10th Kingdom, The (US)
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The most magical event of the millennium!
Certificate: 12
Running Time: 417 mins
Retail Price: $29.98
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie
Synopsis:
At the edge of the mortal world lies a mystical vortex which leads to the Nine Kingdoms, a fantastic land where fairy tales are reinvented... and not with happily-ever-after results!
An evil queen (Dianne Wiest) has just doomed Prince Wendell (Daniel Lapaine) to a life as a dog. His quest to recapture the throne leads him through a portal to the mythical Tenth Kingdon... Central Park! With the help of ordinary mortals Virginia (Kimberly Williams) and Tony (John Larroquette), they battle evil in a parallel universe of vile trolls, goblins and every fairy tale character imaginable.
Stunning visual effects and a stellar cast, including Scott Cohen, Rutger Hauer, Camryn Manheim and Ed O`Neill, dominate this epic adventure that will enchant audiences of all ages.
Special Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Production Notes
The Making Of The 10th Kingdom
Cast and Crew Information
About The Characters
Search for the Hidden 10th Kingdom
Video Tracks:
Standard 1.33:1
Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital Surround 2.0 English
Subtitle Tracks:
CC: English
Directed By:
Herbert Wise
David Carson
Written By:
Simon Moore
Starring:
Ann-Margret
Camryn Manheim
Dianne Wiest
John Larroquette
Scott Cohen
Kimberly Williams
Casting By:
Kate Rhodes James
Lynn Kressel
Sue Jones
James Jones
Soundtrack By:
Anne Dudley
Director of Photography:
Lawrence Jones
Chris Howard
Editor:
Chris Wimble
Andrew McClelland
Costume Designer:
Jill Taylor
Production Designer:
Rob Hinds
Julian Fullalove
Producer:
Ted Morley
Simon Moore
Brian Eastman
Executive Producer:
Robert Halmi Sr.
Robert Halmi Jr.
Distributor:
Artisan Entertainment
Your Opinions and Comments
The series is a big combination of every possible fairy tail known to mankind. It is always charming and rarely boring, but the 417 minutes of running time do tend to drag every once in a while.
The video transfer is a very good 4:3 one. There are no compression signs at all and the colors are exceptionally bright and deep. Keeping in mind that the series was shot for TV, the result is superb. The numerous outdoors scenes were shot in various locations worldwide and are simply stunning. The special effects are rather simple, but they do the trick (pun intended). You simply gotta love the opening scene. I think I`ve watched it over a dozen times.
The DD 2.0 soundtrack is surprisingly effective. While the lack of an LFE channel is noticeable, the surrounds create a nice atmosphere.
The menus are all animated with sound.
The extras (which are located on the 1st disk) include a behind the scenes look, some production notes and some information about the characters and the kingdoms.
Bottom line - a nice adventure that takes place in some amazing sceneries, with some wacky characters. Try to divide it into 3-4 sessions at least, otherwise it can get tiresome.
Not only was the production a very skilled adaptation of the stories we grew up hearing from our mothers or fathers but the manner in which they seemed to flawlessly blend into one another was a testament to the creativity of the direction and production teams.
The scenery was quite breathtaking and with the colours almost bursting from the screen during many many scenes this helped make this fine series one of the most pleasing on not only the eye but also a very joyful and happy viewing experience.
The casting of Rutger Hauer, Dianne Wiest, Scott Cohen and John Larroquette gave these fine actors a platform to show their many talents. The casting of Ed O`Niell as the head Troll was sheer brilliance. The antics of his offspring listening to and singing to "The Bee Gees" was hilarious and added an extra dimension to the usual good versus evil plot.
I can highly recommend this excellent DVD to those either with or without children .They say "Laughter is the best medicine" well in that case this should do a great job for reducing the queues at the doctors surgery.
If you have a player that can play multi-region go for the R1 version and save £23 on the R2 version at Play.com. If not it still remains an excellent addition to any DVD collection at £39
Choagy :-)