The biggest issue with the movie is when it was released. Shrek had just taken over the world, and every kids' movie suddenly had to be full of pop culture references and modern inventions in medieval times.

The same author wrote a really great take on the Snow White story called "Fairest" set in the same world. Ella's friend in finishing school is from the kingdom where "Fairest" takes place. And it's the same as Ella Enchanted in that you don't make the connection until late, in this case when she eats the poisoned apple.

It kinda sounds like they took more inspiration from Shrek than from the actual book.

The part in the book where she breaks the curse is actually much more significant. He doesn't just propose to her, he tells her to marry him and it comes off as an order, and she finds the power to resist. It's so impactful. I enjoyed this video, thank you

Hearing a male acknowledge Ella Enchanted as a damn good read is so amazing, it makes me like him as a reviewer all over again.

so the Ella Enchanted book is basically Cinderella but better?

I think one of the things I loved most about the book was that there was no immediate danger to Char like Prince Edgar, it was simply the inevitability of that danger that gave Ella the determination to break her curse. She loved him so much she wasn’t even willing to risk the possibility of hurting him. It’s such a powerful moment and it feels so earned when she breaks it.

I met Gail Carson Levine (the author) at a signing and she said that she thought the movie was dumb but really liked Anne Hathaway as Ella.

Exactly how I felt. I had to read this book for Middle School English class and dreaded it because I hated the film, but once it got going I surprisingly enjoyed it and loved the book. Personal favorite part is Ella finding and exploiting loopholes in orders like when told to speak up she'd scream everything and when told to quiet down in response she'd mumble. Book Ella thoroughly loved to fuck with people whenever she was able to.

Mind you, I think the book is miles better but there's a reason for Ella not lifting the curse herself before that point in the movie. It's because Lucinda ordered her to remove it herself if she hates it so much, thus giving Ella the capability to do so. I'm still not sure why she didn't remove it *immediately after Lucinda said that*, though. Probably for dramatic effect.

"Now freakishly happy about being cursed" lmao It's kinda creepy how the curse allows people to tell her what to think/believe additional to telling her how to act

The different names for calling out Char's uncle's evilness is giving me life right now...literally laughing so hard...

Fun fact: The author visited my school once. I didn't read it because I thought it was a girl book, but I remember she said she complained about the changes but they didn't listen

I noticed two mistakes you made about the books: Char didn't have the shoes custom made for Ella, they found them under a bench; Dame Olga wasn't 'shocked and hurt' that the father only married her for her money. She was upset because she was under the impression that he was super rich, and then she found out he had nothing. Funny story: I listened to the story countless times growing up, and I never made the connection that it was the Cinderella story. My mum had to tell me.

You missed a few points in the latter half of detailing the book's plot. For example, Char didn't propose to Ella's masked alter-ego (in fact, he expressly stated that he intended to remain single for life), and the reason Hattie removed her mask was because she thought that 'Lela' was disfigured beneath it and wanted to shame her. Also, Lucinda 'gifted' Ella's dad and Dame Olga with 'a gift that nobody could possibly dislike' which was everlasting love; the reason Ella's dad GTFO was because he still hated her despite his new and permanent love for her -- by that same token, Dame Olga loved Sir Peter despite his moneygrubbing, and the reason she enslaved Ella was because she loved her husband too much to take it out on him. Furthermore, Lucinda was a squirrel and then a child for a respective 3 months each. And the shoes were discovered in an abandoned part of an old castle, and they fit because they were fairy-made. The fake Hattie-letter said that Ella never got Char's proposal letter because she had despaired of Char ever popping the question, and so had gone for her Plan B in the form of the aforementioned old guy to get a quick fortune since the queendom didn't seem to be in the bag.

I would blame Shrek on what happened to the Ella Enchanted movie I wouldn't be surprised if this project had started out to be closer to the original text but the success of Shrek caused Studio heads to demand alterations to be closer to that type of movie resulting in what was released

"because she said no they can now get married" I love this show, it's my new favorite and i'm going to subscribe and tell all my friend both real and imaginary

I've never seen it, but at least it looks like Cary Elwes was having a blast playing Uncle Obviously Evil. Or he may have been drunk the whole time.

That is the most well laid-out Cinderella Story I have ever heard. It literally gives a reason for everything that happened in Cinderella like the magic ending at midnight and the shoe and everything like that. I love the way they told it in this one

"Uncle Jafar-meets-Goldfinger" "Uncle that guy from lazy town but more so" I'm dead 😂

Ella Enchanted's book outfit reminded me of Princess Fiona's.

I remember being sooooooo disappointed in this film, because the book holds such a special place in my heart. I've read it so many times. The book has this sort of maturity to it, and it felt like the production wanted to change it to a happy, funny, family film, so they completely transform the plot. I was disappointed about the change of politics, the dumbed down characters, and the tongue and cheek, awkward humor that took away any dignity the book had. Even disappointed with some of the direction, not the actors. I was really excited about Anne Hathaway playing Ella, after seeing her role in "Becoming Jane", thinking that if she played Ella like Jane, it would be perfect. I was even disappointed in Cary Elwes direction, since his performance was too goofy, and uncomfortable, even when comparing previous roles. The two things I was most disappointed about was: 1: The ogre scene/subplot. My favorite f***ing part about the book, because it is so badass. 2: They changed the believable relationship of Char and Ella into a cliche 3 day romance. If you do the math, from the moment they met to the moment Ella broke her curse and accepted Char's proposal, it is roughly 15 months. And they don't officially fall for each other until the last 4-5 months of that timeline. It felt genuine. On it's own, the movie is "okay" but claiming that the movie is an adaptation of the book is like saying "Frozen" is loosely based on "The Snow Queen": Laughable.

They actually found the fairy made shoes together while dicking around in the gardens of the old castle at a party neither of them wanted to be at. It was awesome.

I had to write an essay on this book for school, and one of the options was comparing it to the adaptation. I was horrified when I watched the movie, and that horror was strongly expressed in my paper. I’m still upset at how they turned the elves from such a cool and unique society to a song and dance number.

Don't worry, Dom! I didn't realize it was a Cinderella retelling either until I got to the end of the novel. Then again, I was six or seven when I first read it, so...

Remember that scene where Sir Edgar made Ella "shake her booty" right in front of him? That's another scene from my childhood that has a lot more unfortunate implications now.

I would have described the uncle king as “Evil Westley from The Princess Bride” alongside your other descriptions Dom

So lowkey I love the movie and the book, I know the movie was ridiculous and is terrible but it's the sorta thing that's so ridiculous that it's awesome, sort of like Sharknado I guess 😂 idk, I liked it

I didnt know this was based off a book, and enjoyed when I was younger, now I dont know if i can enjoy it without thinking how much better it could be

Did anyone pick up on the similarity between the uncle and his snake and Prince John and Hiss from Robin Hood???

In the book he never proposed to her at the ball. He told her (as Lela) will never marry (because he only loved Ella).

This movie was my first introduction to "Somebody to Love" and thus began my love of Queen so I'll always appreciate it for that

So they adapted a very nuanced and interesting adaptation of the Cinderella story that seeks to make every event and motivation in the tale to make sense and that includes a very mature and rational depiction of love and villainy, to a hollywood flick that completely removed all the nuances that made this story unique? Yeah...Talking about de-evolution of culture...

Ella and Char's long time friendship in the book is honestly one of my favorite love stories

Dude, the story in the book is SO realistic to real life. So many girls are brought up to be obedient bc it’s convenient for the parents at the time and/or bc of gender roles, and that really does become a curse in adulthood. It stings even more when those same girls are criticised for what happens to them after being manipulated or pushed around by others. It’s taken me years to try to undo the curse of being a people-pleaser and I’m still in the process of practising being assertive enough to just uphold my own identity.

Despite all the awful shit Ella had to go through on top of her father being a dick, I have a keen memory of reading that scene at the end of the book where she's asked to marry Char again and she's fighting the enchantment and I'm sitting there practically yelling at her to just say, "Yes!" 💖

This author actually has a second book set in the same universe called Fairest. Once again, it's a fairy tale that you don't realize is a fairy tale until the end, this one being based off of Snow White. I absolutely adore this book. Ella Enchanted and Fairest are actually connected, albeit loosely, because Ella is friends with the little sister of the main character of Fairest when she's at finishing school, Char is sent to Aythora (the kingdom where Fairest takes place) in Ella Enchanted, and Ella's father stays in the inn owned by the main character's family. The two books don't need to both be read to understand the stories, but it's fun re reading each one and picking up little Easter eggs like those... I don't know where this is going, but I just wanted to point this book out as another great read for people who liked Ella enchanted

Welp. At least Cary Elwes looked like he was having a blast! Watching this review was absolutely depressing, and I was grateful for the copious amounts of Uncle "It's Obvious if You Look at Him" sprinkled throughout to keep me alive.

Thank you so much for making this! Ella Enchanted was a book I absolutely adored as a child, I read it over and over I loved it so much. So you can imagine my disgust and horror when I saw what the movie did with such a brilliant and memorable story. It made a joke out of it, which really hurt. Ella Enchanted deserved so much better, it deserved to be an epic and unique fairytale movie. This movie is trying to be Shrek, and it's completely insulting to Gail Carson Levine's work.

Yeah same here, *SPOILERS* I had no idea that it was a Cinderella retelling until the last couple chapters, as I thought every fairytale element related to Cinderella was a common fairytale trope. It wasn’t until the climax of the story that these tropes only pertained to a very specific fairytale.

Ella Enchanted Book = Original Ella Enchanted Movie = Ever After for kids.

I think the book is way better, but the movie doesn't bother me. I saw the movie first as a kid and enjoyed it. I read the book a few years later when I recognized the title and was kinda surprised at all the changes the movie made. I still really like both, but the movie is kind of a guilty pleasure.

Excellent review! Ella Enchanted was my favorite book when I was little and I was so bummed when the film came out and it was.. well. Slight correction in the summary: Char didn't have the glass shoes made, they found them while exploring the castle hosting Olga and the father's wedding; Ella's clothes for the ball were her mother's; and they didn't technically fall in love again at the ball, Char had no intention of finding a wife so soon after having his heart broken by Ella and had only decided that "Lela" was an excellent friend i.e. how they acted when they first met at the start of the book. Also I think Lucinda spent 3 months each as a squirrel and a kid, idk

You should do the Chronicles of Narnia. The first one is a fair adaptation, but then they all get farther and farther away from the source.

i'd been waiting for this one. the greatest disappointment i've ever felt about an adaptation because i love the book so much.

"Her curse gives her the power to ...invent Queen" BEST LINE

I LOVED this book as a child and was super excited for the movie. My best friend and I literally left the theater and burned our tickets and a picture of the book as some weird funeral. We were so discussed with this movie. I like to pretend it doesn't exist...

I must be under some sort of curse. You said the book was good, I stopped the video, read the book, and came back to watch the rest. Thanks, it was good!

This movie sparked so much rage in me. I absolutely LOVED the book. I read it so much it literally fell apart. I was so happy when I heard it was becoming a movie. I was so angry when I saw what it became. R.I.P. Ella enchanted

I must say though, Carey Elwes (idk how to spell his name), seemed to be having a lot of fun playing the over the top villain. Really everyone in the movie just seems to be having fun with it and not taking it too seriously.

Ok so, Terrance, did not mention 1 interesting little thing I noticed about the uncle that I am sure many others did. He is basically the villain from Disney's anthropamorphic version of Robin Hood.

Gail Carson Levine has written a delightful number of retold fairy tales that make for wonderful reads. Sonora and the Long Sleep and The Fairy's Mistake were two of my favourites, but Cinderellis and the Glass Hill was another brilliant retelling of the Cinderella story with a male Ella, and it is honestly charming. God damn, the entirety of her work is truly singular in how clever, personable and well-told the stories are. Ella Enchanted is longer than the ones I mentioned. These three are pretty quick, but very wonderful reads. I strongly encourage going through them. :)

I love this book. The movie was my first taste of adaptation disappointment. The book makes the Cinderella story so much more interesting. If you like this book, I recommend The Two Princesses if Bamarre. Written by the same author, it's a more original fairy tale. It was really good for me to read as an introverted young girl and I just am almost grateful that they didn't try to adapt it because if Ella Enchanted is any indication, it would not have turned out nearly as good. I also recommend the other, much shorter collection of stories written by Gail Carson Levine. They're all wonderfully written. As for the movie.... It was so JARRINGLY different for me that I had to double check my ticket stub when I went to see it. As a fan of the book... It was just disappointing.

I was out to lunch with the author shortly after the movie came out (she was a guest at my university and I graciously volunteered to buy her food before her afternoon schedule) and asked how involved she was involved in the adaptation. She said she had the right to say “this screenplay is nothing like the book” and because of consulting rights, they didn’t have to change it. She did enjoy some of the originality as you mentioned.

WOW Thanks so much for talking about this book!!! It's one of my favorite childhood books of ALL TIME because *basically the story being Cinderella is the twist that sets up the third act, which is pretty freaking tight*

i love the book art so much i couldnt stop admiring it. the dress looks like velvet and she looks like a portrait of an actual girl. the curtain/not-curtain background is so cool. just a great cover overall.

I watched the movie when I was younger and liked it pretty well thinking it was just kind of a silly loose retelling of Cinderella. Later in high school I found out there was a book it was based off of, and since I needed a book to read so I could meet the reading requirements my school had I gave it a read. I really liked it and ended up preferring it to the movie by a lot. Now I just prefer to see the book and the movie as two completely different stories.

Given it came out 3 years after Shrek, it's likely they wanted the adaptation to follow the formula that made Shrek and its knock-offs so popular- pop culture references, parodying pop culture and itself, aware of how shitty it is, covers of oldies songs, a clever and cursed princess who kicks arse, etc.

"A man so cartoonishly evil that he couldn't even enjoy a boiled egg unless he could drag the hen in and make her watch."

I've watched this movie many times over the years and never made the connection that she ordered herself in the mirror to break the curse XD I just assumed she broke it through sheer will and love for Char lol

I loved the movie, even if it is what it is. But I never knew it was a book first. I seriously need to fish up this book somewhere

in regards to the "in name only" thing, I would love to see you do The Seeker, adapted from Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising but uses only the setup. How everything happens changes, the ending changes, relationships change, etc etc etc.

I adored the movie when I was a child so I can’t bring myself to say anything bad about it because it reminds me of a lot of fond memories.

This is one of my favorite LiA’s because you get the pain I felt as a kid seeing this movie. The book was compelling and deep. You have 3 dimensional characters that feel real and tangible, but exist in a world of fantasy. You feel Char’s and Ella’s love bloom and grow as they write and talk to each other. I cried at her having to turn him away in her fake letter. I cried at Lucinda learning her lesson because it was needed, but the cost is too high. It was written in beautiful prose that just sucks you in and challenges you to think and learn. Then this movie just ripped it apart. People are cardboard cutouts. Tropes are everywhere. I have stepped in a drop of water on a flat floor, and it was deeper than this movie. I was honestly livid. So thank you for showing everyone the truth.

Clearly the purpose of the movie is to increase your surprise that the book would turn out to be a retelling of Cinderella.

New subscriber here! Love your work, and I ask you to do an episode on "Hunchback of Notre Dame"

This is a case "the book is better" And yes i did read the book

I also did not realize it was CinderElla until towards the end. Love the book!!

A few notes on the book 1. Char didn't have the slippers custom made for Ella, they found them in a gardening toolbox while exploring the old castle 2. Another reason Ella was ordered to end her friendship with Areidia (?) was because it was making her happy 3. Char isn't the one holding the 3 balls it was his parents, he confesses to Lela/Ella during the third night that he has renounced never to marry

HATTED the film. Ella Enchanted was the first real book I read more than once. I immediately fell in love with the characters, and the complex story. The film... well I almost walked out. It's not just a poor adaptation, but an insult to the book.

RIP Hugh Dancy, I was sobbing profusely through the whole movie part of the review

"I'm sorry film fans." What film fans?

I'm so glad Terrence from Ravenclaw is back, I was afraid he wouldn't come back after harry potter was over

I'm glad you're keeping Terrence around! I enjoy watching 'him' just as much as you and was hoping he'd have more than just Harry Potter cameos after Deathly Hallows. :)

I know that I am three years late but THANK YOU *sobbing in the background* this was one of my first adaptation heart breaks as I had LOVED the book beyond all reason

Ella Enchanted was the most formative book of my childhood, and I still re-read it every few years. And just to emphasize how long I've been re-reading this book, I first read it the year after it was published ...in 1998. I was both furious and devastated when I saw the movie.

P.S. Does no one notice the evil uncle is played by the handsome pirate in The Princess Bride?

Why doesn't her mom just order her to be free, be herself and make her own decisions? The curse is an interesting form social standards (good girls are obedient and so on). Also an explanation for the whole "female acts crazy for reasons". Better than just the old emotions motivation.

"Which shouldn't be a problem unless he intends to eat the crown." There are several kinds of chemicals that can still kill you, even if they just touch your skin.

Wow, they even ripped off Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer with that "elf wants to have a super normal job but is forced to do elf-stuff instead" thing. Nice going movie.

I remember reading this for school. I barely remember it, but I don't think I hated it. I remember hating the movie, which I also barely remember. I was never a fab of Anne Hathaway and those costumes are just baffling. Aquamarine made me so much madder though. I loved the book, but the movie was absolutely nothing like it and destroyed everything that made the book great. They changed it to a teen girl movie instead of an interesting story about a mermaid and a human that helps save her.

I reread this book over and over as a kid, and when I heard they had made it a movie I could barely wait to see it. Then I did. I'm still pissed about it to this day, what the fuck were the filmmakers thinking? They took a novel that upended the stereotypical fairy tale tropes, and turned it into a stereotypical fairytale trope. The ogres were so creepy in the book, and now they're enslaved people??? Really???

FINALLY SOMEONE WHO AGREES WITH ME!!! I almost cried with joy! I love the Ella book and the movie isn't bad on its own but it's so different and the book deserves a better adaptation!

I've never been a fan of "princess stories" but I genuinely loved this book growing up. I read it so many times I can practically recite it. I almost cried when I saw the movie.

That was as soothing as a back massage. Thank you so much for this! I actually read the book as a child and loved it so much that try to re-read it at least once a year. I remember seeing a promotional photo for the film when I was in the 6th grade and a tiny little doubt began to nibble at the back of my head that the film wouldn't be good. Because I was young and innocent, I stupidly ignored it, only to be thoroughly betrayed by the adaptation. It was the first time I learned the harsh lesson of not getting too excited to see a book you love get the silver screen treatment. And to add to the "Anne Hathaway"effect, I actually hard my own term for the film and why it came out the way it did. It's something I lovingly/hatingly refer to as the "Shrek" effect. When Ella Enchanted came out, the Shrek movies were super popular as well as gaining steam. You can tell that the people who made the movie were trying to capitalize off of the Shrek popularity. Like, hmm this Shrek movie is super popular. I wonder if we could do the same thing with another property that is in a vague medieval, fairytale setting and modernize it to hilarious effect. It's kind of obvious that mindset was in the forefront over making a faithful adaptation. If I had the time or the money, I could do a whole damn video on the "Shrek" effect on films...especially this one. The Dom/Terrance didn't mention this, but since the book is a YA novel, it's actually a really quick read so find it and check it out. It usually takes me a good a day or two to read it depending on how busy I am.

The book was AWESOME!! The movie was... okay.

I am loathed to admit it but when reading the book I only realized this was a cinderella story when the pumkin carage showed up. 10/10 best adaptation hands down.

Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted is one of my favorite books. The film adaptation is a travesty; so thank you. ^_^

Thank you for covering this book and film! A friend bought me a copy of the book for Christmas 2004, and I adored it. When I finally saw the film, I almost cried. Nothing against Anne Hathaway, but this movie should have been titled, "Clueless Gets Magically Medieval". It would have been more honest. I would love for some other film studio to take a crack at the novel, except that they actually, you know, respect the source material?

...pressing a button that summons ninjas...? I... kind of want to see the movie now!

I used to like the movie, but I realized how stupid it is before I saw this video. Now I really want to read the book.

I read Ella Enchanted only because of this video. I watched the video before reading the book, but it was so worth it! It is now one of my favorite books. Thank you The Dom and Terrence :D

This book is so amazing!! Ella and Char grew together and overcame evil and challenged themselves. And the movie is a total joke. Not even a very good joke... But Queen, sooo.... Yeah, awkward.

Dom u should make a Hufflepuff Character and Have him be Terrence's Brother

While I made the Cinderella connection earlier on when I read it, I do remember that I also really liked the properly given setup. And the switch that happens in the narration when she is told to be happy about her obedience is somewhere between funny and creepy. I don't think there are that many books that have a first person narrator who are narrating under a form of mind control.

I grew up with this move and love it to death. Also like her being able to break the curse by telling herself in a mirror "You will no longer be obedient" i thought that was really smart and in away she STILL used love to break the curce. Sure, as a adaptation it misses but as a movie i love it to death.

"That guy from LazyTown but even more so"

The writer of this book came to my old school a few years back!

My mom read this book to me while I was little so it has a special place in my heart.

I think the whole evil uncle subplot was taken from a companion book for Ella Enchanted called Fairest. I don’t know why the movie makers would do that but it’s there lol