The Swan Princess and the Secret of the Castle - DVD Review

About.com Rating

Bottom line:The Swan Princess and the Secret of the Castle continues the story of Odette and her Prince with a new adventure which, like many other animated sequels, is not that great but will likely please kids who loved the first movie. The second installment contains some situations of peril which may briefly frighten very young children.

MPAA Rating: G
Guide age recommendation: 4+
Genre: Children's animated
Runtime: Approx.

71 minutes

The Swan Princess and the Secret of the Castle - Overview

Now that Derek and Odette have been happily married for a year, Odette would like to celebrate with her beloved husband, but someone has been starting fires around the kingdom, and Derek has been spending all of his time trying to find the culprit. Meanwhile, it's also Derek's mother's birthday -- something he had better not forget about.

Little does everyone know, the fires are all part of a plan to trap Derek. The evil Clavius has a plan to break into the castle and steal the "forbidden arts," an orb which will give him unstoppable power, but he needs Derek out of the way first. Clavius kidnaps Derek's mother, on her birthday no less, and when Derek goes to rescue her he walks right into Clavius' trap.

Now that the castle is unprotected, the evil wannabe magician can enter and search for the secret it holds. If Clavius is able to get his hands on the orb, there will be little anyone can do to stop him. Thankfully, Odette and her faithful friends come up with a little magic of their own, turning Odette back into a beautiful swan so she can save the day.

But if she fails, Clavius will rule the land and Odette will remain a swan forever.

The Swan Princess and the Secret of the Castle - Guide Review

The Swan Princess and the Secret of the Castle is new to DVD, but if you've never seen it before, the movie seems very dated. The music sounds like a bad love song collection from the '80s or '90s, and the story doesn't do much to redeem it. As is the case with most sequels of popular animated movies, though, young children who loved the original movie will likely enjoy this one as well. Odette, Derek, and all of their critter friends are back for the new adventure, and Odette gets to be a beautiful swan again, if only for a brief time.

The movie contains some mildly perilous situations that may frighten very young children. Most of these moments are lightened by comedy, but Prince Derek does seem to be in danger for a while as he is stalked by Clavius' henchman, who uses a bow and arrow (among other things) to go after Derek. Other danger comes from Clavius and his orb of the "dark arts." He uses magic to try and overcome his enemies and take over the land.

Characters in the movie use relatively few rude words and insults. Clavius does get into it with Derek's mother throughout the movie, though, and as her constant harping drives him bonkers, he tries to find ways to "shut her up." A couple of the animal friends also bicker a little, but as always, Odette presents a kind, patient, and caring attitude for viewing children. The moral of this story centers around showing "no fear" when trying to do what is right and being there to help a friend in trouble.