The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom (alternatively subtitled as The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure) is a direct-to-video film and the third installment in the The Swan Princess franchise. It was released in 1998, directed by Richard Rich, and features the voices of Michelle Nicastro and Brian Nissen as Odette and Derek. This film follows Derek and Odette having to deal with Zelda, an evil and villainous sorceress, who is seeking the Forbidden Arts and wishes to use it to destroy their happiness
This sequel features the returning voices of Michelle Nicastro and Steve Vinovich from the first film, with all the other characters being re-cast. Fourteen years later, the film was followed by another direct-to-DVD sequel in CGI animation, The Swan Princess Christmas which was then followed by, The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale.
Plot[]
Derek and Odette's kingdom is preparing a celebratory Festival Days event. Unknown to them, a wicked witch Zelda, who was once a consort to the evil sorcerer Rothbart, plans to wreak havoc to their kingdom by stealing the Forbidden Arts (which was somehow re-created) that would grant her great and limitless powers and abilities and rule over the kingdom. As part of her plan, she captures a yakey-bird named Whizzer who has the amazing power and ability to imitate any voice after hearing it only once. Threatening his life, she sends Whizzer to the castle at Swan Lake as a spy. There, Whizzer overhears that in reality Derek did not destroy Rothbart's notes on the Forbidden Arts, thinking that someday he would use their limitless power and ability for good. Following a chase with Puffin, the information is passed back to Zelda, she goes to the castle dressed as a Swedish "accordion slave" from a fictional country called, "Chuten-Chuten-Doodang".
Zelda charms over Lord Rogers, who falls for her with humorous results. Derek's mother, Queen Uberta, who wants Rogers to be her dance partner in the Festival Days talent show known as "the lady in black", is annoyed with Zelda to the point of almost being jealous. Zelda is allowed to stay in the castle after she nearly injures her ankle (though it's hinted either Zelda faked or she healed her ankle when no one was looking), and that night Whizzer steals Rogers' keys so that Zelda can steal the treasure chest with Rothbart's notes. With the notes in her possession, Zelda leaves the castle via a green seeker. By the next day, the grief-stricken Rogers accuses the "wolf in Queen's clothing" Uberta of sending Zelda back to that "crazed accordion loving king" and remains in a motionless, heartbroken state. However, the Queen is determined to win the talent show, so she takes Rogers to her library to have him snap out of it.
Zelda has the notes, but to her dismay, the last corner of the devastating power and ability to destroy has been torn off, preventing her from gaining its full powers and abilities. After asking Whizzer what Derek said, she realizes that he did it. The witch commands Whizzer to send Derek a ransom note that she writes, while she uses one of her green seeker fireballs to capture Odette and bring her back. The seeker successfully brings Odette (and Jean-Bob as stowaway) to Zelda's lair, and Zelda ties her to a rock in the main part of her lair. When Odette attempts to escape with the note in hand, the witch sees this from the reflection of the newly re-created orb and retaliates by transforming Odette into a swan and imprisons her and Jean-Bob in an orb of green fire.
Derek has received the ransom note and retrieves the missing Forbidden Arts note from a book in the library of his mother's castle, where she tries all afternoon to get Rogers to get over Zelda and literally back onto his feet. When Rogers hears about what has happened and finally comes to his senses, he rebukes Zelda as a "mean muffin". Puffin crosses paths with Whizzer and another chase ensues between the animals. Speed and Puffin convince Whizzer to help them by telling him that there's no need to be afraid to do the right thing. Whizzer eventually agrees, and the gang head out to help Derek rescue Odette. By the time they are reunited with Derek, Zelda has obtained the last note and gains the full power and ability to destroy.
A battle ensues, during which Zelda conjures up a destroying red seeker fireball to destroy Odette. Odette flies away from the lair in a frantic attempt to escape the seeker. Willing to make amends for helping Zelda, Whizzer distracts her by imitating Rothbart's voice, allowing Derek to snap the witch's wand in two, and she falls back on her own green fireball she had imprisoned Odette and Jean-Bob in, and is destroyed. Sadly, Puffin arrives to inform Derek that Odette had been killed by the fireball-destroying spell because she could not get away.
Devastated by his beloved wife's death, Derek breaks down and cries. His tears are visible on his cheeks and he sits there, still sobbing quietly. He destroys the Forbidden Arts notes by setting them on fire. The flames take on the orange-and-yellow fiery shape of a swan, and Odette materializes, having been resurrected by the Forbidden Arts.
During the talent show, Uberta and Rogers' version of the tango ends in disaster as they both go right through the stage. Despite that, Uberta wins first prize. Derek and Odette watch from nearby, and Odette asks Derek to promise her that there is no more magic in the castle. Derek tells her, "So long as you're here, Odette, there will always be magic."
Cast[]
- Michelle Nicastro - Princess Odette
- Brian Nissen - Prince Derek
- Katja Zoch - Zelda the Sorceress
- Christy Landers - Queen Uberta
- Donald Sage Mackay - Jean-Bob
- Doug Stone - Speed/Rock Chutney
- Steve Vinovich - Puffin
- Sean Wright- Rothbart
- Paul Masonson - Whizzer
- Joseph Medrano - Lord Rogers
- Owen Miller - Bromley
- Rosie Mann - Bridget
Musical Numbers[]
- It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This (performed by Michelle Nicastro, Brian Nissen, Christy Landers, Doug Stone, Steve Vinovich, Doald Sage MacKay, Joseph Medrano and Owen Miller)
- Because I Love Her (performed by Brian Nissen, lyrics by Clive Romney and Sydney Clarke)
- She's Gone (performed by Joseph Medrano)
- Bad Days Ahead (performed by Katja Zoch)
- The Right Side (performed by Steve Vinovich, Doug Stone, Donald Sage MacKay and Paul Masonson)
- Because I Love Her [End Credits] (performed by Connell Moss, arrangement by David Waters)
Release[]
The film was originally released direct-to-video on August 4, 1998. It was later released on DVD on March 30, 2004. A full double-sided widescreen set containing all three films and the sing-a-long was released on February 16, 2004, but is only available outside of the United States. An American release of a two-pack Double Feature DVD came out on August 2, 2005, containing this film and the original The Swan Princess.
Trivia[]
- Also it was the last The Swan Princess sequel to use traditional animation moving on into CGI animation with the next two sequels, The Swan Princess Christmas and The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale.
- This is the second time that the title character is killed and then returns to life and her death is similar to the first film, at the hands of a vile magic user of the Forbidden Arts powers of change, creation and destruction. How Zelda had managed to re-create is unspecified.
- Previously, Brian Nissen was in the cast of the first movie, but he only narrated the prologue there.
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