October 17, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 21 Anne Hathaway stars in modern day fairy tale by Dennis Seuling “Ella Enchanted” (Lionsgate) stars Anne Hathaway as a young girl burdened by the spell of obedience. On the day of her birth, Ella is given a gift by her Fairy Godmother -- the gift of obedience, which is also a curse. Under no circumstances can Ella refuse anything she is asked to do, no matter how wicked it may be. Tired of being taken advantage of, Ella, with a talking book as her companion, leaves home to find her Fairy Godmother and return her unwanted gift. This simple errand soon turns into an amazing journey filled with ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, elves, and the plotting of Prince Charmont’s evil uncle who wants to rule the kingdom. With colorful characters, music, and whimsy, “Ella Enchanted” is pleasant, if not groundbreaking, family entertainment. Based on the 1997 satire of fairy tales by Gail Carson Levine, the movie makes the mistake of setting the story in modern times, complete with teen slang, pop culture references, and teen-idol worship. “Ella Enchanted” is about female empowerment, though it avoids making its male lead look like a weakling in order to have the heroine shine more brightly. As Char, Hugh Dancy navigates the tricky task of conveying cluelessness about his uncle’s evil machinations while also coming across as gallant, intelligent, and capable of heroism under the right circumstances. Despite differences from the book, the movie contains the same theme and lessons and has a charm of its own. This film’s primary flaw is that it often appears to be trying too hard to be hip and “with it,” rather than relying on the basic material to involve viewers. Hathaway provides a sympathetic performance and is supported by Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley, Minnie Driver, Viveca A. Fox, and Aidan McArdle. Extras on the two-disc Blu-ray edition include deleted successful lives, his surprise visits reveal a picture that is far from perfect. This picture is a poor fit for De Niro, who appears to be walking through the role with little emotion and only one expression: neutral acceptance. Viewers see Frank trying (continued on Crossword page) Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy in a scene from ‘Ella Enchanted.’ and extended scenes, feature commentary by Hathaway and other cast members, a making-of featurette, and a music video. A DVD edition with the same extras is also available. “Everybody’s Fine” (Lionsgate) stars Robert De Niro as widowed Frank Goode, father of a dysfunctional family. When Goode’s grown children abruptly cancel a trip home, he sets off on a cross-country journey to reconnect with each of them. David (Austen Lysy) is a talented artist in Manhattan, Amy (Kate Beckinsale) a rich ad executive in Chicago, Robert (Sam Rockwell) a symphony conductor in Denver, and Rosie (Drew Barrymore) a headlining dancer in Las Vegas. Expecting to share the joys of their happy,