The Swan Princess really is a good movie. The animation does not quite have Disney's finesse and got a little rough in places, but was still watchable and generally pleasing to the eye, unlike, say, Thumbelina. The songs, though not particularly memorable and vaguely cheesy in the manner of much older animated flicks, did not bring the movie to a grinding halt and actually managed to, in general, help it along. It has a plot.

That's not to say that The Swan Princess doesn't have its problems, mostly in its characters. The titular lead, Princess Odette, is a flat failure as a heroine--she never *does* anything except lead her one true love, Prince Derrick, to her--and even then, she only does that because her animal friends, Puffin, Speed the turtle, and Jean-Bob the frog, cook up the plan for her.

Derrick is much more likeable, and though throughout most of the movie he is a flaming idiot, he is a likeable and sympathetic flaming idiot--and he does learn. His mistakes are, as a rule, human and understandable, and in the end it is he who saves the day and finally learns the movie's apparent lesson--that beauty is not all there is in matters of love or anything else.

The development of their relationship is refreshing--rather than falling in love at first sight, they start out hating each other with a passion, and it takes them years--spanned capably over the course of one amusing if sugary song--to realize that they do love each other. And then Derrick blows it(!), and spends the rest of the movie scrambling to recover from his mistake.

The end battle was satisfying, though in general I prefer for the heroine to help save their hides in some manner. The movie-makers were not afraid to beat the living daylights out of their hero, and though the save he pulls in the end is nothing short of miraculous, it was at least shown much earlier to be within his princely capabilities.

Despite its flaws, I found The Swan Princess to be a satisfying and re-watchable movie--though I did catch myself agreeing with Derrick's comment (stated early in the movie) that he could do much better.

Whimsical children's tale, good animation and storytelling

[MovieAddict2016 · 7/10 · 24 January 2006]

It's been a little while since I had seen "The Swan Princess," but I could distinctly recall many scenes from it. I'd always enjoyed it before, so I decided to watch it again - for the most part, it still holds up.

Of course, it's a children's tale, so some slack must be given; it's not going to be as well-rounded (entertainment-wise) as a movie like "Toy Story," but it does contain its fair share of adult-oriented jokes along with silly physical humor that will amuse children.

The story is pretty basic - a lovely princess is destined to marry a prince, but an evil sorcerer (voiced by the diabolical Jack Palance) has other plans and kills the princess' father, locks the daughter away and casts a spell on her so that she turns into a swan at night.

It's predictable, but it's got a great vocal cast, and the animation is pretty good. Give it a shot. Avoid the unnecessary cash-in sequel.

"No Fear" team steal every minute

[Cylex · 7/10 · 19 September 2001]

Contains Spoilers

This film may have its flaws - only two good songs (Far Longer Than Forever, No Fear), a few not so interesting sequences but whenever Jean-bob, Puffin & Speed are on I love every minute. They are not just comic relief. (Jean-bob is the funniest.) They are always eager to help ('though Jean-bob takes persuading)and combine all their skills to fetch a map, find Derek, rescue Odette from a tower & help Derek defeat Rothbart. Their enthusiasm is infectious and I love their adopted motto.

I particularly like Speed for his stout-heartedness & wisdom. Puffin is a born leader. Jean-bob (excellently voiced by John Cleese) is proud & a coward but he's just as loyal.

The plot is faithful to the ballet, apart from the happier ending. Odette is a likeable heroine, though we wonder what she sees in Derek. He has courage but mainly he's self-centred and dumb. Queen Uberta is amusing. Rothbart is your basic villain. 7/10

Good Movie

[tesswdunlap · 11 March 2006]

I happen to think that this was a very cute fantasy movie. It does not copy The Swan Lake and it is original. However, it has some good love scenes and I liked it in the sense that it was very fun to watch. I still remember the movie from when I've seen it years ago. It has pretty good animation and good songs to remember. The music is nice to listen to. The characters are displayed well and the voices are clear. This movie is adorable. I liked it very much and it was memorable. There are two sequels following it that I enjoyed as well. The third one was very funny. Anyways, The Swan Princess was satisfying. This is a great movie to show to kids and adults.

nice '80s princess story... when was this made?

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 15 September 2013]

Prince Derek and Princess Odette are forced to spend their summers together by their widowed parents hoping for them to fall in love. Just when they seem to do just that, Derek says "You're beautiful.", and Odette ask "What else?". Derek could only reply "What else is there?". Evil sorcerer Lord Rothbart kidnaps Odette and places her under a spell which turns her into a swan. She turns back to a woman when she's on the lake as the moon rise. When moonlight leaves the lake, she's turn back into a swan. The only way to break the spell is to have her love make a vow of everlasting love.

This is very much an 80s style animation with the singing, the drawing, and the subject matter. All the characters are straight out of 80s Disney movies. And quite frankly, it works on that terms. The animation, the jokes, the princess subject, the songs... all of it works but only on that term.

It's a nice little princess movie

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 6/10 · 16 September 2004]

I was 9 when the movie first got released. I loved it so much. As an adult I decided to watch it again. As usual, I now know what my kid years was like. Man, was I easily amused. :D Although it is still a very cute movie for little kids. More for the girls really. But there are some funny moments for the adults. The animation is pretty decent. It's not "Beauty and the Beast" or "Lion King". In fact, you shouldn't expect too much. But I wouldn't mind watching this film with my little cousins. That's pretty much it. As an adult I'd stay away from it. As for the kids, they will definitely enjoy this.

6/10

A middle of the road movie

[stenholmgabriel · 7/10 · 20 February 2016]

The plot is as follows once upon time in generic there lived a king who very much wanted a child. One day he got one a daughter and decided to marry her off to the son of the old widow queen Uberta. But when the day comes the princess is cursed by an evil sorcerer and transformed to a swan it's up to the prince to save her.

The Plot. The plot is stolen from Disney movies most notably Sleeping beauty but this movie is way way way worse than that masterpiece. The plot is not bad just bland and uninteresting.

The characters. The ones that aren't stolen from other animated movies are dull. Derk is a nonentity and Odette is nice but dull. The villain's your ordinary power hungry magician . The only one that has some life is The queen who is fun and entertaining The voice work is good from the likes Pontus Gustafson(The Jungle Book) , Lars Edström(Professor Calculus in Tintin) and Torsten Wahlund( the Seacrow Island movies) Nothing great but good. It's well done and i have nothing to complain about .The stand out being Christina Schollin as the queen..

The song . The song are a mixed bag some move the plot along like "No Fear while some grind it to a halt like Far Longer Than Forever. No More Mr. Nice Guy is fun but pointless and the actor(Swedish voice) is not really a singer.

All in all The Swan Princess is not bad. But it's dull ,lifeless, pointless and very cliché.If you have kids there are far far far worse thing to put on ( most made in Sweden). But they are also much better things to show them the film is mediocre.

Love Disney or Hate Em- another reason they stay on top-

[Fd-Up-Squirrel · 3/10 · 30 May 2005]

It's hard to see an animated feature and not compare it to some of Disney's Best. Hey Disney did pioneer the concept, perfected it, and did what not many companies could do: Do it well.

This movie didn't do it well, although Richard Rich (the Director) did once work for Disney, he directed "Fox and the Hound" and "The Black Cauldron"- with the latter being one of Disney's bigger disappointments. Ten years later, he directed "The Swan Princess" even after Disney tried to convince him to stop production as they were planning to release a version of their own, but when he wouldn't scrap his, they scrapped theirs, and in 1994, Disney had it's biggest box office gross ever with the Lion King, The Swan Princess brought in about 9 Million in the US (Disney re-releasing The Lion King at the same time was a little dirty on Disney's part- but it may have saved a lot of parents from having to sit through a bland Disney Wannabe)

The Animation is the films best asset, Brightly colored, smooth, no gimmicks or massive special effects. The characters on the other hand, could've used a little retooling, they lack much, if any existed, of a personality. Princess Odette, in an attempt to put her in the head strong, faith in herself Disney Heroines of the early 90's, fails to do so. When Princess Odette and Prince Derrick meet as adults, they are completely smittne with each other, he tells her she's beautiful, to which she asks "Is Beauty all the That Matters?" and he asks "What Else is there?" We are supposed to believe that this is no ordinary Princess, she's smart, sophisticated, and yearns for more than just being a beautiful face, which would be alright except that up to that point, they couldn't stand each other, and then when placed in a room together, they stare at each other, and are in love- so didn't she just fall in love with what she saw? They never really seemed to be into each other's personalities before, so doesn't that just leave Aesthitcs? True, the Prince's response isn't exactly, well good doesn't begin to cover it, the Princess is being hypocritical.

The story isn't the worst, but has a few plot holes, one of which would make the ending completely unnecessary, but would leave out the generic fairy tale battle between the prince and a large creature.

The only other saving grace are Odette's Animal friends - Speed the Turtle, Jean Bob the Frog (John Cleese with a cheesy French Accent), and Puffin- the Puffin(?). Jean bob's ongoing attempts to get a kiss form Odette to break his spell (he believes he is actually a Prince that was turned into a frog) are actually interesting- too bad the rest of the movie isn't.

The saddest thing about the whole movie is it's blatant ripping off of a Disney Score. The songs throughout the movie are often very similar to the songs in Beauty and the Beast, but unlike Beauty and the Beast, the songs aren't exactly catchy, let alone good. The only decent piece of Music is the love song "Far Longer Than Forever" sung by Prince Derrick and Odette (whose singing voice is also that of Anastasia's, Kiara in Disney's Lion King II, and Princess Jasmine in the 2nd and 3rd Aladdin Films) but even it doesn't compare to anything from the Disney Songbook- the Title of the song itself has a cheeseboard romance sound to it. This one would've been much better as a straight to video release, and compared to some of Disney's Straight to Video flicks does help it look slightly better, but only slightly

Overall, kids will enjoy it, the Animation is Beautiful and Lush, but Parents may want to leave the room.

My recommendation, pop in Beauty and the Beast or the Little Mermaid- Head strong Princesses, people under magic spells that change their appearance, great music that you don't mind getting stuck in your head, Well Developed Stories, Well Developed Characters.

A cult classic that has been stuck with me since my childhood

[gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297 · 8/10 · 14 January 2013]

After Disney released "The Lion King" which has been met with critical praise and became a success at the box office for the company, Disney animator Richard Rich (known for directing "The Fox and the Hound" and "The Black Cauldron") teams up with New Line Cinema to make their very first animated feature, "The Swan Princess", based on the Swan Lake ballet.

It tells the story about two kids named Derek & Odette who started to hate each other for about a long time until one day, as young adults, they finally realize that they do love each other, but Derek ruins the wedding by saying "What else is there?" and they will never see each other again. Meanwhile, an evil sorcerer named Rothbart captures Odette and turns her into a swan that would only turn her back into a human as the moon rises. As Derek tries to find Odette by learning from his mistake, Odette and her animal friends Jean-Bob, a frog, Speed, a turtle, and Puffin, a bird attempts to bring her back to Derek.

I first saw this film when I was a child and it has been stuck with me ever since even as a young adult (I'm turning 19 soon, by the way). It still holds up, but there are two problems that I do have with this classic. The animation is beautiful and colorful, but is a bit deflated some of the time. Derek is a bland character, but is a somewhat sympathetic character since he learned that to love a woman is to prove his love for her.

Flaws aside, everything else still holds up. The story is very original and sticks closely to the ballet without any ballet dances which works for me. The characters are charming and likable; Odette is a beautiful and feisty character and I liked her hair as well. The side characters including Bromley, Rogers (whose line "How To Offend Women In 5 Syllables Or Less made me laugh) and Uberta, who never fails to steal every scene in the movie. The animal sidekicks including Jean-Bob, Speed, and Puffin are excellent. The villain Rothbart, voiced by the late Jack Palace, is great and his motives, although over-the-top, are very amusing. The songs, on the whole, are pleasant and memorable to listen to especially "Far Longer Than Forever". Even the ending is satisfying. The battle between Derek and Rothbart is the best highlight of the movie because it represents some of the past-Disney films with a style and tone to it.

Overall, The Swan Princess isn't a masterpiece, but it's by no means a cult classic that has been stuck with me since my childhood. It may have received a mixed reception when it was first released, but I'm recommending this to those who love Disney and Non-Disney films.

Interesting.

[conthauberger · 7/10 · 7 August 2017]

I think it was very interesting. This is one of those films that should've been part of Disney as a good help and part of the Walt Disney Animation Cannon.

I believed that Odette can be part of the Official Disney Princesses since she had a great role in the film. And for Rothbart, he may not be as strong as Maleficent, but can be very powerful that he was so close to being one of the primary villains.

The Swan Princess: Decent Animation and Enjoyable Soundtrack, but Lacks in Plot and Character Development

[hdoerr-02108 · 5/10 · 7 January 2024]

I recently watched the animated Swan Princess film , and while it had some redeeming qualities, it failed to leave a lasting impression on me overall. The animation was decent, featuring some impressive scenes, but the plot felt lacking and predictable, leaving me disappointed. The characters were also forgettable and needed more real depth, making it difficult to become invested in their journey. The film failed to create a solid emotional connection with the audience, an essential aspect of any successful movie. On a positive note, the soundtrack was enjoyable and had some catchy songs that helped elevate the viewing experience. While it's not terrible, it's not a standout animated film and offers nothing particularly memorable compared to other movies in the genre.

One of my favourite non Disney movies as a kid

[lisafordeay · 8/10 · 13 October 2010]

I have the VHS for this which is 16 years old and I always watch it whenever there is nothing on TV.

The film is about a beautiful princess named Odette who falls in love with a handsome prince named Derek whom she met as a kid and the two of them don't get along at first but as they are brought together every summer they fall in love with each other.

Of course when Odette gets older an evil warlock wants her from himself and when she refuses to marry him as he is taking over her kingdom every time the moon goes she is magically transformed into a swan and when the moon comes back the next day she is turned back into a human again.

Although its kinda silly in a way and a bit old-fashioned but I like this film for a very long time as it was fun,cute,romantic and sweet. The songs were so sweet like For longer than forever was such a romantic ballad and that other song No more Mr nice guy which had me smiling for days. The characters were colorful,the plot was nice and cheerful,the ending was nice.

If you like transformation movies like Beauty & the Beast,Brother Bear,The Little Mermaid then check it out.

8/10

Jack Palance's voice and great lines of the script makes the film come alive

[JuguAbraham · 6/10 · 31 March 2003]

I have always loved the voice of Jack Palance, which is as distinctive and rich as those of Richard Burton, George Clooney, and Sean Connery. The film is richer for the brilliant casting of Palance's voice.

I was viewing the movie with my daughter and my reasons for enjoying the film were the brilliant lines spoken by the male characters that could have been from one of those film-noir gangster films of the Fifties. The turtle character reminded me of Peter Lorre's voice.

Take some of the lines: "Once you steal something, you spend your whole life fighting to keep it," or "You should write a book: How to Offend Women in Five Syllables or Less." These are lines that adults will love not kids.

The dialogue: "Don't let her die!" "Is that a threat?" "Don't you dare let her die!" "Oh, it is a threat" could have been straight out of a modern gangster film..The lines/dialogues, not the screenplay, are top notch. The film is not great cinema but provides reasonable entertainment for both young and old.

Good plot, but dull characters

[hresvelg · 5/10 · 25 July 2021]

I recently dug out a bunch of DVDs from my childhood which includes The Swan Princess.

The plot is pretty interesting and I definitely felt like it was a good story, but I felt like the characters were dull which made it less enjoyable. For example, Bromley shows up at random moments and his character isn't developed much.

I've never seen the movie sequels, so perhaps the characters are developed more and are less dull in the sequels, but I did hear the sequels are quite bad and this one's probably the best one out of the Swan Princess movie hellhole. This is pretty good for a knockoff Disney movie, but I felt like the characters weren't very enjoyable.

Sleeping Beauty Plus (But It Doesn't Add Up)

[BabelAlexandria · 7/10 · 15 May 2022]

One of the rare animated princess movies not by Disney, the Swan Princess is however directed by Richard Rich, a director for Disney during its low point in the early 1980s, and strives to unite all earlier Disney princess movies into one: a virtual "parade of princesses," which is dramatized in one of the final scenes. We have Sleeping Beauty in the story-book medieval castle, celebration of a royal birth, and final kiss; Cinderella in the ball; Aladdin/Jasmin in the Jaffar-like counselor and magician Rothbart; Beauty and the Beast in Rothbart's imprisonment of Odette and the idea of true love's charm; and the Little Mermaid in Odette's metamorphosis (ok so that's not exactly the same). Yes, I realize it's based on Swan. Lake, but it would have been better off developing more allusions to the ballet; the music, ironically, is mostly terrible. Before Rothbart's spell, Odette had refused to marry Derek because the immature prince was unable to name something appealing about the princess other than her beauty, which angers her and makes her think that they don't have a connection. He resolves to work on it, but, ironically, they get together at the end when he saves her from the monster and awakens her with a kiss, but never actually says what else he finds appealing about her!

Your average animated kids movie.

[anna_netzloff · 7/10 · 3 March 2010]

I really remember liking this movie as a kid. I mostly remember loving the main characters friends the most, mainly the animals. They made for great comedy. Of course when I was younger I loved anything animated, so the real question is "Will I still like this when I'm older?" Well it had been a long time since I watched it but I did end up remembering it and wanted to see it again. To my surprise it still for the most part held up. Sure in my opinion now the songs are pretty corny but being a kid I know that would make me love it more back in the day. Seems like the only animated songs that I still like come from the Disney movies, don't know why. The story itself I still consider good. The movie as a whole I still find really fun and wouldn't mind seeing it again in a few years or so.

Funny thing is I always wondered what company made this movie. I knew it wasn't Disney and I wondered if it was Don Bluth. Well now I know and it wont bother me anymore. :)

On the Higher End of Children's Movies

[icepunk3173 · 7/10 · 22 May 2011]

"Swan Princess" is one of those films that you kept on your movie shelf from when you were six, rediscover it when you're 16, and find new things to love about it.

Granted, I can't pinpoint exactly what makes this film so enjoyable for me.It doesn't really offer anything spectacular or revolutionary, but the story is sweet, the characters are entertaining, and Odette and Derik's relationship actually has legitimacy to it. It just instills a happy feeling inside you, and it's nice to watch a movie like that every once and awhile (or every other weekend, if you're me :))

Odette was a fantastic heroine, even if she wasn't a "Mulan" by comparison. While she may not have possessed brawny strength or great intellect, she was emotionally strong and self confident. When she asked Derik to tell her what he loved about her besides her beauty, and he flubbed it, she dumped him, because she didn't want to marry someone that didn't respect her even though she loved him. When she was captured and cursed by Rothbart, she refused to give into his demands, even though it would be immediate relief for her. She actively takes a role in trying to solve her problems, while acting rationally. She proves you don't have to be physically strong to be a strong person.

Overall, this movie is very entertaining, and I definitely recommend it to children of BOTH genders.

A Childhood Memory

[ZachStoleMyCowsName · 3/10 · 6 July 2007]

When I was little, I watched this movie over and over. I loved it so much, I even bought the sequel (the second sequel, no, but the first I did like). I absolutely adored it. When I hit 10 or 12, I sort of forgot about it.

So, yesterday, bored out of my skull, I decided, what the heck? I dug out the old VHS copy and stuck it in the VCR. I honestly only remembered something about a Princess being cursed and her being in love with a Prince, but I did remember that I loved it.

But when I watched it last night, I cringed in parts. The animation bothered me, it was so bad. I mean, what was up with Odette's hair? Honestly. And the story/songs were a bit cheesy.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of Disney-and-Disney-style movies for kids. And maybe I'm being too harsh - after all, there have been worse movies. (Have you seen some of the Barbie movies? I rest my case.) All I'm saying is that as a kid, I loved this. I wasn't distracted by the fact that all Odette did was cry over Derek, or that Derek was a complete dumb@##. It was just a pretty story.

Now that I'm older, however, it's a slightly different story.

From 2 to 26, I still love this one.

[Le_Serenity · 8/10 · 22 January 2019]

This movie came out when I was two, and no matter how much time passes nor how many times I rewatch it throughout the years, I still love The Swan Princess. Can it be a bit corny? Yes. Is Odette a bit dull for a heroine? Yes. Could the plot have been solved within 10 minutes if Derek (or Odette) was a bit smarter or William a bit less vague in his final moments? Yes. But then is the music fun to listen to, the characters enjoyable and the experience memorable? Yes!

The animation is not as great as Disney, but it isn't hard to overlook because the film is good overall. Speaking from a feminist side, I do wish Odette had a rounder personality and more drive to save herself instead of waiting for Derek to find her. While she did plot to get the map and lead Derek to her, she did it after Puffin and her friends worked her up to it. Before Puffin arrived, she was seemingly content to spend the evenings moping to Jean-Bob and Speed about her curse and how she needed Derek to save her from it and then spent her days pouting on the lake. You've got wings, baby -- use them!

Derek isn't the smartest person in the movie, but you gotta love him for his drive and his self-awareness, knowing he was an idiot who said the wrong thing. It was also refreshing to see the hero actually be physically capable of the rescue. The plot nicely demonstrates his talent as an archer so we are able to believe the incredible save at the end.

The movie also has memorable lines that I've jokingly quoted throughout my life. It's an all-around fun movie. Don't take too much stock in the people, but remember the lesson -- Love is more important than beauty.

Speaking of love, the other piece this movie has going for it is the relationship development that trumps its Disney competitors. This isn't love at first sight! This is a slow growing love after years of being forced together that first bred distain before love ever thought to bloom. It was wonderful to watch two people actually know each other from child to young adult instead of two young adults meeting for the very first time and BOOM, it's love! One of the best parts of this movie.

TL;DR: This movie is one of the classic greats. It's worth a spot in anyone's personal collection.

Classic princess movie that is with its own magic. Overly dramatic lines but great musical

[sisubalan · 7/10 · 20 November 2022]

First time watching it, instantly drawn my attention. Huge fan of 2D animations as it was a big part of my childhood. The sound scores, effect and original songs/lyrics were outstanding and very reminiscence of disney princess movies which i adore so much. Amazing voice castings and fit entirely well with the tone and the characters itself. Narrator was terrific in just those seconds, the VIP for me were definitely odette & derek due to their very compelling voice acting and movements. Jean-Bob, Puffin, Brom and Speed were great side characters for comedic release from both sides. Great villain and somewhat original to this movie alone. Plot wise something similar with other classic disney princesses movie, same formula but slight differences in world building and characterisation. Started very strong but flunked as it progress, weak final acf. It was very overly dramatic, fun, entertaining with groovy songs & great handrawn smooth motions. Highly recommended.

A movie that feels too much like a would-be Disney copy and full of clichés to be good.

[Ithorianjedimaster2 · 3/10 · 8 December 2006]

After a generation of countless Disney movies, anyone would expect some lower company to try and beat Disney at his own game. So far, nothing's worked and this movie is a good example of this. The story is the beautiful princess, Odette, is kidnapped by a powerful sorcerer (a plot we have seen dozens of other times), but here is the twist. The bad guy puts a spell on her, making it so that she will always be a swan, unless she is on the lake when the moon's light is shining on it. Now, let me introduce the 'prince charming' of the story. Derek is the prince of another kingdom who blows the two kingdoms chances of being allies when he says the wrong words to their princess, but he is still in deep love for her and is looking for the creature known as the "Great Animal", who kills Odette's father. While Derek is searching for the identity of the Great Animal, Odette, as a swan, meets three characters definitely meant for small children. You have Jean Bob, the frog who thinks he is a prince, Speed, a turtle that sounds and feels way too close to Winnie the Pooh's Eeyore, and General Puffin, a puffin bird.

After the opening song "This is my Idea" which was the closest the movie got to being anywhere as good as Disney's orchestra, the movie seems to fall apart. Jean Bob has the fakest French accent I have ever heard and he is just annoying, rather than funny. Speed? Probably the only decent character in the story. General Puffin? It seems like he is just showing off for Odette, knowing she is a princess, and the methods of helping her just become too childish and too immature for any audience to really care for the story.

The Swan Princess is stuffed with songs, all of which sounds either horrible, or just plain idiotic, like the sorcerer's song "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "Princesses on Parade". Every song makes you wonder why they put in the song, and after hearing 3 of these pathetic tunes, you just want to go and spend your day elsewhere.

The story is also packed full of clichés. It would have been easy to simply avoid these, but for some reason, the director couldn't. The whole "princess being kidnapped, and prince rushing to save her" sounds like a dozen of Disney's movies, and the characters in the Swan Princess aren't any different. You have innocent, little Odette who has a terrible curse on her (*cough* Sleeping Beauty *cough**cough*), the fair, defeats-all prince, and the three child-friendly characters. Also, here's a surprise! Well, not really. The bad guy is actually the Great Animal!? What other movies have villains that change into awesome creatures? "Aladdin", "Sleeping Beauty", and probably many more other movies that I am too tired to think of right now. And what a surprise also. The 'Great' powerful Animal is killed in ONE HIT! Again, WAAAY over-used.

If you are looking for a decent family movie for kids to leave you alone until half way through, this could be that movie. But if you have a chair that has a leg that is smaller than the others, The Swan Princess is definitely more efficient than some cardboard. Honestly, The Swan Princess is a movie that feels far too much like a would-be Disney clone and has too many clichés for me to actually recommend it.

"Far longer than forever, I'll hold you in my heart"

[Animany94 · 10/10 · 2 June 2018]

The Swan Princess sure is a childhood favourite of mine, even in my mid 20's. I still hum the songs and miss the times when hand-drawn animation was the thing. No movie has ever captured me the same way as this one. I can't pretend it's a masterpiece, because its story structure needed tightening up a bit to make it more flowing, but I just can't help loving its simple premise.

Our main characters, Derek and Odette, are set to spent every summer together from their childhood up to their young adulthood and that is not easy, because they despise each other! How they tease each other during a montage accompagnied by the wonderful song "This is my Idea" is really entertaining, and honestly not that far from reality, because this is how many kids act in their childhood. It was spot on and arguably the strongest part of the movie.

But to be honest, the fact that Derek is so bad at expressing his feelings to Odette is kind of a letdown after all those years' setting up of their romance. Now he must prove his love for Odette while the villainous Rothbart has abducted her and tries to force her to marry him instead so he can get to the throne initially not using destructive methods. Quite original use of the evil power hungry sorcerer villain, actually. Despicably trying legal methods to get to his goal.

Therefore he turns her into a swan and asks her every night to marry him if she wants to become fully human again, but she only wants her true love, Derek. Jack Palance's performance as Rothbart is creepy. He talks to Odette the same way a narcissist would talk and he really enjoys seeing her cry. But Odette stands up to him and with her wonderful animal friends try to escape his grip when he is not around.

And with that conflict set up we get all sorts of things you'd expect from this kind of fairy tale.

Like briefly stated in the beginning of my review, I think I like it so much, because it is so down to the basics of what I know as a fairy tale with princes and princesses, magic and of course a happy ending where good triumphs over evil. And despite the rather rushed romance, the tale of ever lasting love just speaks to my sentimental side. It's sweet, and I just can't help feeling it every time. The music is well composed and the songs are effective in conveying whatever emotion they resemble and move the story forward. And the end is perfect, gets me every time!

And no matter which side you're on, it must be addressed that The Swan Princess, despite its flaws, has earned its place in animation history as the last theatrically released Western animated movie to not use any aid of computers. After the invention of the CAPS system to digitally colour the drawings and the release of Disney's The Rescuers Down Under it has been standard procedure using that method sadly making ink and paint hopelessly ineffecient and a thing of the past seen from a business standpoint.

So to sum up, The Swan Princess is an enjoyable casual fairy tale for kids with animation as traditional as its premise reminding us of the good old times of hand-drawn Disney spiced up with good songs, entertaining characters and a creepy villain. In my opinion it should have been a stand-alone movie, because Richard Rich and co. has ruined it with unwanted forced garbage CGI sequels with stupid plots, impossible settings, awful songs and obnoxious characters. Stick with this one and preserve the real magic.

Princess of Swans

[DarthBill · 7/10 · 6 February 2006]

In hopes of uniting their kingdoms, widowed parents King William & Queen Uberta decide to have their kids, William's daughter Princess Odette and Uberta's son Prince Derek spend their childhood together in hopes that romance will blossom between the two and lead to marriage. As children and as adolescents, Derek & Odette can't stand each other, but they manage to fall in love with each other as they grow up. Unfortunately, just when it looks like their relationship is about to take off, Derek unintentionally offends Odette, who then refuses to marry him unless he can prove he loves her for who she is and not just her looks (sounds reasonable enough). Things get even worse when Lord Rothbart, an old enemy of King William's, shows up looking for revenge, kidnaps Odette and places a spell on her that turns her into a swan during the day and can only be restored to her human form when the moonlight hits the lake. Against all odds, Derek tries to free her anyway he can - the easiest way being to make a vow of love for all to see. Of course, it can never be that simple and it never is...

The last film done in the traditional hand drawn animation, this is a flawed but noble/heroic effort. The animation is quite good, the songs are decent, and the characters likable (though Odette is not given much to do). Might play better for the kids than for older audiences, but the fairy tale plot is a classic device.

"This isn't my idea of fun."

[culleyharless · 4/10 · 23 March 2019]

Story: The story isn't that good. It has some plot holes and it doesn't make sense. Like how in the beginning the main characters split because Derek only likes Odette for her beauty yet later, out of nowhere she sings how he's her true love.The jokes also don't work that well. There wasn't a single one that made me laugh. Presentation: The animation looks beautiful in this movie. It has some nice details, good coloring, and overall it looks nice.The background music is also pretty nice. However, I don't really like the character designs. Some of them look really awkward or really weird. Characters: The only time where I kind of liked the main characters is at the beginning when they were kids, when they grew up they became just as bland and forgettable as the other characters in the movie. The voice acting in this movie is nice however and they did a good job with that. Songs: I don't remember any of the songs in this movie. They are all really forgettable. Conclusion: The story could use more rewrites, the animation is pretty, the characters and the songs are bland, and overall this movie is kind of bad. I give it four out of ten stars.

I liked the sidekicks the best

[Carmen-5 · 18 July 2001]

To be honest, I did find this movie to be overall just "cute." The story needs some work for pacing purposes and such. The songs...um...well, nothing I found all that memorable. They did try to add to the story, but they were a tad on the grating side, so I only half watched during these scenes.

I enjoyed the sidekicks the best, really. Often, sidekicks take away too much from the leads, but I think the trio in this film (Speed, Puffin and Jean-Bob) could have used MORE airtime. Especially Speed. I love Steven Wright's comedy and he puts his deadpan humor into the turtle well. But, he gets only a handful of lines. 5 maybe?

The sidekicks seemed to be more thought out characters than Odette and Derek. Also, the movie seems to need a swift boost of pace before they make their debut on screen, in my opinion. From there, the story seems much more focused and much more fun to watch. Maybe Odette should have met these critters when she was a little kid. :)