Critics Scoreboard
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Average Critic Score:
53
(30 sources)
53
(30 sources)
-
88
Chicago Sun-Times
A high-spirited charmer, a fantasy that sparkles with delights. Read Full Review » -
83
Entertainment Weekly
The hoot and giggle of a girl-power fairy tale blended from potions of ''Monty Python,'' ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,'' and ''Shrek.'' Read Full Review » -
75
New York Daily News
As an alternative to the slick, instantly forgettable fare usually made for kids and preteens, Ella Enchanted brings a little bit of magic to the multiplex. Read Full Review » -
75
San Francisco Chronicle
The movie doesn't aspire to be art, merely to entertain adolescent girls, which is practically guaranteed by the luminous presence of Anne Hathaway. Read Full Review » -
70
The Onion (A.V. Club)
None of it would work without Hathaway, whose self-possession and lack of irony represents a throwback to old-fashioned Hollywood wholesomeness and glamour. Read Full Review » -
70
The New York Times
The messages blend seamlessly into the fantasy and comedy in what is surely one of the best films for older children in quite some time. Read Full Review » -
70
Washington Post
In the end, it may leave its audience, young and old alike, just as charmed as its bewitched young heroine. Read Full Review » -
67
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Tries to both spoof the fairy tale and retell it from a fresh angle. Curiously enough, its strength lies in the clever approach, and not the goofy comedy around the edges. Read Full Review » -
63
Chicago Tribune
The movie's computer-generated castles, magic visuals and sloppy effects echo a low-budget fantasy movie on cable. It's glossy, shiny candy that tastes oddly familiar yet lacks sugary punch. Read Full Review » -
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Hathaway may be in a royal rut, but the tiara seems to fit. Read Full Review » -
60
-
60
Empire
Anne Hathaway delivers another likeable performance in a tweenie treat that has enough smarts to keep older viewers engaged, too. Read Full Review » -
60
-
60
-
50
Village Voice
Transpires in a somewhat chintzy fantasy kingdom lousy with more cameos than your typical Love Boat season. Read Full Review » -
50
Variety
The glue that holds the sweet teen-fantasy together is star Anne Hathaway, who continues to evolve into a luminous young lead. Read Full Review » -
50
LA Weekly
While the lovers here are sweetly believable, the film's murky giants-alongside-man effects shots are strictly Darby O’Gill and the Little People. Read Full Review » -
50
Los Angeles Times
Likely to cast its spell primarily on adolescent girls, while their elders might well find it more than a little tedious in its familiarity and artificiality. Read Full Review » -
50
-
50
USA Today
It has a few moments of fun and whimsy, but it lacks the joyous spirit and intelligent humor of the children's novel on which it's based. Read Full Review » -
50
-
50
Charlotte Observer
The special effects look like a high school science project: The giants are clearly rear projections behind the real actors, and that snake is as rubbery as a garden hose. Read Full Review » -
50
Philadelphia Inquirer
Too bad the filmmakers didn't trust the material. For Ella doesn't need music and references to other, better, movies to cast its unique spell. Read Full Review » -
50
Premiere
Ella Enchanted seems squarely aimed at 12-year-old girls, or, I don't know, maybe 8-year-old girls. Read Full Review » -
40
Chicago Reader
This has wit and energy to burn, but I can't call it escapism, because tackiness and snarkiness are among the things I most need to escape. Read Full Review » -
40
Film Threat
Really doesn't take itself seriously. In fact, it so doesn't take itself seriously that it has a negative impact on the film. Read Full Review » -
40
The Hollywood Reporter
Nothing un-beguiles a fairy tale more than forced whimsy and labored magic, which is precisely what plagues Ella Enchanted. Read Full Review » -
38
ReelViews
The result is an unappealing mess, made less bearable by uniformly lackluster performances and the cheesy special effects. Read Full Review » -
38
Boston Globe
The producers of Ella Enchanted probably assume, correctly, that many more kids haven't read the book than have, and they're out to give that audience a slick, shallow good time. Read Full Review » -
30
Austin Chronicle
This might not matter so much to the youngest members of the audience, but for anyone over the age of 10, it’s strictly a colorful bore. Read Full Review »
You Say
click on a star to rate
