Happily N'Ever After

Happily N'Ever After is a 2006 US-German computer-animated film based on the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. It is a Vanguard Animation production, released by Lions Gate Films on January 5, 2007. The title is the opposite of happily ever after.

Plot
The story begins with the idea that the Wizard controls all of the fairy tales and maintains the balance of good and evil in Fairy Tale Land. With the help of his assistants the uptight Munk and the decidedly goofy Mambo, the Wizard is checking to make sure that all the fairy tales under his care are "on track" to have their traditional happy endings. As we meet him however, the Wizard is leaving for Scotland for a long-overdue vacation. He leaves the kingdom in the hands of Munk and Mambo.

Ella is a girl who is better known as Cinderella. She lives as a servant to her step family, dreams of the Prince who will sweep her off her feet. Her best friend at the palace is Rick, the palace dishwasher. Rick takes it upon himself to deliver the invitations to the royal ball to Ella. Ella sees Rick only as a friend, but Rick secretly loves Ella, although he is too cool and proud to admit it. Rick can't really understand what Ella likes about the Prince. Rick's Three Amigos, the comic chefs in the palace kitchen, believe that Rick has a bad case of "Prince envy". The Prince does everything by the book, and plans to meet his maiden at the ball.

However, things don't go as planned at the ball. Thanks to the assistants, Ella's evil stepmother, Frieda, gains access to the Wizard's lair during the Prince's ball. She manages to chase off Munk and Mambo and tip the scales of good and evil, causing a series of fairy tales to go wrong and have unhappy endings including Jack getting stepped on by the Giant, Little Red Riding Hood being eaten by the Big Bad Wolf, and Rumpelstiltskin winning his bet with the miller's daughter and takes her baby. She summons an army of Trolls, witches, 3 Big Bad Wolves, the Giant, and Rumpelstilkskin to her castle. Ella finds out and escapes to the woods, where she meets Munk and Mambo. The trio set out to find the prince who has gone looking for his maiden (not knowing it was actually Ella), in hopes that he will defeat Frieda and save the day.

Together, they flee to the Seven Dwarfs' home. Witches and trolls led by The Ice Queen attack them. The dwarfs hold off the trolls, while they flee with the help of Rick who had stolen a flying broom. Frieda decides to go after Ella herself. She succeeds in capturing her and returns to the palace, with Rick, Munk and Mambo in pursuit. Frieda tortures Ella because if the story had run its course she would have married the prince while Frieda would never get anywhere in life. Rick, Munk, and Mambo slip into the castle and attack Frieda. During the fight, Frieda generates a pit in the floor. Mambo knocks her in, but she uses her staff to fly back up again. After a short battle, in which Rick takes a blast meant for Ella and falls into a deep sleep, Frieda creates a portal by accident. Ella knocks Frieda back and punches her into the portal. Rick awakes from the spell and he and Ella kiss, finally admitting their feelings for each other.

Ella and her true love Rick decide to choose their destinies in a world of happy endings and get married. Rumpelstiltskin has shown throughout the movie that he has come to care for the baby, and the miller's daughter lets him stay in the castle as the baby's nanny. The Wizard returns from vacation where he wasn't told about what happened while he was away.

In the final scene, Frieda is shown trapped in the Arctic surrounded by elephant seals.

Transcript
Transcript may be viewed here.

Cast (in Alphabetical Order)

 * George Carlin - The Wizard
 * John De Maggio - Dwarf 1, Dwarf 2, Giant
 * Andy Dick - Mambo
 * Sarah Michelle Gellar - Ella
 * Lisa Kaplan - Fairy Godmother
 * Jill Talley Kenny - Stepsister 2, Witch 2, Baby's Mother
 * Tom J. Kenny - Amigo 3, Dwarf 3, Messenger, Wolf 2
 * Tress Mac Neille - Witch 1
 * Michael McShane - Rumpelstiltskin
 * Robert F. Paulsen III - Amigo 2
 * John Polito - Wolf 1
 * Freddie Prinze Jr. - Rick
 * Philip G. Proctor - Amigo 1
 * Wallace Shawn - Munk
 * Kath E. Soucie - Stepsister 1, Baby, Red Riding Hood
 * Patrick Warburton - Prince Humperdink
 * Sigourney Weaver - Frieda

Additional Voices

 * Andrew Dolan
 * April Winchell
 * Bill Farmer
 * Debi Derryberry
 * Jack Fletcher
 * James Kevin Ward
 * Jan Rabson
 * Jennifer Darling
 * John Cygan
 * Kevin Michael Richardson
 * Laraine Newman
 * Lee Arenburg
 * Mickie T. McGowan
 * Patti Deutsch
 * Robert Bergen
 * Roger Jackson
 * Shae D'Lynne
 * Sherry Lynn