The Swan Princess (2017 film)

The Swan Princess is a 2017 American fantasy adventure film directed by Richard Rich from a screenplay written by Brian Nissen. The film stars Ellie Goulding, Diego Boneta, Meryl Streep, Ian McKellen and Patrick Dempsey and features the voices of Clayton James, Doug Stone and Gardner Jaas. Based on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet, Swan Lake, and inspired by Nest Family Entertainment's 1994 animated film of the same name, the film tells the story of eighteen-year-old princess Odette, who is being kidnnaped by Rothbart, and is kept under a spell as a swan.

Plot
King William, widowed father of newborn Princess Odette, and Queen Uberta, widowed mother of young Prince Derek, decide to betroth their children in the hopes of uniting their kingdoms. Rothbart is an evil sorcerer who wishes to take William's kingdom for himself, but before he can make his move, he is attacked by William's men. Although banished from the kingdom, Rothbart vows to return to get his revenge.

William and Uberta have Odette and Derek meet every summer in the hopes that they'll fall in love. As children this fails miserably, but when the years pass and the two reach adulthood, they do fall in love. Derek declares that the wedding preparations begins, but when he expresses his wish to marry Odette only for her beauty, she rejects him. Odette and William leave, but they are ambushed by Rothbart, who transforms into a "Great Animal", kidnaps Odette, and fatally injures William. Upon being tipped off by the arrival of King William's captain, Derek arrives on the scene, where William tells him with his dying breath that they were attacked by a "Great Animal," and that Odette is "gone." Believing that Odette is dead, Uberta encourages Derek to find another princess, but he is determined to find Odette, believing that she can still be alive. He and his best friend Bromley practice hunting every day in preparation for facing the Great Animal.

Elsewhere, Rothbart is keeping Odette at his castle lair at Swan Lake. He has cast a spell that turns Odette into a swan during the day, and she is able to temporarily turn human at night if she is on the lake under moonlight. Every night Rothbart asks Odette to marry him so he can rule William's kingdom, but she refuses. During her captivity, she befriends a turtle named Speed, a French frog named Jean-Bob, who dreams of being human and thinks he's a prince, and Puffin, an Irish puffin.

After obtaining a map from Rothbart's castle while avoiding his hag sidekick Bridget, Puffin and Odette, in her swan form, fly together to find Derek. By chance they stumble upon Derek in the woods, for he is searching for the Great Animal. Derek mistakes Odette for the Great Animal and tries to kill her. The ensuing chase leads Derek to Swan Lake, where he witnesses Odette's change from swan to human when the moon rises. The two share a loving reunion, and Odette explains that the spell can only be broken by a vow of everlasting love. Derek invites Odette to his mother's ball the following night, hoping to declare to the world of his love for her. Derek leaves just as Rothbart arrives. The enchanter has heard the whole conversation and imprisons Odette as a swan in the castle dungeon, along with Bromley whom he had found in the woods. Furthermore, because there is a new moon on the night of the ball, Odette remains a swan that night.

Fearing that Derek's vow would ruin his plans, Rothbart sends Bridget to the ball disguised as Odette. Odette's friends free her from the dungeon and she flies to Uberta's castle, but she is unable to warn Derek in time. Derek makes the vow of everlasting love to the wrong girl, which causes the spell to start killing Odette. Upon realizing his mistake, Derek races after Odette back to Swan Lake, where Odette transforms back into a princess just before she dies in Derek's arms. A furious Derek confronts Rothbart, ordering him to revive Odette. Rothbart transforms into the Great Animal. A battle ensues with Rothbart overpowering Derek. Odette's animal friends return Derek's bow to him, and Bromley, who has escaped the dungeon, provides Derek with a single arrow. Derek catches and fires the arrow into Rothbart's heart, destoying him.

Derek confesses to Odette that he loves her for her kindness and courage, and Odette returns to life, the spell on her broken. The two are married and live happily ever after, while Bridget switches sides and falls in love with Chamberlain.

Cast

 * Ellie Goulding as Princess Odette
 * Lucy Merriam as child Princess Odette
 * Sasha Pieterse as teenager Princess Odette
 * Diego Boneta as Prince Derek
 * Jacob Tremblay as child Price Derek
 * Zachary Gordon as teenager Prince Derek
 * Meryl Streep as Queen Uberta, Derek's mother
 * Ian McKellen as Lord Rogers, Uberta's advisor
 * Patrick Dempsey as Rothbart
 * Dick Van Dyke as King William, Odette's father
 * Jonathan Lipnicki as Bromley
 * Betty White as Bridget, Rothbart's assistant
 * James Corden as Chamberlain

Voice cast
Clayton James voiced Jean Bob Doug Stone voiced Speed Gardner Jaas voiced Puffin