Happily N'Ever After

Once upon a time, animated movies treated fairy tale classics with respect. Then came Shrek with its polished CGI visuals and hilariously irreverent revamp of fairy-tale lore. Two Shrek sequels and Hoodwinked later, this bandwagon-jumping outing offers more of the same with an ironic take on Cinderella. Sigourney Weaver voices the wicked stepmother who keeps Ella (Sarah Michelle Gellar) from marrying the preening Prince Humperdink (Patrick Warburton) by taking over the Department of Fairy Tale Land Security. There she can alter fairy-tale endings so nobody lives happily ever after. Hot on her heels is Rick (Freddie Prinze Jr), a kitchen boy at the palace and Ella's true love. Bland vocal performances and derivative jokes won't entertain youngsters accustomed to more refined CGI fare. The funniest moments come courtesy of the supporting characters - biker witches flying motorised broomsticks; gangster wolves - yet even they can't hide the fact that this fairy tale lacks sparkle.