A year before "Lord of the Rings" came along and made all previous attempts at epic fantasy sagas look like child's play, there was this great little mini-series that resulted from a USA-UK-Germany co-production.
It's about a teenage girl and her father, living in New York on the edge of central park, who through a series of unusual events end up taking refuge in a fantasy world consisting of nine kingdoms. I know what you're thinking -- this has Cheap TV Teen Fodder written all over it, and there are moments throughout where it does border on that. But as it progresses, there are enough great ideas and excellent performances to keep it well above that level, and it certainly does not look cheap.
At first the only object is to return home to their own dimension, which they almost achieve with the help of their companions -- a half-wolf, played brilliantly by Scott Cohen, and a prince who has traded bodies with a dog due to an evil witch's black magic. But as it goes on, they become involved in an epic struggle for power caused by the descendant of Snow White's evil step-mother ... and there are plenty of clever twists, turns and not-so-subtle fairy tale references to keep you hooked on this for hour upon hour. Chances are you'll probably end up like me, watching the first four or five hours in one go, then having to stop for fear of becoming one with the television.
There are appearances from cult icons such as Warwick Davis (who probably played about 90% of all memorable fantasy dwarf characters you can think of) as a tough dwarf convict, and the great Rutger Hauer (Ladyhawke, Blade Runner) who plays a very cool 'huntsman' character with a magic crossbow. The most memorable performance in the series would definitely come down to a toss-up between Hauer and Cohen, but the entire cast do a good job, and Dianne Weist in particular is perfectly cast as the deviously evil queen.
In short, 10th Kingdom is as clever, funny and dark as the fairy tales it's based on. It's an epic story about dwarfs, trolls, magical mirrors and mushrooms singing "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". Who could ask for more?
It's about a teenage girl and her father, living in New York on the edge of central park, who through a series of unusual events end up taking refuge in a fantasy world consisting of nine kingdoms. I know what you're thinking -- this has Cheap TV Teen Fodder written all over it, and there are moments throughout where it does border on that. But as it progresses, there are enough great ideas and excellent performances to keep it well above that level, and it certainly does not look cheap.
At first the only object is to return home to their own dimension, which they almost achieve with the help of their companions -- a half-wolf, played brilliantly by Scott Cohen, and a prince who has traded bodies with a dog due to an evil witch's black magic. But as it goes on, they become involved in an epic struggle for power caused by the descendant of Snow White's evil step-mother ... and there are plenty of clever twists, turns and not-so-subtle fairy tale references to keep you hooked on this for hour upon hour. Chances are you'll probably end up like me, watching the first four or five hours in one go, then having to stop for fear of becoming one with the television.
There are appearances from cult icons such as Warwick Davis (who probably played about 90% of all memorable fantasy dwarf characters you can think of) as a tough dwarf convict, and the great Rutger Hauer (Ladyhawke, Blade Runner) who plays a very cool 'huntsman' character with a magic crossbow. The most memorable performance in the series would definitely come down to a toss-up between Hauer and Cohen, but the entire cast do a good job, and Dianne Weist in particular is perfectly cast as the deviously evil queen.
In short, 10th Kingdom is as clever, funny and dark as the fairy tales it's based on. It's an epic story about dwarfs, trolls, magical mirrors and mushrooms singing "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". Who could ask for more?