Ice Princess

A pretty high-school science geek (Michelle Trachtenberg, the little sister from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), who has a penchant for figure skating, uses physics to perfect moves in this follow-your-dream 'tween crowd-pleaser that is far less cliché-riddled than you might expect for G-rated Disney fare. Hoping to win a scholarship by demonstrating that science can improve her skating, Trachtenberg's misfit character discovers that her true calling may lie on the ice instead of in the lab--although there are many obstacles to overcome, including a disapproving dowdy-feminist mom (Joan Cusack) and some backstabbing ugliness from competitors. But the delight of Ice Princess is that there's more to almost every character than meets the eye, and while contrived complications may arise in the last 15 minutes to keep the plot afloat (as do a few false dilemmas), for the most part the stock elements are kept in check and the performances drive the story. Ice Princess slips on some of its more conventional elements, but like Trachtenberg's heroine, it always gets up, dusts off, and glides gracefully into the next, more intricate, character-driven maneuver. Recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by costars Michelle Trachtenberg, Hayden Panettiere, Trevor Blumas, and Kirsten Olson, five deleted scenes including an alternate opening (7 min.), the music videos “Reach” by Caleigh Peters (3 min.) and “No One” by Aly & A.J. (3 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid set of extras for a mostly winning film.] (R. Blackwelder)