Another Cinderella Story (PG, 2008)

When she's not finishing up high school and dreaming of auditioning for the Manhattan Dance Academy, Mary (Selena Gomez) spends most of her time playing maid for her guardian, washed-up pop singer Dominique Blatt (Jane Lynch), and Dominque's twin daughters Britt (Emily Perkins) and Bree (Katherine Isabelle). Then teen pop star Joey Parker (Andrew Seeley) enrolls in school and announces a big dance competition; the winner will star in his next video. Suddenly the incredibly uncoordinated Britt and Bree -- and the rest of the girls at school -- are clamoring for Joey's attention. But only one girl catches his eye at the masked ball -- Mary, of course -- and when she drops her Zune on the dance floor, Joey rushes to identify her. Finally Mary comes forward, and the two practice their dance moves together while they do Mary's chores -- until a jealous ex-girlfriend and the twins do their best to separate them before the big dance competition.

Cinderella stories usually end at the big reveal. This one keeps on trucking through a courtship (with some rather cheesy moments), jealous plans to split the pair apart, and a big dance competition to get them back together. It's a lot to cram in, and it stalls a few times before the big dance finish.

But some of its more unconventional elements make ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY more worthwhile, especially for modern tweens. Lynch, a fabulous comedic actress, is both a wicked stepmother figure and a pathetic fading pop star (her opening back acne commercial is laugh-out-loud funny). Plus, instead of sticking to the most popular dance moves -- there are plenty of those throughout the rest of the movie -- the masked couple at the ball goes for classy and launches into a tango. And when Joey, the big star, smartly defies his money-grubbing parents and even helps Mary with the housework so he can spend time with her, the usual silent-but-handsome prince role takes on a lot more character.