Ella Enchanted & Van Helsing
I’ve been catching up on a couple of movies through the wonders of “on demand” cable. First, Ella Enchanted. This of course stars you-know-who, who is, as so often, the most…(etc, etc).
But man, is it overwritten. Which you kinda sense even before you see the five credited writers (six if you count the author of the source novel). Always remember this rule of thumb: 99 times out of 100, more than two credited writers means too many cooks.
Although, there are times when even one writer can overcook his dish… more on this after I finish Jersey Girl.
Granted, I’m the wrong age and gender to be Ella Enchanted’s target audience, and I could certainly see why six or seven year old girls would like it a lot.
Van Helsing, on the other hand, I found surprisingly enjoyable. I guess it’s all about expectation; I was hoping to find Ella more charming than I did. From Helsing, all I was expecting was “a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” and that’s what I got, but it was at least sufficiently diverting sound and fury.
