The Swan Princess

Of all the recent Disney wannabes, THE SWAN PRINCESS comes closest to capturing the ineffable magic of THE LITTLE MERMAID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. With its scrupulous attention to background detail and buoyant song score, this animated delight is a children's film crafted with enough sophistication to weave a spell around cynical grown-ups.

Groomed since childhood for a royal merger, tomboyish Odette and headstrong Derek find that their mutual antagonism evaporates once they mature into lovestruck teens. The match is encouraged by Derek's mom, Queen Uberta (Sandy Duncan), and Odette's father, King William (Dakin Matthews), but the disgraced sorcerer Rothbart...