The Swan Princess (G, 1994)

Princess Odette and Prince Derek are forced to spend all their childhood summers together. Their royal families hope they'll eventually fall in love and unite the two kingdoms. But Odette and Derek don't like each other much. They're almost adults when Derek finally realizes he does love Odette. By then she loves him too, but she wants him to value her for more than her beauty. He must prove he knows her worth. After refusing Derek's proposal, Odette is kidnapped by the Lord Rothbart (voiced by Jack Palance), an evil enchanter who places her under a spell, hoping to force her to marry him so that he can claim her kingdom as his own. Every morning Odette is transformed into a swan, where she remains until the moonlight shines upon the lake and she becomes a princess once again. Derek alone believes Odette is still alive. He sets off to find her, fight for her return, and declare his everlasting love.

Delightful music, rich characters, and a classic love story make this a very enjoyable, family-friendly animated film. The featured players, including a turtle (voiced by the droll comedian Steven Wright), an eccentric European frog (voiced with gusto by John Cleese), and a brave puffin (voiced by character actor Steve Vinovich) are particularly fun and memorable. Taking on Disney's successful "princess" monopoly, Richard Rich (who'd worked for "the Magic Kingdom" for many years) struck out on his own to create a stylish, beautifully drawn fairy tale with a modern spirit and unique humor. Though the film shows that he didn't have the enormous resources and funding of the Disney offerings, Rich succeeds admirably and spares his audience the innumerable tie-in products.