The Swan Princess III: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure

It's hard to believe The Swan Princess has already enchanted herself into a second sequel. Nevertheless, kids will still be dazzled by the movie's colorful and lively animation, as well as the upbeat songs. In this direct-to-video effort, a wicked sorceress named Zelda wants to do what all villains set out to do: take over the world, preferably through destructive means. ("Move over Medusa," Zelda cackles in one of her songs.) But Prince Derek has hidden the missing link Zelda needs to complete her powers. So, once again, the villain (Zelda) kidnaps the Swan Princess, and dares Prince Derek to save his lady in distress. Fun-loving characters like Jean-Bob--a frog with a French accent--keep the story light and funny. And for musically inclined children, there's a bonus: three of the songs are reprised at the end of the tape in a "Swan Princess Sing-Along." A strong optional purchase. (M. K. Lau)[DVD Review--Mar. 9, 2004--Columbia TriStar, 89/73 min., G, $19.95 each, avail. Mar. 30--Making their debut on DVD, the 1994 children's film The Swan Princess and 1998 second sequel The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure both sport decent if unexceptional transfers and solid Dolby Digital surround soundtracks, but are--disappointingly--also both presented in full screen versions rather than their original aspect ratios. As for extras, both share the “Odette's Book of Wonderful Friends” read-along, with stories on Jean-Bob, Puffin, and Speed. In addition, The Swan Princess: Special Edition includes two games (one a pointless dress-up-Odette-for-her wedding exercise, the other a solid little math game), and five sing-alongs. On The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure, viewers will find a “Two to Tango” featurette, with live-action demonstrations of the tango, foxtrot, samba, waltz, and swing dances. Both films are also available together in a specially-packaged set for $29.95 (which omits the middle film, 1997's The Swan Princess II: Escape From Castle Mountain, a Warner title). Bottom line: although The Swan Princess is a wonderful film, the decision to release it in a full screen version (on a “special edition,” no less) is unfortunate; still you may want to consider purchase. The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure, on the other hand, is not worth picking up unless purchased as part of the packaged set featuring both films.]