Directed by Richard Rich, with screenplay and story by Brian Nissen, The film was created in 1994, over a decade ago. While it does not have many of the special effects popular today, it is still a much loved children’s movie.

The film is based on the original story of Swan Lake but includes many new elements. Many of the original characters remain with some characters omitted and replaced. Princess Odette no longer suffers under the sorcerers spell alongside the beautiful swan maidens, but with her faithful friends ‘Speed’ the turtle, ‘Jean-Bob’ the frog and ‘Puffin’. These characters add a comical aspect that is quite appealing to younger children. ‘Jean-Bob’ adds another fairy tale element to the story, as he believes he is a frog prince and spends his time convincing Odette to kiss him. Prince Derek replaces the foreign Prince Siegfried. However, this alteration could be seen by some as suggesting children are unable to connect with a character of a foreign name or are not ‘smart enough’ to understand a more difficult name such as this. Prince Derek does work in the movie however, and is now given a clumsy sidekick named Bromley. Bromley is used to provide a contrast to the brave handsome prince who, not to be outdone by another, is given a silly sidekick who is scared of his own shadow. Derek of course could not save the day without Bromley and it is he who helps Derek defeat Rothbart in the final scene.

The Swan Princess is aimed particularly at young girls. Princess Odette is the typical portrayal of a princess as having long blonde hair, big blue eyes and an innocent and gentle nature. One could question the message that this sends to younger viewers however, ‘The Swan Princess’ is certainly not the first, nor will it be the last, to portray the ideal woman in this way.

The movie would benefit younger viewers who may find reading the original story too complex. A combination of sounds and visuals also helps to build the suspense of the story and as a result may be much more appealing to younger viewers.