MOVIE 'Ella Enchanted' DVD will delight viewers

Anne Hathaway stars as always-obedient Ella.
By NANCY CHURNIN
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
In a year crowded with Cinderella clone tales, "Ella Enchanted" enchanted those hungry for a different message. And while it missed some opportunities to be daring, it succeeded in putting a finger on a fundamental source of anxiety for many girls: the desire to please vs. the hunger to be oneself, regardless of the consequences.
Loosely adapted from the book by Gail Carson Levine, it tells the story of Ella, a girl cursed with the gift of obedience. A fairy godmother (Vivica A. Fox) thinks she has given her a wonderful gift. After all, an obedient girl will get approval for doing everything she is told. But how does an "obedient" girl challenge people who are wrong?
Anne Hathaway brings spine to a thinking Ella who fights her own compliance as best she can. She has to come when called, but she can come agonizingly slowly, can't she? She builds a character who cares about injustice, including the persecution of elves and ogres, and who is determined to undo her spell so that she can do the right thing.
Director Tommy O'Haver has great fun with sly narration by "Monty Python" star Eric Idle, the rocking score and the "Flintstone"-ish take on the medieval setting, including stores hawking glass slippers and Medieval Teen sporting the prince on the cover.
The Cinderella stereotypes that don't change are that Ella is dazzling (she is, after all, Anne Hathaway), the stepsisters are one-note awful and the prince (Hugh Dancy) is pretty much perfect (with a little help from Ella to get him the rest of the way there).
The DVD extras aren't much: deleted scenes and extended scenes, the usual gang of commentaries and a Prince Charmont Fan Club game. The best reason to get this is the movie itself. Pair it with the book for a fun contrast and discuss.