The 10th Kingdom

Virginia and Tony Lewis (Kimberly Williams and John Larroquette) live in a New York apartment. One day a dog enters Virginia's life. However, the dog is not just any ordinary dog, but Prince Wendell (Daniel Lapaine) changed into a dog by an evil Queen (Dianne Wiest). Soon trolls enter the story along with magic, and the story begins.

Virginia and Tony travel through a magic mirror into the land of the nine kingdoms (with New York being the 10th kingdom. It takes Virginia and Tony little time to realize that the world they have entered has very different rules from their own. Their goal is to find a mirror that will allow them to travel back to their own world, and the quest for the mirror forms the heart of the story.

Along the way both Virginia and Tony, but most especially Virginia, are on a voyage of discovery about themselves. Through a series of vignettes they learn the history of the nine kingdoms, and learn there are mysteries related to that history. One of the most startling revelations is that Virginia and Tony are somehow involved in the nine kingdoms, but it's not until we get well into the movie that we understand the nature of their involvement.

The plot is generally coherent and I had little trouble keeping track of the parallel stories. I admit that there were a few things that confused me when I watched the story in its original television debut, but my confusion was cleared up by watching the DVD version without the commercials and all in one 7+ hour sitting.

The acting talent in this movie is phenomenal. Rutger Hauer plays the Queen's woodsman, with his own poignant story. Warwick Davis is Acorn, a criminal with a tongue-in-cheek character. Ed O'Neil is perfect as Relish the Troll King. Scott Cohen as Wolf took a little getting used to, but once I realized how he fit into the story I enjoyed his antics and characterization. Camryn Manheim makes an interesting Snow White. Ann-Margret brings class to Queen Cinderella. This list is but a fraction of the cast possible by the epic nature of this movie.

The story is an adult fairy tale. There is violence in the movie as well as a number of intense scenes that are likely inappropriate for children below the age of 7 or 8. However, for everyone else this movie is fun and complicated. If you enjoy fantasy, and you can be open-minded about how fantasy is approached, this movie could be perfect for you.


The 10th Kingdom- A Review   April 28, 2000
Joanne (United States)
76 out of 80 found this review helpful

This movie is absolutely fantastic! It is the perfect mixture of comedy, action and fantasy. Wolf, half- man and half- wolf, definitely steals the show, but the rest of the cast is great, as well. The story revolves around Virginia (Kimberely Williams), her father, Tony (John Larroquette), and Wolf (Scott Cohen) trying to save the Nine Kingdoms and restore Prince Wendell, who is now a dog thanks to the evil Queen (Diane Weist), to his throne. What results is a breathtaking adventure which makes you hold your breath and laugh out loud at the same time. Scott Cohen plays Wolf to perfection and John Larroquette is brillantly funny as usual, constantly lamenting about the weird ways of the Nine Kingdoms. "What is it with you people?" He finally cries out. This movie is definitely worth its incredible length- 10 hours. If you don't buy it, borrow it from a friend!


incredible...but why does it have to be so short?   June 22, 2000
Mark Twain (www.chismetime.com)
74 out of 84 found this review helpful

i absolutely loved this movie...i mean I can talk about it forever there is so much to say....and to think I had doubts about buying this DVD...I had seen the first part on nbc and I liked it alot, but cmon, a 7 and a half hour movie? when was i gonna find the time to watch that? but I let my judgement guide...I could get 7 and a half hours of entertainment for only 25 dollars,...less than some DVD's and I had enough taste of it to know that it would be enjoyable...so I figured I could watch an hour every night....well, all i can say is that this movie wasnt long enough...i finished it in one day! i couldnt take my eyes away from the screen, it was amazing...i could not believe the twist at the end of the second disk...the final disk was an absolute thrill ride...the whole movie was one fantastic journey....never a dull moment....please be warned this is not for children...the intense violence, scariness, ans sexual themes and some harsh language and humor calls for a PG-13 rating...trust me this is not even a PG, but teens and adults, over the ages of 12 will enjoy it very much...but if u dont have 7 and a half hours to finish it or if u have work in the morning, do not start it....u will not be able to take ur eyes away...this was an amazing film and the perfect DVD with many extras...one problem...make that 2...no subtitles and I couldnt figure out how to access the hidden tenth kingdom game if someone can help please do....a must buy, espeially at such a great price....


Perfect! The Best TV Miniseries Yet   March 17, 2000
Jessica (USA)
72 out of 74 found this review helpful

This movie was so incredibly well done. The cast was superb , the special effects were so unbelievable , the settings were magical and gorgeous. I'm a 13-yr-old girl, and this movie captured my soul and left me craving for more. Wolf , played by Scott Cohen , was the best part of the entire movie. He had class, was able to pull of a truly magnificent part of a half man half wolf. Not to mention that he was so handsome. The story takes place in the 9 kingdoms, you'll have to watch it to understand that better, formed by Cinderella, Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood. Virginia, a girl from Manhatten, is pulled into the kingdoms by traveling mirrors and is sent on a journey with her father, Wolf, and a dog that can talk ( I know it sounds cheesy but you have to watch it, really ). Throughout the journey their goal is to retrieve the mirror so they can return to New York, but as they come closer to the mirror it becomes harder to get. They have to enter contests and raise money to get a grasp on the mirror, but all the while a magical love story unfolds between Wolf and Virginia, making it more complicated. The movie progresses and mystery, magic, fantasy, love, humor and more are woven together to make one of the best movies I myself have ever seen. If you buy one movie at this site, make it this one, you'll never regret it.


An absolute delight   August 1, 2000
39 out of 43 found this review helpful

Knowing how the Emmy nominations are made, I'm not in the least bit surprised that all The 10th Kingdom was nominated for was `OUTSTANDING OPENING SEQUENCE'. I'm pleased that it was nominated and I do believe it deserves to win, but why am I not surprised it wasn't nominated for Outstanding Mini-series or any of its actors nominated for anything at all?

1) It's not an established and well-known story.

2) It's not a true story.

3) It's not short enough to hold the average attention span.

What is it?

In a word, `different'.

All hail the mighty Simon Moore, unafraid to create something that contains disturbingly dark events, and combine them with something so sickeningly sweet that you're afraid your teeth will fall out from such sugary goodness.

But how about an intro...

WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST PART!

Virginia Lewis is a waitress who works on the edge of Central Park. Still living with her father, Tony - a janitor - she has pretty much come to the conclusion that her life will always be boring. Nothing exciting has ever happened to her. She has no romance in her life, and seems to face said life with an attitude that it's something to get through rather than something that should be enjoyed.

Meanwhile...

Two hundred years after the reign of such well-loved Queens as Snow White, Cinderella, and the Lady Rapunzel, dark times cover the 9 Kingdoms. Happily ever after didn't last as long as everyone expected.

After being held in Snow White Memorial Prison for seven years, the Evil Queen escapes and promptly turns her stepson - Prince Wendell, who is soon to be crowned King - into a dog.

Fleeing in dog form, Prince crashes into a mirror which - unknown to him - is a travelling mirror. The mirror activates and seeing no other way out, Prince leaps through...

...and finds himself in The 10th Kingdom.

Otherwise known as New York.

Quickly bumping into a bike-riding Virginia, both of them crash to the ground, unconscious.

Back in the 9 Kingdoms (specifically The 4th Kingdom), The Evil Queen is determined to catch Prince at any cost. As well as sending three Trolls after him through the mirror, she enlists the help of a prisoner who is half-man, half-Wolf, and always hungry. But things are not always as they seem...or not for long.

Thus ends the introduction.

Intrigued?

I hope so.

Not intrigued?

Fair enough.

To be able to watch this and enjoy it, you have to have a good appreciation of the absurd. If you have that, you'll love it.

Let's talk characters:

Virginia Lewis: Portrayed by Kimberly Williams, best known as the daughter from The Father of The Bride movies with Steve Martin. This is her story, and it's an understandable and well-portrayed role. Essentially she's not a likeable character, but she's someone we all associate with and understand. We've all been where she is now.

Tony: Greedy, put upon, inconsiderate, laconic. But he's funny. Really. Brilliantly portrayed by John Larroquette, he has just the right amount of humour to make him likeable - not to mention the dose of reality he brings to the frankly bizarre events surrounding him. Along with other things, he plays the part of `the audience' - just as things get a bit too weird, he cracks some line that the audience will agree with and laugh at.

The Evil Queen: Brrr. Dianne Wiest. Oooo. Just that bit too evil to be that which separates the good and the bad. Killer rings, too.

The Huntsman: Rutger Hauer rocks. I think that's all we need to say.

The Troll King: Ed O'Neill. Al Bundy in make-up, and about as likeable. But that's the point.

Saving the best for last...

Wolf: Scott Cohen.

The 10th Kingdom is Virginia's story, but if anyone makes it their own story it's Wolf. Stealing absolutely every scene he's in, this is a man who ACTS for every single second of his screen time, and then some.

Child-like, enthusiastic, enjoying life with an effort that is a joy to watch, acting on all of his instincts as soon as they strike, desperate to be a good person but unable to resist his wolf nature to tie people up and eat them.

This is, ladies and gentlemen (pigs and sows, rams and ewes), an award winning performance. Forget the Emmy awards. This man has cultivated a huge following in an incredibly short amount of time.

I've forced many of my friends to watch The 10th Kingdom (all seven and a half hours, and yes - they are still talking to me), and though differing in overall opinions (some loved it, some thought it was too romantic, some thought it just daft), all of them agreed that the best thing about it is Wolf. In their words he is "funny", "gets all the best lines," and "carries the entire thing."

Whether or not I agree with their statements is beside the point: this actor and this character made an impact, and continue to do so.

Overall...

The 10th Kingdom is far from perfect. The Troll King's children are unbelievably irritating. It does drag in places. Kimberly Williams makes me laugh when she cries.

But it's not that far from perfect.

If you've always enjoyed fairy tales, if you've always enjoyed romance, if you've always enjoyed humour, if you've always enjoyed things that are just a bit daft...watch The 10th Kingdom.

And e-mail me. We'll talk.