Charming (film)

Prince Phillipe Charming is a prince who was cursed nearly twenty one years ago by his father's former partner Nemeny Neverwish, who accompanied him on his quest to find true love back then. Jealous and bitter because he wouldn't marry her, Nemeny has placed a curse on the young Charming. With an overdose of charming powder, Charming has the ability to instantly bewitch every woman in the land, at least he does until his 21st birthday, when all the love in the world will disappear. The only way for Charming to break the spell is if he finds his true love. However, with his 21st birthday nearing, Charming has proposed to not one but three bachelorettes; Cinderella, an impatient princess he met at a ball, Snow White, a paranoid and distrustful princess he saved from a near death experience with an apple, and Sleeping Beauty, a narcoleptic princess he awoke from a hundred year sleep with a kiss. All three bachelorettes are unaware that they are engaged to the same man. He has also become hated by every man in the kingdom for stealing the hearts of all the women. Growing tired of his flippancy, Charming's father kicks him out of the castle go on a quest known as the Gauntlet, which, according to his father, could help Charming discover his true love.

Meanwhile, a royal carriage full of treasure is robbed by a cunning jewel thief named Lenore. After being caught in her act, Lenore escapes into the village where she briefly meets Charming, and he instantly (yet unknowingly) falls for her, due to her refusal to his advances. To avoid the royal guards, she hides in a bakery whilst Charming's fiancées walk in. Posing as a baker and stealing all their possessions, she discovers who their groom is and breaks the bad news that they are all engaged to Charming, which causes scandal throughout the kingdom. Lenore is arrested and bribed by the princesses's three guardians to run the Gauntlet to protect Charming, and escort him to a place called Fire Mountain, where he will choose one of the three princesses to marry. She agrees, just in exchange for their riches. To avoid any more run-ins with the royal guards, and knowing how Charming reacts in front of women, she poses as a man named Lenny.

Lenore quickly becomes annoyed with Charming as he is very dim about the world around him and is actually useless when it comes to real-world problems, such as sword fighting and using a bow. However, the two begin to bond after Lenore reveals her past as being raised at sea and was taught to never trust anyone. Unknown to Charming, Lenore is cursed by Nemeny as well, however, her curse is that she is never able to love. They are later attacked by a tribe of giant women known as the Matilija, but Charming's charm saves the day, preventing them from being eaten, although the Chief of the tribe informs Charming that she plans to marry him and will postpone Lenore’s death until breakfast. While Charming gets anointed by nearly all the Matilija, Lenore is taken in by the Half-Oracle, who informs her that Charming might be her true love. After obtaining the chief's "hairpin" (which is actually an invincible sword), Charming manages to cut Lenore free from her chains. After escaping, Lenore and Charming find themselves in a stone cave enchanted by Nemeny, where Lenore’s greed gets the best of her and she accidentally awakens a stone monster by stealing a ruby. Charming attempts to fight it, until he later realizes that in order to appease the creature, he must return the ruby. He later befriends the monster, while Lenore ponders on whether or not she and Charming belong together. Lenore starts to develop feelings for Charming, and sets up a date at the Dainty Dish, a local restaurant. However, Nemeny finds out about this and, preying on Lenore’s Heart, which is fragile from being locked away for so long, casts a curse that draws all the women in the area inexplicably towards Charming. Lenore is heartbroken at seeing Charming surrounded by other women.

Yet the two continue, and they make it to Fire Mountain, where they meet up with the princesses and their guardians. Lenore is given her reward, which confuses Charming. Charming is confused by Lenny's cold demeanor after his trip to the Dainty Dish, at which point Lenore tells Charming the truth about her disguise and how she had been bribed by the princesses' guardians. Suddenly, Charming realizes that Lenore is his true love as they did all of the Gauntlet trials together (minus the blind leap of faith). Although she felt that she had betrayed him, Charming tells her that he still loves her, but she refuses to listen. A heartbroken Charming is then asked by the guardians on which princess he shall marry, but he decides that since he does not truly love them, he cannot marry any of them, and decides to execute himself in order to save the land from Nemeny’s curse. Before his execution, Charming writes letters to every woman his gaze enchanted to tell them that it was the curse they felt, not true love. He and his father share a sad goodbye and, as he is about to be hanged, Charming speaks to his self-sacrifice. Lenore’s bird friend Illy hears this and steals one of Charming’s letters and goes to inform an unhappy Lenore, who realizes that she is Charming’s true love. She arrives at the castle and stops Charming from being hanged and they admit their love for each other. Before they kiss, however, Nemeny interrupts and brings the final chapter of her curse. She attempts to kill Lenore, but Charming takes the hit for her and dies, therefore finishing the final task of the Gauntlet: the ‘blind leap of faith.’ A grief-stricken Lenore cries over his dead body, but then suddenly remembers True Love’s Kiss and kisses Charming, bringing him back to life. Nemeny then disappears forever and the land is freed from the curse, in which all the women that were previously bewitched by Charming’s gaze are freed from Charming’s curse as well and are returned to their true loves. Lenore and Philippe later marry each other, and live ‘happily ever after’.

At the end credits, the narrator of the film is revealed to be none other than Lenore herself, telling the story to the royal painter who is painting her and Charming’s portrait. She is also revealed to be pregnant with Charming’s child, and has taken up a hobby of knitting (which was predicted by the Half-Oracle).

• Demi Lovato as Lenore, a street-smart and cunning jewel thief who is cursed to never love. She is Charming’s love interest.[4][5]
• Wilmer Valderrama as Prince Charming, a handsome prince cursed to make women fall fo him, but has never felt the feeling himself. He is Lenore’s love interest (despite his three fiancés).[6]
• Sia as Half-Oracle[7]
• Avril Lavigne as Snow White, one of Prince Charming’s three fiancés who is very distrustful and paranoid.[5]
• Ashley Tisdale as Cinderella, one of Prince Charming’s three fiancés who is rather impatient and airheaded.[5]
• G.E.M. as Sleeping Beauty, one of Prince Charming’s three fiancés who is narcoleptic.[5]
• Nia Vardalos as Nemeny Neverwish, a bitter evil fairy bent on enacting revenge on Charming for being rejected by his father.
• Chris Harrison as the Painter
• John Cleese as Fairy Godmother
• Steve Aoki as Matilija DJ[8]

On September 18, 2014, it was announced that producers John H. Williams and Henry Skelsey's newly formed animated production company 3QU Media would be developing its first film, Charming, with Vanguard Animation, and in association with Cinesite.[5][9] Ross Venokur will direct the film based on his own script, and the film's budget would be under $20 million.

On February 19, 2015, Demi Lovato was cast in the film to provide her voice for the female lead role of Lenore, and she will also executive produce the music score for the film.[4] On August 5, 2015, Avril Lavigne, Ashley Tisdale and G.E.M. joined the cast to voice Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, respectively.[5] SC Films International will handle the international sales for the film.[5] Wilmer Valderrama was cast as Prince Charming on September 16, 2015.[10]

Production was done at the new animation studio Cinesite in August 2015 in Montreal.[5][9] On June 28, 2017, it was reported that a newly launched distribution company, Smith Global Media, had acquired distribution rights to the film.[11]

In November 2015, it was announced that Lovato will be responsible for the executive production of the soundtrack.[7] Australian recording artist and songwriter Sia wrote two songs; "Magical" and "Baladino", performed by Lovato and Sia, respectively. Also, Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump penned a song named "Trophy Boy", which will be sung by Lavigne, Tisdale and G.E.M., which Tisdale confirmed on her Snapchat to her fans. The soundtrack is set to feature music from Steve Aoki as well as Music written and Produced by Manny Guevara, David Kater, and Mark Grilliot titled, 'Charming'.

The film was postponed for an undisclosed time from 2017 to the spring of 2018, despite the filming, recording and production having been completed in December 2017. Although Vanguard Animation never officially announced a release date, it was released on April 20, 2018, in Spain and throughout the year in Europe and Africa.[12]

It was released in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2019.[2]

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 25% based on reviews from 16 critics.[13]

Ian Freer of Empire magazine gave the film 2/5 and wrote: "It has the odd fun conceit but the set-up is tortured, the storytelling is episodic, the gags scattershot, the songs forgettable and the animation rudimentary. You'll live happily ever after without it."[14]

• Charming on IMDb