
Disney caper has the right moves
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Having always been a fan of Michelle Trachtenberg, I decided to buy this DVD, despite some doubts that the film might be a little too sentimental for my taste. I'm glad to report that 'Ice Princess' is in fact a charming and amusing adventure/comedy with much to recommend it.
The casting is fantastic, with some excellent chemistry between Joan Cusack and Kim Cattrall (as, respectively, the mother and coach of the eponymous prospective ice princess), as well as genuinely endearing turns from the excellent Ms Trachtenberg in the leading role (as Casey Carlyle) and the lively and attractive Hayden Panettiere as her rival who becomes her best friend. This last point is indicative of a slight weakness in the script, as I was mildly confused by the almost total disappearence of Casey's original, geeky sidekick of a best friend, and her rather sudden replacement, about half way through the film, with Panettiere, who initially seemed to be filling the classic 'mean girl' role. However, this is compensated for by the very funny war of words between the 'jumping shrimp' Nicky and the 'rocker' Zoe (two real and highly talented skaters who do a fine job in their first acting roles).
A real strength of the film is the quality of the portrayals of the mother-daughter relationships between Cattrall and Panettiere and (especially) Trachtenberg and Cusack. I found the emotional dynamics of these relationships very believable and even moving at times. Equally, the film maintains a certain element of realism with the skating- it takes a lot of hard spills, hard work and screen time for Casey to get anywhere near good, there are no quick montages after which she is suddenly an expert! There are plenty of scenes of skating for ice fans, too, with some imaginative routines.
I also found the extras on the DVD to be good fun, in particular the audio commentary which is light on experts talking technical and heavy on cast members (including Trachtenberg and a rather cheeky Ms Panettiere!) enjoying their own conversation, which I personally always enjoy more. In conclusion, I heartily recommend this film to anyone tempted by it- its a lot of fun.
Review ID: 10000000001161990

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