The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004) Reviews

• Clean, fun fairy tale

  kellychitwood2004-08-21

  How refreshing to attend a non-animated, G-rated movie and enjoy it! As a 41-year-old woman attending with an 82-year-old friend, I expected a light, pretty, romantic fairy tale, and that's exactly what I got. Never saw the first movie, but the "catch-up" work at the beginning made that a non-issue. Surely, no one would go to this movie expecting to find the meaning of life portrayed on the screen. Come on, folks, this is a Disney princess flick with Julie Andrews and a G-rating; is anybody expecting deep philosophy? Chick flick? Of course! Especially appealing to young (under 18) chicks? Definitely! Enjoyable to other adult women and men who just want a happy trip to fantasy land with no worries about sex, blood, or blue language? Absolutely! Take this film at face value and you'll enjoy it. If you can't do that, don't bother seeing it. There are plenty of other "profound" movies out there to inspire, teach, or depress you! Go for a good time and you'll have it.

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• A feel-good movie

  lilcutie186132005-07-26

  I remember seeing the first movie not expecting much from it, but when I walked out I was pleasantly surprised! When I saw the previews to this movie I thought "Oh god! Another movie ruined by a sequel!" I was slightly wrong in my thinking, because this was in fact a cute, light-hearted, feel-good movie. Maybe it's not as good as the first, but I still thought it was rather enjoyable. Anne Hathaway is a great actress and I'm so glad her talent was discovered and recognized. Julie Andrews gave a great performance as the former Queen of Genovia. This movie may have been predictable and a big ball of fluff, but what do you expect to a sequel to a Disney movie where Pixar wasn't involved? I would recommend this movie to anyone, just as long as you go into it knowing it's different from the first. I'm just praying there won't be a third movie.

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• Princess Mia grows into her power, adding bite to this tween rom com

  colettesplace2004-12-10

  What does it mean to be a princess? Besides wearing tiaras and twin sets, dancing at balls…attracting fame and fortune simply for being beautiful? A princess is stuck forever in extended adolescence – she only has the trappings of power. Symbolically, at least, a queen has real power, and does not necessarily need to be beautiful. For hundreds of years, fairy tales have filtered through our consciousness to involuntarily fuel our dreams. In the last century, what began as cautionary tales to lecture children have been sugar-spun into a Disneyfied notion of desire. But with Disney's latest, Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, the recent trend of recasting fairy tales to reflect modern ideals continues, albeit with a gentler hand than yesteryear's feminists. Simply, it's not enough to be a princess anymore. Although ostensibly a conventional tween romantic comedy, Princess Diaries 2 features a heroine who is more independent than Drew Barrymore's character in Ever After (1998) and less frustrated than Julia Stiles' Mary Donaldson clone in the The Prince and Me (2004). And, even better, in Princess Diaries 2, there are no handsome princes, just boys on the side. I'm not a fan of much of director Gary Marshall's work – although Pretty Woman's a classic, Runaway Bride, Raising Helen and the original Princess Diaries are very ordinary films. But in this enchanting sequel, he and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes give us a character who's not just beautiful, klutzy and funny. Mia Mignonette Thermopoulos Rinaldi is growing into her power. Princess Diaries 2 begins five years after the original at Mia's 21st birthday party. After the schemings of John Rhys Davies triggers an ancient Genovian law, Mia has one month to marry, otherwise she will forfeit the throne. As two very different suitors court her, Mia relies on her now affectionate relationship with her grandmother, Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews), to guide her. Meanwhile security chief Joe (Hector Elizondo) woos the Queen. There are hackneyed moments, the worst of which is a pajama party featuring dozens of little princesses who are designed to reflect their aspirant audience. Although enjoyable, this scene serves no dramatic function, except perhaps to showcase Julie Andrew's expertise in mattress surfing. The change in Queen Clarisse's character is also unexplained – she's transformed from being an acerbic biddy in the first film to being the dream grandmother. However, this film is entertaining, humorous and has a positive message. The cast and characters are also strong, particularly Anne Hathaway as Mia, and there's plenty of chemistry between her and Nicholas (Chris Pine). Heather Matarazzo and Fat Louie the cat also make brief appearances. Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement improves on the original, and will be a particular hit with its target audience: tween and teen girls. But this film's got enough substance to appeal to an older audience…if you let it. ***/***** stars.

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• Preview of PD3

  bordentownfilms2004-08-12

  SPOILERS As Princess Diaries 2 winds to a close, we find Princess Mia firmly in place on the throne and anxious to gain full control of Genovia. This paves the way for "Princess Diaries 3: World At War." As the story begins, Mia has wrested control over the kingdom from her grandmother, whom she has banished from the land. After framing Prince Nicolas for treason, there is no one to stand in her way--she alone wields the full might of Genovia. While dressing in a bland khaki uniform, adorned with medals, she gleefully beams, "I have my own military industrial complex, that is sooo cooool!" Hours later, Genovian troops cross the border and invade France. Heather Matarazzo pleads with Mia to stop the invasion, but nothing can satisfy Mia's hunger for power. Though her Generals want to keep the conflict localized--Mia orders Genovian tanks to push through Belgium (to attain the most direct route to Paris). Hector Elizondo pleads with U.N. not to impose sanctions (claiming that only the poor of Genovia will suffer). The United States declares its neutrality, but Great Britain, bound to Belgium by treaty, commences air strikes against Genovian supply lines. Princess Mia, determined to outlast any opposition, sends a Genovian contingent blitzing through the Balkans and charging toward the oil-rich Middle East. Meanwhile, on the western front, Princess Mia's propensity for the use of chemical munitions (mustard gas in particular) earns her the title 'Mia I, The Blood Queen.' The Belgian stalemate and the British threat to commit ground troops cause Mia to exclaim, "Limey troops fighting Genovian Elite Units? SHUT UP!" Seeing the need to end the conflict before the British can respond, Queen Mia sees only one option: a cataclysmic escalation of the war. Genovia simultaneously invades Poland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, Norway, and Southern Russia. Mia throws a grand ball to celebrate the war, inviting all the heads of state from the nations she's invading. Mia, Heather Matarazzo, Raven, and Mandy Moore from the first film, whisper and gossip about all the cute young princes that Mia is subjugating. High jinx then ensue when her crown is knocked off by an inept server and it lands in the soup! Meanwhile, on the front, 50,000 Genovians and 75,000 Allied troops are killed in a catastrophic assault on well-fortified positions. The lines stabilize, the war begins to wear on. During a morale-boosting trip to the front, Mia operates a surface-to-air missile battery for the cameras and accidentally shoots down a U.S. Red Cross Relief plane. This incident enrages the American public and the U.S. joins the war, promising to commit "any resources necessary to rip Mia's bloody claws from European soil." Faced with the overwhelming might of the U.S., and as Larry Miller prepares her new 'Conquest-chic Look,' Queen Mia gives the order to construct a complex trench network surrounding Genovia. She stern- heartedly exclaims, "I may be defeated, but if I am, I shall drag a world down with me! A world in flames!" Only in "Princess Diaries 4: Fall of the Blood Queen" will the conflict draw to a close.

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• "good clean fun"

  TheDirector242004-09-14

  Disney have proved yet again why they are a head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to producing movies that aren't admittedly brain food, but are "good clean fun", (if you'll forgive the cliché), for kids. For every little girl who ever dreamed of becoming a princess, this film is the perfect way to spend two hours. True, it was grossly unfaithful to Meg Cabot's original novels, but still managed to convey the charm and slick veneer that has come to be associated with Disney, and the valuable message of independence for little princesses everywhere. For the more mature audience, this is a happy chance to revisit childhood, or simply breathe a sigh of relief that what your child is watching is not in any way compromising or damaging, and will not have to be explained later. Good message. Solid performances. Sweet (if bland and predictable at times) story line. Great movie! Highly recommended for two hours of escapism on a summer's afternoon.

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