Rating: 
Summary: Mixed Feelings
Review: I am somewhat hesitant to write a negative review for 'The 10th Kingdom', as it seems everybody else loves this mini-series, and we all know that you don't give helpful votes to reviews that actually *are* helpful, but on whether or not you agree with the reviewer's opinion. And here's mine: the 10th Kingdom did not get good ratings on television, and it was for good reason. Although it is colourful, lively, lengthy and entertaining, it is very deeply flawed, and many times this escapist bit of fantasy brings you jarringly back to reality.Virginia Lewis is a waitress in New York, living with her janitor father Antony Lewis, with a mother that abandoned them when she was just a little girl. Neither of them are particularly satisfied with their lives. Meanwhile, in the parallel lands of the Nine Kingdoms the Crown Prince Wendell White has been trapped inside a labrador's body by the "Evil Queen" (the Queen of what exactly?) during a prison visit, and stumbles into an activated Magic Mirror, transporting him to New York City. The Queen makes her escape, sending three trolls, the children of her ally King Relish and another escapee Wolf into New York to retrieve Wendell-in-Dog, whilst she takes Dog-in-Wendell to her estate with a plot to take over the realms.
The two stories collide when a disorientated Wendell stumbles through Central Park and is hit by Virginia's bike on her way to work. In the cataclysmic events that follow Virginia gets the fairytale adventure she's always wanted - but it's not exactly what she expected. To go into anymore detail on the story would mean exceeding the number of words I'm allowed in a review - the movie is seven hours long, safe to say: lots of stuff happens. But the plot itself is somewhat choppy and confusing and can be divided into three main chunks: Antony and Virginia escape the police; Antony and Virginia try to find the mirror to send them home; Antony and Virginia save the kingdom. This last plot thread undoubtably sounds the most interesting and exciting, however most of the seven hours is taken up with the two of them travelling through various lands after the mirror; everything they do is somehow motivated by simply wanting to get home again, back to those boring lives they take such great pleasure in complaining about. One wonders why the writers didn't choose to edge into this far more interesting 'kingdom-restoration' narrative rather than the limited wild-goose chase. The reason seems to be (rather shockingly) that the Nine Kingdoms aren't *worth* saving! Throughout the entire story there are barely any sympathetic or worthy people in the fairytale world, and the few that are usually end up dead. To illustrate my point: the governers in Wendell's castle are more interested in Wendell's coronation celebrations than their Prince's safety; the gypsies chase our heroes, intent on murder and then curse them; the dwarfs of the mountain try to execute them twice; the denizens of Kissing Town seem friendly enough, but when a mirror is broken they turn into an angry mob; and a pastorial town has within it murder, theft, a fixed justice system, a fondness for stake-burning, and worse of all: annual beauty pagents! Even the benevolent figure of Snow White is guilty of making her stepmother dance in red-hot slippers. Also in question is the presumption that this is a kid's movie. Perhaps if it had been shot in darker, more mysterious moods and colours I would be more content in this regard (after all, the original fairytales were intented for adults), but the colourful props and costumes and the bright beautiful scenery suggest a children's movie. A warning to parents of young children: this is *not* a kid's movie, and some of the content may be hard on even older viewers. For instance: the trolls are prepared to torture Virginia, a decapitated head is dangled out of a window, a gathering of trolls is painfully poisoned, a tribe of gypsies is graphically murdered (which presumable includes a young boy that Wolf earlier befriended), a grandfather kills his grand-daughter, and a mother repeatedly attempts to kill her own daughter. Despite the huge running time, the protaginists have no depth or development at all. Near the start, Tony seems to have no scruples about sleeping with another man's wife whilst she's under a spell, and at the conclusion, Wendell encourages him to make full use of his status as "national-hero" to impress the court ladies eying him up on the other side of the table. Virginia fares a little better, but parents might be shocked to see the 'tail stroking' and the 'hide and seek' game between her and Wolf, and the relationship between her and her father (and her mother for that matter) is never fully realised. However, this movie does succeed in one very important area: it's ENTERTAINING. Most humour is very good - especially Tony's increasing frustration at the quirks and cliches of the fairytale realm, and Wendell's neverending snobbery though he's firmly trapped in the body of a humble dog. The romance between Wolf and Virginia is quite sweet, and out of everyone Scott Cohen puts on the best performance, moving from puppy-dog love to wild frenzy when his werewolf character emerges under the full moon. The scale of the movie is very impressive, as is most of the visual elements: scenery, costumes, makeup and special effects, and most European fairytales are included in one form or another. It's a fun ride throughout, just not as wonderful as other reviewers would have you believe, and as it is, the movie ends with betrayal, insanity, matricide, and an unwanted pregancy...oh, but its a happy ending!
Rating: 
Summary: It's not the "best movie ever made" but I did enjoy it!
Review: I was bullied into buying the DVD by my flatmate who told me that since I enjoyed the Harry Potter films, I'd like this one. And she was right! I really did enjoy it. It was very different than I'd anticipated a "fairy tale" film to be. There is a lot of depth to the underlying story of Virginia Lewis and her father, and I appreciated the fact that the scriptwriter didn't have them being the perfect father/daughter pair. They love each other but get mad at each other and blame each other when things go wrong, just like real people. Yet, they surmount the mundane in how they ultimately deal with being thrust into a universe that is as far from their reality as can be. Reluctant questers, they didn't intend to save the Nine Kingdoms, nor find out the truth about themselves, but in the end they do both. The comedy, for the most part, is adult-oriented, although handled relatively discreetly, and would probably go over most small children's heads. While there is sexual entendre in a lot of the humor, it's handled adroitly enough that younger kids (and maybe some older ones!) won't pick up on it. The tragedy and violence in certain sections--particularly the ruthlessness of the Huntsman--might be too much for youngesters to take, so I advise that parents view it first without the kids and make their own judgment on appropriateness. These are grown-up fairy tales. If you've had access to the original works that the Brothers Grimm recorded, you'll find much of the darkness and frightening bits in here along with the fantasy and pretty bits. There's plenty of the pre-Victorian morality tales tucked away in the subtext of the script, if you choose to look for it, but you can also watch "The Tenth Kingdom" superficially to just enjoy the story, the character interaction, and silliness as well. Being a child of the 70's I was rather amused by the Troll kids discovering disco, and laughed at the Mushroom Island scene. I went "awwwww" at Wolf's romancing of Virginia. But the sequence that chilled my blood most was when the Evil Queen asked what the apple orchard family had been told about what happened to the prince, and responded with "Oh, I'm afraid that's quite the wrong answer." You don't see the aftermath--but you know this cold, evil woman did horrible things to a father, mother and little girl, just like in the original versions of wicked Stepmothers before Disney got hold of the concept. It's not a perfect film. There are moments when I think, "come on, already, get a move on," when a scene drags unnecessarily, but that's not too often. And Tony's (John Larroquette) reaction to the frog and the two doors was easily the most hysterically funny moment in the film. Overall, I enjoyed it enough that I'll watch it over and over again. I might skim through parts that aren't as exciting as others and I will probably fast forward through the Troll kids' stuff after the third or fourth time. But the main story is really good, and I don't consider it a waste of money or time to have bought and watched this DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie for all those who have their mind else where
Review: this is absolutley my favorite tv movie ever made. it's beautiful in every way and gah-- just cant explain how great this is. and its sad that i am obsessed with it and no one has ever seen it and so ill say some line from the movie and everyone will be all "er.... right." you can never get bored of it. its great for whenever and some might think its too long and some think its too short, but whatever the prefrence - you cant go away displeased!
Rating:
Summary: Simply the Best
Review: I originally rented the VHS version and then loved it so much that I rented the DVD the following week and then bought it here at Amazon.com. The DVD version has about an extra hour of footage which most DVD enthusiasts will agree is the beauty of DVD. The movie is enchanting, engaging, and quite funny although not suitable for young audiences. I would say about 10 years old and up atleast. I will say that my 5 year old watched it and really enjoyed it but there were parts that he couldn't watch or hear that were really for more sdult ears. Both myself and my husband laughed at and enjoyed the various plot twists. My husband is a hard sell on anything he thinks may be a "chick flick" and was surprising happy with watching this movie not once but 6 times in a 2 week period. I don't want to say too much more because I don't want to take away from the experience, but I will say that it is definitly a most see for those who enjoy "fantasy" movies and want to get lost in another reality for a day. Definitly on my worth buying or atleast renting list.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite fairy tales of all time
Review: Being a huge fan of the old brother grimms fairy tales, this movie truly touched my heart. It sticks very true to the back ground of the old stories. In this modernized film, fairy tales are captured as with magical effects and a beautyful storyline. This film is a facorite for kids as well as adults, a true treasure for the whole family. Highly recommended !
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Although it is incredibly long (being around seven hours worth of movie) it is well worth the time. I finally got a chance to watch it over my Christmas break, and I've since watched it in its entirity three more times, and bits and pieces of it more times than I can count.
It begins in New York, with Virginia and her father. After a bit of introduction, we are whisked away to Snow White Memorial Prison, in the Fourth Kingdom. Eventually, we accompany Prince Wendell through a portal into Central Park.
All in all, this is a wonderful movie. It is well worth the time spent in watching it. My younger brother enjoys this movie almost as much as I do, as do my friends who have seen it. I look forward to any possible sequels.
Rating:
Summary: The 10th Kingdom
Review: This movie was very long but it had a refreshing concept, combine all the fairy tales like Snow White, Cinderella and more in to one big story.The casting was good the acting lacked in some roles but the idea had a solid fondation. I recommend to watch over the course of one day, this 3 dvd set takes a hole day to watch from start to end.
Rating:
Summary: Overall must see over and over again movie
Review: I loved this movie when I saw it on TV. I had missed the beginning though. When I bought the DVD I sat down and watched the whole thing (it's 7 hours long). My children loved this movie. They asked to watch it over and over again. None of them are over the age of 6. Wolf made the movie wonderful. His acting ability made me look up every thing he's ever done just to watch him again. The New York scene in the beginning is unbelievable. The twin towers sinking out of sight is eriely forebodding. The extras on the DVD are worth the little extra you pay. I laughed so hard there were tears. Another reviewer complained about the moral aspect of Wolf and Virginia's romp in the grass. She must not realize that the original fairy tales have had their "questional morality" removed to appeal to the broader market of children. I loved this movie and it remains at the front of my DVD collection.
Rating:
Summary: Colorful, Clever, and Entertaining
Review: While some of the Special Effects and set design are somewhat archaic and 'hokey' the overall effect of this Modern Day Fairy Tail is one of full-fledged entertainment anyone in the family can enjoy. This quite lengthy movie (originally a miniseries) carries the audience through a plethora of settings with colorful (and sometimes outright comical) scenery. The characters are all well made and quite entertaining and some of their interactions are hilarious. This movie provides for countless hours of laughter but it is a bit long and is best kept for 2-3 sittings.
Rating: 
Summary: A great idea wasted by a typical television approach.
Review: I bought the DVD set based on some of the customer reviews here, but I can't imagine what show they were watching. This could have fantastic, if only the premise had been put in the hands of someone with real imagination and the courage to try to do something different than standard american TV fare. As it is, we sat for long stretches between the bits of actual entertainment that peeked through now and then. What a waste.
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