Amazon.com video review:
This epic 10-hour miniseries from the Emmy-winning writer of
Gulliver's
Travels was a ratings bust on television, but on video and DVD, where
it
can be enjoyed at one's leisure, it has a better chance to cast its magical
spell.
Kimberly Williams has never been more enchanting than as Virginia, a
waitress who
still lives with her janitor father (John Larroquette) and yearns for
something
exciting to happen to her. Her wish comes true when she and her father are
transported from New York City into a dimension that, with apologies to Rod
Serling, can only be called the Fairy Tale Zone; nine kingdoms populated by
characters from fairy tales of yore. They team up with a dog who's really a
prince--Wendell, grandson of Snow White--changed into canine form by the
evil
Queen (Dianne Wiest), who plots to usurp Wendell's throne. Father,
daughter, and
his royal dogness are relentlessly pursued through the nine kingdoms by the
Troll King (Ed O'Neill) and his three bumbling and horrible children, and
the
conflicted Wolf (Scott Cohen), who is allied with the Queen but, with the
aid
of some Oprah-esque self-help books, tames his inner beast and falls in
love
with Virginia. The 10th Kingdom is a special effects
extravaganza.
There is indeed, as one character marvels, magic to behold here. But
despite
the Hallmark brand name and the presence of a grown-up Snow White (Camryn
Manheim) and Cinderella (Ann-Margret), bewitched animals, magic mirrors,
and
trolls, this is not kid's stuff. It can get scary, surprisingly violent, and
quite intense; you know, just like real fairy tales. --Donald
Liebenson
