Happily N'Ever After

Movie review by Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Happily N'Ever After Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 6+

Shrek wannabe isn't offensive ... or fun.

PG 2007 85 minutes
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Parents say

age 6+

Based on 13 reviews

Kids say

age 5+

Based on 18 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that although kids may want to see this animated fairy tale "reimagining," it's not really worth their time. The movie revises the Cinderella story in order to let the "bad guys" win ... for a minute. This results in some minor violence, much dastardly laughter, and temporary changes to familiar fairy tale plots (Rumplestiltskin steals the baby, Sleeping Beauty doesn't wake up, etc.). Many genre clichés are played out here: The wicked stepmother is mean, her daughters are obnoxious, the prince is dimwitted, and wolves, trolls, and the giant are ugly and lumbering. There's a little bit of potty humor, and a couple of none-too-menacing scenes in the dark woods. The cartoony violence primarily consists of falls and inconsequential explosions (no one dies).

Community Reviews

Camilla V.
Camilla V. Adult
August 27, 2020
age 6+

This German Film is Actually a Guilty Pleasure of Mine. Don't hate me!

This movie is super cliche, the animation looks cheap on most characters, and I know some people will make a fuss over Frieda's super cartoonishly svelte body being "too mature", "anorexic" or "sexy" (although she has the best animation actually), but this movie is a guilty pleasure as Germany isn't super big in the independent animated films category (despite there being better German movies like Laura's Star). I oddly found this so bad it's good and the English dub has some okay casting.

This title has:

Too much sex
Matan O.
Matan O. Adult
May 24, 2020
age 5+

Surprisingly, I liked this movie

This movie is great fun! The animation is a little lackluster, but it's still very entertaining. I liked how the characters were portrayed as well! Parents might find it silly, and the story is a bit clumsy as well, but its clumsy fun!

This title has:

Great role models
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

According to the narrator, lowly dishwasher Rick (Freddie Prinze Jr.), HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER is a variation on Cinderella. Wicked stepmother Frieda (Sigourney Weaver) has grown weary of always "losing" the battle between good and evil in her much-repeated story. Seeking redress, she seizes the magical staff belonging to the wizard (George Carlin) and declares herself the winner. Frieda is proactive, calling together assorted villains -- trolls, wolves, witches, and a giant -- in order to thwart Ella (Sarah Michelle Gellar)'s happy ending.

Is It Any Good?

Oddly lackadaisical, Happily N'Ever After also has shoddy animation and an uninspired soundtrack. Everyone involved apparently worked only halftime: Weaver's evil cackle seems on a loop, a singing duet by Prinze and Gellar sounds like it was recorded on a four-track in someone's basement, and the wizard literally appears for two minutes at film's start before he smartly abandons the movie. You'll wish you had the good sense to walk out with him.

Rick's narration is colored by his own desire for Ella, but since she feels compelled to follow the plot of "the book" dutifully and repeatedly, she only has eyes for lunkheaded, big-chested Prince Humperdinck (Patrick Warburton). (He, for one, has no problem with his role, as he's able to admire himself as others do.) Only resentful Rick seems capable of imagining another option -- at least until he feels rejected by Ella, at which point the plot takes a pause while Rick sulks.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the film's premise -- that all fairy tales follow a basic plot and might need to be invigorated. How would you change the plots of these familiar stories? Is there another way to change the ending without focusing on "good" and "evil" characters? How does Rick's point of view affect the movie? What might happen if Ella didn't decide to like him in the end? What do you think happens to Ella's stepsisters? What other movies have covered similar territory? What makes this one better/worse than those?

Movie Details

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