Swan Princess

The Swan Princess is loosely based on the Swan Lake story. Princess Odette, having been turned into a swan by a sorcerer's spell, is held captive at the enchanted lake with friends Jean-Bob the frog, Speed the turtle, and Puffin the bird. Along comes Prince Derek, who becomes involved in liberating her by taking on the villain. This excellent theatrical feature has been criticized for being too similar to Sleeping Beauty, but once you're watching it--with its strong characters, entertaining vocal performances (John Cleese and Steven Wright are particularly funny), fine artwork, and action--such complaints are negligible. In The Swan Princess III: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure, an evil sorceress plans to wreak havoc on Swan Lake by stealing the forbidden arts--a treasure that gives its keeper unlimited power. Odette is kidnapped as part of her master plan, prompting a showdown with Derek. Ambitious in narrative only, this potboiler doesn't look like much in contrast to the first film in the series. It's also a shame the producers couldn't bring back some of the original vocal cast: John Cleese and Steven Wright. --Tom Keogh