Monday, March 21, 2011

The 10th Kingdom

Prince Wendell is on his way to visit the Evil Queen in a routine rejection of her parole request. Meanwhile, Relish the Troll King has come to the prison to free his children, Burly, Blabberwort, and Bluebell. The Evil Queen mesmerizes him, causing the Troll King to free her. Prince Wendell is brought before the Evil Queen who then releases a magical dog, which switches bodies with Wendell. The prince, now a dog, escapes through an old traveling mirror in the prison basement, winding up in the mythical "10th Kingdom," also known as modern day New York City. Burly, Blabberwort, and Bluebell are sent after him. The Evil Queen also frees a half-man, half-wolf (called simply Wolf) to track down the dog prince. Virginia Lewis, a Central Park waitress, finds the dog and takes to calling him Prince. Together with her father, Tony, she follows Prince back through the magic mirror to his world, known as the Nine Kingdoms.

The three arrive at the prison, where Tony is promptly arrested with Prince, while Virginia is kidnapped by the three trolls. Wolf rescues her and the two go back to help Tony and Prince escape from the prison. The Evil Queen launches her plot to bring down the House of White, training the magic dog to imitate Wendell. She uses her magic mirrors (heirlooms from the Swamp Witch, Snow White's evil stepmother) to search for the real Prince and commands Wolf to divulge his new companion's identities, but he refuses.

The four set out in pursuit of the mirror, which has been removed from the prison. Along the way, they must contend with a gypsy's curse, a magic wishing well, and a relentless Huntsman in the service of the Queen. When they do find the mirror it is up for auction. Unfortunately, the auctioneers suspect it is magical, and their asking price is astronomical. The Huntsman buys the mirror and hides in it on a tower. Prince acts as bait for the hunter while Tony attempts to steal the mirror, only to inadvertently destroy it.

After the mirror shatters, Virginia turns the shattered mirror pieces over to find the manufacturing seal on the back of the mirror shards. They travel on, seeking the dwarves that made the mirror. They find them in their mines, and learn of the existence of two other travelling mirrors capable of returning them to their world. But they soon learn that one is at the bottom of the ocean an the other is in the possession of the Queen. Meanwhile, in an ice cavern near the mines, Virginia meets the spirit of Snow White, who warns her that her fate is to save the Nine Kingdoms. Snow White gives Virginia her own magic mirror and bids her farewell.

As Virginia and Tony return to the 4th Kingdom, Prince is captured and returned to the Evil Queen. Virginia uses her mirror to see the Evil Queen, whom Tony recognizes as his wife and Virginia's long lost mother, Christine. She had been brought to the Nine Kingdoms to become the successor to the Swamp Witch. Wolf reunites with Virginia and Tony and the three of them sneak into the castle to confront the Evil Queen.

In the end, Virginia kills the Evil Queen in self defense using a poisoned comb. She and Wolf return to Manhattan (after learning she is pregnant with his "wolf-cub") while Tony decides to stay in the Nine Kingdoms.

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