Of late, there have been numerous ‘fresh faces’ to come out of the Disney studios. I have to admit to finding most of them have little talent in comparison to some of the Disney live-action stars of years gone by. They tend to be more like preening little Pima Donnas than all out actresses. Whether they be on the Disney Channel or in big screen films, it’s just hard to find any who will break out into the mainstream once adulthood comes a callin’. I’ve caught the likes of Hilary Duff, Raven, and Lindsey Lohan in any number of projects, but none of them really seem to be more than what their publicists profess them to be. Lohan’s career has gone into overdrive with films like “Mean Girls” and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen”, and though those films are fine for their target teenybopper audience, I still can’t get past the fact that she reminds me of Frankie Muniz in a wig. If there is one actress that stands out from the crowd, it has to be Anne Hathaway. Granted, she still needs to hone her acting skills, but she actually seems to have skills to hone.

She also has a certain charisma that makes her efforts worth watching. She’s still a relatively unknown actress, but her turn in “The Princess Diaries” has brought her enough attention to warrant a sequel. This brings me to the DVD release of the original. Well, actually, it’s more of a re-release as it originally came out in 202. Timed to coincide with the theatrical release of “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement”, this new DVD revisits the original with a 2-disc Special Edition set, which I welcomed since I had yet to see the movie.

There is very little that is original about the story of “The Princess Diaries.” It is yet another tale of the lowly peasant who learns they are actually part of a royal family who ends up in a ‘fish out of water’ experience while learning to live their new life. As for the details, Hathaway stars as Mia Thermopolis, who spends her days trying to survive the day to day rigors of being a geek at school. As it turns out, unbeknownst to her she is actually the daughter of the King and Queen of Genovia. As the sole heir to the throne of Genovia, it is up to her real mother Clarisse Renaldi to make sure she is taught all of the proper etiquette her new life will require.

“The Princess Diaries” is certainly not the best movie of its type, but it is far from the worst. What makes this film worth watching, aside from Hathaway’s clumsy, yet inspired performance is the presence of Julie Andrews as Clarisse and the extraordinarily underrated Hector Elizondo. Add to this, the direction of Gary Marshall, and all of the film’s weaknesses become overshadowed. I do have to mention, and I never thought these words would slip through my keyboard, is that the film also contains a good performance by teen pop star, Mandy Moore. She has the unenviable task of playing the stereotypical ‘popular’ girl who finds that Mia’s newfound legacy makes her a rival for attention. Like Hathaway, she appears to have the charm and the talent to carry her acting career forward.

This new DVD release is rather unusual, as it does little to compete with the previous release. There are quite a few extras features, but almost all of them are available on the film’s previous release. The only real noticeable difference is where before the Widescreen and Full Screen versions were sold separately, here they are packaged together, one on each disc. Plus you also get a ticket enclosed that you can use to see the sequel when it opens in theatres.

The bonus features include a Behind the Scenes featurette complete with interviews and production footage. Plus there are several deleted scenes, each introduced by Marshall. I like when they do this because it gives you more of a feel of the context of the scenes, as opposed to just throwing them out there to watch. There are also two separate commentaries, the first by Marshall. It’s a fairly entertaining commentary, not so much because of the information he shares, but because of the enthusiasm with which he delivers it. The second commentary comes from Hathaway and Andrews, and it’s obvious that they had a lot of fun with it, but it’s all… well… kinda girly. Even better is the inclusion of a blooper reel. Last but not least, you’ll find a short Sneak Peak at the sequel.

“The Princess Diaries” is an above average movie that will entertain audiences both young and old, but if you already have the film on DVD, there’s really no reason to have this one. If you don’t already have a copy, then this is the one to get.

Directed by: Garry Marshall
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Heather Matarazzo, Hector Elizondo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall
Extras: 8 Deleted Scenes Introduced by Director Garry Marshall, Outtakes & Bloopers, Behind the Scenes Featurette, “Livin’ Like a Princess Featurette”, Sneak Peak at “The Princess Diaries 2”
Specifications: Widescreen & Full Screen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Disney DVD
Release Date: 8/3/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: G
Website

We'll give The Princess Diaries: Special Edition a B.